Figure 1.--This British Army photograph was taken November 29, 1944. The caption red, "Peloponese boy munches bread: Charalambos M. Makris munches brown bread on the stoop of his fire-gutted home in a Peloponese village burned by the Germans."

The liberation of Greece was not the joyous event that occurred in many other occupied countries. Even before the British arrived a civil war was brewing. And the leftists while delighted to see the Germans departing were not al all pleased to see the British arriving. Over 0.4 million Greeks died during the the War, the great majority were civilians including. The Jewish communities with ancient roots was destroyed. Thousands died in the famine, including many children. Food was in short supply again by the tome the Germans departed. The population was near starvation. The currency was virtually worthless. A loaf of bread cost 2 million drachma. People were trading what ever property, even homes, for food such as olive oil they could feed the children. Only food assistance from the Allies prevented mass starvation. The British as they moved into Greece did not find jubilant crowds waving flags. Rather they found starving people in a state of shock over what had occurred. The Germans had burned villages, including churches and schools. Larhevnumbers of civilians had been uprooted and were homeless. The Government was bankrupt. Factories were destroyed and the economy was in a state of collapse. The Germans destoyed the transportation network, including ports, railways, and bridges. The entire Greek economy would have to be reconstructed.

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Created: 12:46 AM 1/6/2009
Last updated: 12:46 AM 1/6/2009