Moscow and Greek Communism, 1944–1949

Moscow and Greek Communism, 1944–1949
Author: Peter J. Stavrakis
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2018-09-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1501732331

Moscow and Greek Communism is the first comprehensive analysis of Soviet conduct in Greece during the most critical period of Greek history in this century-the last months of World War II and the years of the Greek Civil War. Peter J. Stavrakis demonstrates that Soviet policy in Greece was highly mutable and reveals how its shifts were governed by Moscow's changing aims in the Near East generally, Soviet policy toward the Western powers, and the constantly changing Greek political situation. Stavrakis draws on previously inaccessible evidence from Greek Communist archives, recently declassified materials from the U.S. National Archives, documents from British archives, and personal memoirs of former Greek partisans to create the most accurate picture available of developments in the Balkans between 1944 and 1949. He traces the course of Soviet policy, explaining why Stalin vacillated in his attitude toward the armed insurgency of the Greek Communist party (KKE), finally acting in a way that ensured its defeat. Students of Soviet foreign policy will want to consider his thesis that the lessons learned in Greece have continued to guide Soviet interventionism in regions where its capabilities for control are limited.

Revolt in Athens

Revolt in Athens
Author: John O. Iatrides
Publisher: Princeton Legacy Library
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2016-04-03
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780691646527

In December 1944, following the withdrawal of the German occupation troops, Athens became the scence of bitter fighting between the British-sponsored government of George Papandreaou and the Greek Left. This upheaal and its suppression set the stage for the full-scale civil war of 1946-1949 and for much that has plagued that troubled nation ever since. John O. Iatrides examines the immediate causes of the "Second Round," as this tragedy came to be called, and analyzes the Allies' reactions to it. His conclusions are new and important. The real causes are to be found in the economic, social, political, and psychological exhaustion of Greece, inherited from the past and aggravated by the war and occupation. Traditionally this crisis has been regarded as a reckless bid by the Greek Communist Party to seize power and join Moscow's clients in the Balkans. This view served as a principal theme of the Truman Doctrine and a powerful stimulus for the Cold War. It is now clear that the Soviet Union chose to remain uninvolved. Knowing this, Churchill intervened in a highhanded attempt to restore the unwanted monarchy and suppress the entire republican Left, despite American disapproval of his actions. Originally published in 1972. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1944–1949

The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1944–1949
Author: James Horncastle
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2019-06-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1498585051

In this study of Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, the author examines how their participation in the conflict, and the attempts by other groups to manipulate them, gave rise to modern issues that continue to affect politics in the region today. The Macedonian Question has confounded academics, politicians and the people of the Balkans since the nineteenth century. While the countries have resolved the territorial component of the Macedonian Question, the critical and confusing question surrounding the ethnic and linguistic identity of the people of the region continues to be the source of international debate. Part of the reason for this confusion is because the history of the Macedonian Question is shrouded in nationalist polemics. The role of the Macedonian Slavs involvement in the Greek Civil War is particularly contentious and embedded in nationalist polemics, which has impacted academic inquiry. This book argues that the preponderance of Macedonian Slavs within the communist forces during the Greek Civil War influenced the actions of all the major actors involved, and is a significant factor in shaping the modern Macedonian national identity.

The Struggle for Greece, 1941-1949

The Struggle for Greece, 1941-1949
Author: Christopher Montague Woodhouse
Publisher: Beekman Publishers
Total Pages: 362
Release: 1979
Genre: History
ISBN:

Woodhouse, Commander of the Allied Military Mission to the Greek Guerrillas in German-occupied Greece in 1943 and 1944, details the events that marked the "three rounds" in the Communist struggle for power during the Greek civil war

The Struggle for Greece

The Struggle for Greece
Author: C. M. Woodhouse
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2018-09-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1787382559

As commander of the Allied Military Mission to the Greek guerrillas in Greece in 1943-4, C. M. Woodhouse had to hold an uneasy balance between the communist and government sides. The struggle for Greece unfolded against a background of conflicting communist doctrine, shifting foreign alliances, territorial disputes and personality differences. The first round began in 1941 with the German occupation of Greece when the National Liberation Front attempted to regain control of the country and overthrow the monarchy. In the second round, the communists tried to seize power at the end of the German occupation in December 1944 and were frustrated by the intervention of British forces. The third round (1946-9) was marked by US intervention, UN fact-finding missions, and the shift from guerrilla tactics to conventional warfare. The communists were weakened by internal feuding and overcome by the US forces. Drawing on interviews with participants, documentary sources and Woodhouse's own experience, this new edition of a classic book analyses the characters, ideologies and events behind one of the longest and most bitter civil wars of modern times.

The British Press and the Greek Crisis, 1943–1949

The British Press and the Greek Crisis, 1943–1949
Author: Gioula Koutsopanagou
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 379
Release: 2020-02-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1137551550

This book provides the first detailed analysis of how interactions between government policy and Fleet Street affected the political coverage of the Greek civil war, one of the first major confrontations of the Cold War. During this period the exponential growth of media influence was an immensely potent weapon of psychological warfare. Throughout the 1940s the press maintained its position as the most powerful medium and its influence remained unchallenged. The documentary record shows that a British media consensus was more fabricated than spontaneous, and the tools of media persuasion and manipulation were extremely important in building acceptance for British foreign policy. Gioula Koutsopanagou examines how this media consensus was influenced and molded by the British government and how Foreign Office channels were key to molding public attitudes to British foreign policy. These channels included system of briefings given by the News Department to the diplomatic correspondents, and the contacts between embassies and the British foreign correspondents.