Quotes

“For the sake of historical truth I must verify that only the Greeks, of all the adversaries who confronted us, fought with bold courage and highest disregard of death..”

From speech he delivered to Reichstag on 4 May 1941 — Adolph Hitler

“The word heroism I am afraid does not render the least of those acts of self-sacrifice of the Greeks, which were the defining factor in the victorious outcome of the common struggle of the nations, during WWII, for the human freedom and dignity. If it were not for the bravery of the Greeks and their courage, the outcome of WW II would be undetermined.”

Paraphrased from one of his speeches to the British Parliament on 24, April 1941 — Winston Churchill

“Until now we used to say that the Greeks fight like heroes. Now we shall say: The heroes fight like Greeks.”

From a speech he delivered from the BBC in the first days of the Greco-Italian war — Winston Churchill

“I am sorry because I am getting old and I shall not live long to thank the Greek People, whose resistance decided WW II.”

From a speech of his broadcast by the Moscow radio station on 31 January 1943 after the victory of Stalingrad and the capitulation of German 6th Army Field Marshal Von Paulus — Joseph Stalin

“If the Russian people managed to raise resistance at the doors of Moscow to halt and reverse the German torrent, they owe it to the Greek People, who delayed the German divisions during the time they could bring us to our knees.”

Quote from Field Marshal of the Soviet Army, Georgy Constantinovich Zhoukov memoirs

“Regardless of what the future historians shall say, what we can say now, is that Greece gave Mussolini an unforgettable lesson, that she was the motive for the revolution in Yugoslavia, that she held the Germans in the mainland and in Crete for six weeks, that she upset the chronological order of all German High Command’s plans and thus brought a general reversal of the entire course of the war and we won.”

Paraphrased from a speech by Sir Robert Antony Eden (Minister of War and the Exterior of Britain 1940-1945, Prime Minister of Britain 1955-1957) to the British Parliament on 24/09/1942.

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that Greece upset the plans of Germany in their entirety forcing her to postpone the attack on Russia for six weeks. We wonder what would have been Soviet Union’s position without Greece.”

Paraphrased from a speech by Sir Harold Leofric George Alexander (British Field Marshal during WWII) to the British parliament on 28 October 1941.

“I am unable to give the proper breadth of gratitude I feel for the heroic resistance of the People and the leaders of Greece.”

From a speech to the French Parliament after the end of WWII — Charles de Gaul

“Greece is the symbol of the tortured, bloodied but live Europe. Never a defeat was so honorable for those who suffered it.”

From a message of his he addressed from the BBC of London to the enslaved peoples of Europe on 28 April 1941, the day Hitler occupied Athens after a 6-month war against Mussolini and six weeks against Hitler — Maurice Schumann Minister of the exterior of France 1969-1973, member of the French Academy 1974

“You fought unarmed and won, small against big. We owe you gratitude, because you gave us time to defend ourselves. As Russians and as people we thank you.”

Moscow, Radio Station When Hitler attacked the U.S.S.R.

“The war with Greece proved that nothing is firm in the military and that surprises always await us.”

– Benito Mussolini

“On the 28th of October 1940 Greece was given a deadline of three hours to decide on war or peace but even if a three day or three week or three year were given, the response would have been the same. The Greeks taught dignity throughout the centuries. When the entire world had lost all hope, the Greek people dared to question the invincibility of the German monster raising against it the proud spirit of freedom.”

– Franklin D Roosevelt

“The heroic struggle of the Greek people… Against Germany ’s attack, after she so thunderously defeated the Italians in their attempt to invade the Greek soil, filled the hearts of the American people with enthusiasm and moved their compassion.”

– Franklin D Roosevelt