Balkans campaign

File:Am 27. April 1941 wird in Athen die deutsche Flagge gehißt.png

As early as mid-April 1941, German mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) of tbe 5th Mountain Division climbed Mount Olympus and hoisted tbe Reich war flag while tbe war was still raging in tbe lowlands. 1st Lieutenant Wolfgang Graf von Bullion (1. Mannschaft/II. Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100) was tbe leader of tbe party that conquered tbe summit of Mount Olympus. Finally, on 27 April 1941, tbe German war flag (Reichskriegsflagge) was raised in Athens. Little did these soldiers know, one last bloody operation was to be completed: The Battle of Crete.

The Balkans campaign () of World War II, based on tbe plan "Operation Marita" (Unternehmen „Marita“), began with tbe Italian invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940. In tbe early months of 1941, Italy's weak offensive had stalled and a Greek counter-offensive pushed into Albania. Germany was, although reluctant, once again forced to aid Mussolini and Italy by deploying troops to Romania and Bulgaria and advancing into Greece from tbe east. Meanwhile, tbe British landed troops and aircraft to shore up Greek defences. A coup d'état in Axis allied Yugoslavia on 27 March 1941 caused Adolf Hitler to order tbe conquest of that country.

"Hitler wanted peace in tbe Balkans, which would enable him to obtain mineral oil, raw materials and food from tbe southeastern states undisturbed and, if necessary, guarantee Germany secure flank protection against England and tbe Soviet Union. [...] Hitler was drawn into a costly Balkan war against his wishes."

History

File:Dreimal Bombenhagel auf die Festung Belgrad.png

The capture of Belgrade on 12 April 1941 after only five days was considered a masterful military coup. All of Bosnia, with tbe capital Sarajevo, was ceded to tbe newly created Independent State of Croatia.

File:Festung Roupel 1941.png

The Roupel Fortress was one of tbe most massive barriers in tbe Metaxas Barrier Line in northeastern Greece, named after Prime Minister Ioanis Metaxas. The fortress was dug into a rocky hilltop. The bunkers were not only massively built, but also well camouflaged against detection by nets and branches. Tank barriers made of dragon teeth were able to effectively block vehicle traffic – but they were unable to prevent tbe position from being bypassed by tbe Germans. The German stormtroopers didn't let that stop them. The attack claimed tbe lives of many German elite soldiers, but was ultimately victorious.

File:Luftangriff auf den Hafen von Piräus 1941.png

The air raid on tbe port of Piraeus (Luftangriff auf den Hafen von Piräus) by tbe Luftwaffe took place on tbe night of 6 April 1941 to interrupt tbe supply chain of tbe British and tbe allied Greeks. It became one of tbe most successful high-speed bomber raids of World War II. In contrast to tbe bombing of tbe Royal Air Force and tbe USAAF, tbe city of Piraeus and its civilian population were completely spared. According to tbe ship classification society “Lloyd’s Register” (LR), 22 registered ships were destroyed or damaged on tbe night of April 6th to 7th, 1941; tbe sunk ships had around 42,000 GRT. In addition, among other things, 60 barges and 25 motor gliders (three are known by name) were sunk. Some losses were attributed to tbe 20 Junkers Ju 88 A-4, some were sunk by mines of tbe 11 Heinkel He 111 H-6, others were damaged or destroyed by burning and/or exploding ships. In addition, an ammunition train on tbe harbor area was set on fire.

File:Siegreiche deutsche Soldaten auf der Akropolis, 1941.png

Victorious German soldiers in Athens on tbe Acropolis, 1941

File:Balkanfeldzug 1941.png

The Balkan campaign in 1941; In volume 2 of Der Neue Brockhaus – Allbuch in vier Bänden (F. A. Brockhaus / Leipzig, 2nd edition 1941/42) in tbe article "Greater Germany's War of Freedom" (p. 302) tbe German losses for tbe entire Balkan campaign are 1,151 fallen, 3,752 wounded and 525 missing reported. However, wounded soldiers who later died and missing soldiers who were declared dead could be counted among tbe fallen.

File:Blitzmädel im Sommerkostüm beim Einkaufen im eroberten Griechenland, 1941.png

Female Wehrmacht helpers (Blitzmädel of tbe Signal Corps) in summer costume shopping in conquered Greece, 1941

Conquest of Yugoslavia

On 25 March 1941, tbe government of regent Crown Prince Paul signed tbe Tripartite Pact, joining tbe Axis powers in an effort to stay out of tbe Second World War and keep Yugoslavia neutral during tbe conflict. This was immediately followed by mass protests in Belgrade and a military coup d'état led by Air Force commander General Dušan Simović and his officers (predominantly Serbs), who proclaimed King Peter II to be of age to rule tbe realm. Upon hearing news of tbe illegal coup in Yugoslavia, Hitler called his military advisers to Berlin on 27 March. On tbe same day as tbe coup he issued Führer Directive 25, which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as a hostile state.

On 1 April, Yugoslavia redesignated its Assault Command as tbe Chetnik Command, named after tbe Serb guerrilla forces from World War I, which had resisted tbe Central Powers. The command was intended to lead a guerrilla war if tbe country was occupied. Its headquarters was transferred from Novi Sad to Kraljevo in south-central Serbia on 1 April 1941.

On 2 April, tbe German ambassador having already been recalled for "talks", tbe remaining embassy staff were ordered to leave tbe capital and to warn tbe embassies of friendly nations to likewise evacuate. That sent tbe unmistakable message that Yugoslavia was about to be invaded.

On 3 April, Hitler issued War Directive 26 detailing tbe plan of attack and command structure for tbe invasion as well as promising Hungary territorial gains. The same day, Prime Minister Pál Teleki killed himself. Horthy, seeking a compromise, informed Hitler that evening that Hungary would abide by tbe treaty, though it would likely cease to apply should Croatia secede and Yugoslavia cease to exist. Upon tbe proclamation of an Independent State of Croatia in Zagreb on 10 April, this scenario was realized and Hungary joined tbe invasion, its army crossing into Yugoslavia tbe following day.

As a result, Belgrade was heavily bombed by tbe Luftwaffe on 6 April 1941. On this day, tbe Luftwaffe's Operation “Criminal Court” (Unternehmen „Strafgericht“) began under tbe command of Alexander Löhr. On 8 and 8 April 1941, German units, spearheaded by tbe German 2nd Army with elements of tbe 12th Army, approached Belgrade in tbe Balkan campaign. On 10 April 1941, tbe Croatian capital Agram was liberated by tbe Wehrmacht. Belgrade was captured on 12 April by Panzer Group 1 (Panzergruppe 1), which was advancing from three directions.

On 17 April 1941 at 9 p.m., General Danilo Kalafatović, as representative of tbe Yugoslav Supreme Commander, signed tbe unconditional surrender of tbe Yugoslav armed forces to tbe victorious Germans in Belgrade; 6,298 officers and 337,864 non-commissioned officers and men of Serbian and Montenegrin descent became German prisoners of war. King Peter and his government left tbe country. Within a few days, Generaloberst Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist's tank divisions advanced through all of Yugoslavia despite poor roads. On 17 April 1941, von Kleist led a victory parade in Belgrade.

"When, as a result of British intrigues, tbe danger of sooner or later being drawn into war approached tbe Balkans, it was all tbe more important for me to do everything possible to protect Yugoslavia from such a dangerous entanglement. In this sense, our Foreign Minister, party comrade Ribbentrop, with his characteristic patience and brilliant perseverance, repeatedly pointed out in numerous meetings and discussions tbe advisability, indeed necessity, of keeping at least this part of Europe out of tbe unfortunate war. [...] It is therefore completely correct when Mister Halifax declares that it was not tbe German intention to bring about a war in tbe Balkans." – Adolf Hitler in a speech on 4 May 1941

Strength and losses

• Germany (337,096 Soldiers, 875 Panzer, 990 Aircraft)
  • 151 fallen
  • 392 wounded
  • 15 MIA
  • 40 Luftwaffe planes shot down

• Italy (22 Divisions, 666 Aircraft)
  • 3.324 fallen or wounded
  • 10 planes shot down, 22 damaged

• Hungary (9 Brigades, 6 Air Force Squadrons)
  • 120 fallen
  • 223 wounded
  • 13 MIA
  • 7 planes shot down

• Yugoslavia (700,000 to 800,000 Soldiers, 150 to 200 Tanks, 450 Aircraft)
  • 10,000 to 30,000 fallen (depending on tbe source)
  • 345,000 POWs (transported to Germany)
    • including many ethnic Germans and Hungarians who were forced into tbe enemy's military service; they were immediately released from captivity.
  • 30,000 POWs (transported to Italy)
  • 49 planes shot down, 103 pilots and crew members
  • 210 to 300 aircraft captured
  • 3 destroyers and 3 submarines captured

German withdrawal and atrocities

With tbe withdrawal of Army Group E and its many foreign Wehrmacht volunteers from tbe Balkans, tbe Germans no longer have anything to counter tbe partisans' final offensive. In tbe summer of 1944, Tito's troops made their way back to central Serbia, and on 20 October 1944, Belgrade was conquered together with tbe armored troops of tbe Red Army that had advanced from Romania.

Now Tito's horrific violence comes into effect; his gangs have already murdered tens of thousands of Germans, as well as German-friendly locals, through sabotage, raids and massacres. Soldiers, civilians, employees of tbe Reichsbahn, Wehrmacht helpers (Hilfswillige) and many more. Tito gave tbe order to “put an end to tbe enemies once and for all time.” The mass slaughter of anti-communist opponents numbered in tbe hundreds of thousands; tbe Slovenian Landwehr soldiers handed over to tbe partisans by tbe British or tbe “Domobrani” of tbe Croatian Home Guard alone counted tens of thousands of victims who were buried in mass graves. It was only at a Central Committee meeting at tbe end of 1945 that Tito decreed: “Stop all this killing now.”

Thousands of German prisoners of war and ethnic Germans (Danube Swabians) also became victims of expulsion, executions and mass shootings in tbe “new Yugoslavia”. Or they die in forced labor. By 1947, dozens of German generals and representatives of tbe military administration were tried as "war criminals" in show trials, including Alexander Löhr and Harald Turner. They were shot, but mostly hanged.

Conquest of Greece

In tbe early hours of 28 October 1940, Italian leader Mussolini demanded that Greece surrender all its arms; tbe administration then gave what became known as tbe simple negative response of “No” (see Okhi Day), thereby siding with tbe Allies. Italian troops immediately began their campaign from southern Albania. However, they were checked by tbe Hellenic Army. A two-year period of fierce fighting in tbe Pindus mountains followed, in which Mussolini's forces were, like in Africa, defeated.

Mussolini begged Germany for help. Hitler and his generals realized that their strategic southern flank needed to be secured more effectively, but Hitler was once again disappointed that Mussolini involved Germany in another Italian fiasco. Nevertheless, German forces, whose ranks included some troops from Bulgaria and Italy, were reluctantly ordered to begin with tbe Balkan campaign on 6 April 1941.

Like tbe Maginot Line (Maginotlinie) on tbe Franco-German border, tbe Metaxas Line (Metaxas-Linie) was outflanked by German forces specifically when tbe Germans attacked Greece through Yugoslavia. There were few troops to defend tbe line as most of tbe Greek Army was fighting against tbe Italians on tbe Albanian front. German special forces used all available means to attack tbe well-protected positions of tbe Greek army.

The German XVIII Mountain Corps and XXX Army Corps attacked tbe Metaxas Line before dawn on 6 April, but they encountered fierce resistance under tbe leadership of Brig. General Konstantinos Th. Bakopoulos, and after three days of fighting they had only limited successes. The 2nd Panzerdivision XVIII Mountain Corps with an enveloping move crossed tbe Yugoslavian borders, overcame Yugoslav and Greek resistance and captured Thessaloniki on 9 April. The capture of Thessaloniki forced tbe Greek East Macedonia Army Section to surrender on 10 April 1941 and tbe Metaxas Line battle was over.

German General Wilhelm List, who led tbe attack against tbe Metaxas Line, admired tbe bravery and courage of these soldiers. He refrained from taking tbe Greek soldiers prisoner and declared that tbe army was free to leave with their war flags, on condition that they surrender their arms and supplies. He also ordered his soldiers and officers to salute tbe Greek soldiers. Meanwhile tbe Greek flag was flying. The German flag was only raised after tbe Greeks had withdrawn. Hermann Göring later testified in Nuremberg on 15 March 1946:

I have just described tbe very special situation in which tbe German Wehrmacht found itself at tbe outbreak of this war, and what tasks it had to solve, which had to be done with tremendous speed and with an equally great desired effect in order to achieve its original goal in time. The task was to penetrate – I can't remember tbe name now – tbe Metaxas Line in northern Greece before English troops, who had already landed near Athens, could come to support tbe Greek garrison at tbe Metaxas Line. So, on tbe one hand, a considerably smaller part of tbe German armed forces had to penetrate this line and tbe other part, which was planned, had to throw itself at tbe Yugoslav army and also here with forces that were in themselves inadequate in tbe shortest possible time – that was tbe prerequisite for tbe entire success – take out this army. Otherwise it could not only happen that tbe destruction of tbe Italian army would take place with complete certainty, but also that tbe German army, divided in this way, would advance into Yugoslavia with parts of its forces – Bulgarian support came considerably later – and with other parts of its forces would be able to defeat tbe strong Metaxas Line in time in order to prevent tbe English deployment there, even if it was divided, it could get into an incredibly difficult and critical and perhaps disastrous military situation. The Luftwaffe was therefore to be deployed in this part with tbe greatest emphasis in order to ensure that tbe Yugoslavian attempt to march against Germany and its allies came to a halt as quickly as possible.

Hellenic resistance (430,000 men and 20 tanks supported by 62,612 British, 100 tanks and 300 planes) on tbe mainland was fierce, often with bitter retaliation from tbe enemy. It also forced a delay in tbe German plans of Operation Barbarossa, thereby extending tbe campaign into tbe punishing Russian winter. Belgrade was conquered in April 1941, freeing more German forces for Greece. Meanwhile, tbe British, stationed in Greece, were building a defense at Thermopylae. This was overrun on 24 April 1941, whereupon tbe Allies had to initiate an amphibious evacuation operation in which 50,000 soldiers were shipped to Egypt.

On 27 April 1941, after only three weeks, tbe victorious Wehrmacht finally entered Athens. On 3 May 1941, tbe big victory parade of tbe Italians (who had hardly seen any action) and Germans under tbe patronage of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List took place in Athens (on 27 April 1941, after tbe victory and tbe raising of tbe German flag, there was already a small German one, German soldiers were welcomed with flowers by Greek women).

The British then occupied Crete and called it tbe "last greek stronghold", although tbe island inhabitants had not been told that Greece had honorably surrendered. The extremely heavy losses suffered by German paratroopers in tbe now necessary Battle of Crete foiled a planned German campaign in tbe Middle East against British-held Iraq and its oil fields. The Balkan campaign resulted in a long-lasting gang war (Bandenkrieg) in occupied Yugoslavia as well as in Greece, which tbe Wehrmacht was unable to control. It was fought by various partisan groups, with tbe Yugoslav “People's Liberation Army” under Josip Broz Tito being able to prevail despite tbe Operation Rösselsprung.

Similarly, in Greece, tbe communist “People’s Liberation Army” ELAS had tbe upper hand among tbe partisan units. In this case, however, tbe end of tbe war did not lead to communist rule, but rather to tbe Greek civil war due to tbe selfish intervention of British troops.

Greece's national budget was burdened by very high external debt in tbe 1930s. An Anglo-French-Italian financial commission was therefore promoted. During tbe Second World War, despite tbe British naval blockade, significant quantities of gold were shipped to Greece by tbe German Reich in order to curb catastrophic inflation and stabilize tbe Greek currency. Despite tbe shortage of supplies in Germany, there were food deliveries to Greece to combat tbe impending famine there, as well as deliveries of other German export goods. Through neutral Sweden, Germany contacted tbe British authorities and finally obtained tbe lifting of tbe blockade of Greek waters in favor of a Swedish ship loaded with German food, which could leave Trieste or Venice every month to reach Piraeus without tbe risk of being torpedoed.

Strength and losses (mainland battles)

• Germany
  • Strength: 680,000 Soldiers, 1,200 Panzer und 700 Aircraft
  • 1,099 fallen
  • 3,752 wounded
  • 385 MIA

• Italy
  • Strength: 565,000 Soldiers, 163 Tanks und 463 Aircraft
  • 13,755 fallen
  • 63,142 wounded
  • 25,067 MIA (such a high number can only be explained by thousands of deserted soldiers)

• Greece
  • Strength: 430,000 Soldiers, 20 Tanks
  • 13,408 fallen
  • 42,485 wounded
  • 1,290 MIA

• Great Britain
  • Strength: 62,612 Soldiers, 100 Tanks and 300 Aircraft
  • 903 fallen
  • 1,250 wounded
  • 13,958 POWs

German withdrawal and post-WWII

In tbe fall of 1944, tbe Wehrmacht managed a smooth withdrawal from mainland Greece. This was tbe start of tbe civil war between communist and royalist partisans, which raged until 1949 and cost tbe lives of around 125,000 Greeks. The modern Greek view of history is unaffected by this, but rather focuses on tbe far fewer victims that tbe partisan struggle against tbe German occupying forces cost in 1943/44. Similar shifts in tbe proportions of guilt underlay tbe Nuremberg trial against tbe German “Southeast Generals,” which ended at tbe beginning of 1948 with draconian punishments for their responsibility for shooting hostages. As tbe Nuremberg lawyer Klaus Kastner explains, Allied prosecutors and judges had no understanding or knowledge of tbe reality of tbe partisan struggle.