Figure 1.--The German occupation resulted in a famine in Greece. It was the children that were most affected. Here are starving children that were photographed in the streets of Athens. The photograph was taken by Kostas Paraschos. During the Axis occupation, Paraschos managed to secretly take about 1,000 pictures in the streets of Athens at the risk of his own life since the authorities were suspicious of street photography. |
The Germans after defeating the Greeks and British, divided Greece into three occupation zones. The Germans zone included western Macedonia, Thessaloniki, a
strip of land in eastern Thrace, the major Aegean Islands and Crete. The Bulgarians zone included eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The Italian zone included the
Dodecanese Islands, the Ionian Islands, and a large section of mainland Greece including Athens. The Greek children were especially affected by the German
occupation. The Gerrman occupation of Greece differed substanially from the occupation of Yugoslavia. Greece had a relatively homogeneous population, in sharrp
contrast to Yugoslavia. There was also a central government that was weak and collaborationist. Not only did Greece pose a less difficult occupation problem that
Yugoslavia, but the German occupiers had a much more favorable attitude tgoward the Greek people and their culture. There was a deep respect for the culture of ancient Hellas. Germany had been a major force in archeology. It was a German archeologist who found Troy and provded that is was not just a legend. Even the NAZIs strongly sypported archelogical studies--in part believing that archeology would confirm NAZI racial ideology. The German attitude toward the Yugoslavs. The NAZIs regarded the Yugoslavs as like the Russians, barbarian Slavic untermench. The Greek economy also made it easier for the Germans to control the population. Greece was not self sufficent in food production. Before the War, the Greeks imported food. After the occupation, this was no longer possible. Food
could be usedto control the population. The NAZI program of plundering the occupied countries, made the situation in Greece even more difficult for the Greek peopkle. Large quantities of food were shipped from Greece to Germany. The result was a mass famine in Greece. The famine in Greece reached Athens in the winter of 1941. The famine was a man-made event resulting from the German ability to contol distribution of food. The Germans viewed Greece and other occupied countries as a source of food and resources that could be used to support the War effort. It should be stressed that not all Germans involved in the occupation behaved crudely. German Occupation officials reported to Berlin that more food was needed for the Greek people. These requests were ignored by NAZI officials in Berlin. NAZI officials in some occupied countries were interested in remaking those societies on the basis of the National Socialist principles implemented in Germany. This seems not to have been a major factor in Greece. The German priorities in Greece were clearly food, raw material, and laborers to support the German War economy. [Mazower] The Occupation was a very difficult period for the Greek people. Actual starvation claimed the most lives. There were many executions, including resistance fighters and even more civilian hostages. Large numbers of Greeks were deported to Germany to work as slave alorers. Thousands of children starved. Asylos were set up for the thousands of displaced children. Because of German policies, however, resources were unavailable to deal with the crisis.
The Germans after defeating the Greeks and British, divided Greece into three occupation zones. The Germans zone included western Macedonia, Thessaloniki, a strip of land in eastern Thrace, the major Aegean Islands and Crete. The Bulgarians zone included eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The Italian zone included the Dodecanese Islands, the Ionian Islands, and a large section of mainland Greece including Athens. Essentially the Wehrmacht as a result of these zones turned over most of the responsibility for the occupation to the Italians in
1941. The Italians by this time had been mauled by the Britishbin East Africa and North Africa. There own invasion of Greece had been a disater. They were this not disposed towad taking aggressive measure to combat the Resistance. The limited Italian attempts at suppression were harsh, arbitrary and genrtally ineffective. This only fuled resentment on the part of the Greek people to the Axis occupation. Especially resented was the German
decission to allow their Axis partner, Bulgaria, to annex Thrace. This had been won at great sacrifice in the 1922-24 war with the Turks.
The German occupation of Greece differed substanially from the occupation of Yugoslavia. Greece had a relatively homogeneous population, in sharp contrast to Yugoslavia. There was also a central government that was weak and collaborationist. Not only did Greece pose a less difficult occupation problem that Yugoslavia, but the German occupiers had a much more favorable attitude tgoward the Greek people and their culture. There was a deep respect for the culture of ancient Hellas. Germany had been a major force in archeology. It was a German archeologist who found Troy and provded that is was not just a legend. Even the
NAZIs strongly sypported archelogical studies--in part believing that archeology would confirm NAZI racial ideology. The German attitude toward the Yugoslavs. The NAZIs regarded the Yugoslavs as like the Russians, barbarian Slavic untermench. The Greek economy also made it easier for the Germans to control the population.
The Germans kaept a relatively large garrison in Greece. Allied disinformation efforts convinced them that an invasion might come through Greece. Even so, most of Greece was occupied by the Italians who also provided most of the occupation force. The Germans would be hard pressed when Italy sined an armistace with the Allies.
Germans policy was to force the Greeks to pay for their own occupation. A similar policy was emoloyed in France. The payment was exacted through the requisition of food
and other supplies. The Germans exploited the Greek economy to the fullest extent. The civilian population was left at a minimal subsistence level. Many in fact were reduced below the subsistance level. Relief agencies of neutral powers had to be called upon to prevent widespread starvation. It became obvioys to most Greeks that there would be no relief from the NAZI plundering as long as the Germans remained in Greece. This not only generated increased support for the Resistancem but placed the Germans in a position that they could only mainatin their hold on the country with the increased application of force, especially after the Italians withdrew from the War in 1943 and German forces became increasingly streached.
Greece was not self sufficent in food production. Before the War, the Greeks imported food. After the occupation, this was no longer possible. Food
could be usedto control the population. The NAZI program of plundering the occupied countries, made the situation in Greece even more difficult for the Greek
people. Large quantities of food were shipped from Greece to Germany. The result was a mass famine in Greece. The famine in Greece reached Athens in the
winter of 1941. The famine was a man-made event resulting from the German ability to contol distribution of food. The Germans viewed Greece and other occupied
countries as a source of food and resources that could be used to support the War effort. It should be stressed that not all Germans involved in the occupation
behaved crudely. German Occupation officials reported to Berlin that more food was needed for the Greek people. These requests were ignored by NAZI officials
in Berlin. NAZI officials in some occupied countries were interested in remaking those societies on the basis of the National Socialist principles implemented in
Germany. This seems not to have been a major factor in Greece. The German priorities in Greece were clearly food, raw material, and laborers to support the
German War economy. [Mazower] The Occupation was a very difficult period for the Greek people. Actual starvation claimed the most lives.
Large numbers of Greeks were deported to Germany to work as slave laborers. The Germans had a desperate need to labor to keep their war industry running. Most able bodied German workers were concscripted for military service. The NAZIs refused to use married women in factories as was done in America, Britain, and Europe. As a result, they began conscrioting potential workers in the occupied countrues. Usually these were younger adults without children. I do not yet have details on the deportations to Germany of Greek slave laborers.
The Greek children were especially affected by the German occupation. No other group of Greeks, except the Jews, were more affected by the occupation and the resulting famine than the children. There were many executions, including resistance fighters and even more civilian hostages. Large numbers of Greeks were deported to Germany to work as slave alorers. Thousands of children starved. Asylos were set up for the thousands of displaced children. Because of German policies, however, resources were unavailable to deal with the
crisis. Asylo or asylums were established to care for the children. We know very little about institutions at this time. One image shows emacuated boys at one of these asylos wearing smocks.
Mazower, Mark. Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-1944 (Yale University Press, 1993), 437p.
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