The Greco-Italian War began when Mussolini's Italy attacked Greece from occupied Albania after the Greek government rejected an ultimatum, a refusal still commemorated in Greece as Ohi Day. The Greek army, commanded by Alexandros Papagos under the dictator Ioannis Metaxas, pushed back the poorly prepared Italians and advanced into southern Albania in the winter. The failure embarrassed Mussolini and forced Germany to come to his aid. In April 1941, German forces invaded Greece through Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and the Greek mainland fell within weeks, leading to a harsh occupation by Germany, Italy and Bulgaria.
Before and after
- from 19 October 1940 to 24 October 1940Official visit by Heinrich Himmler to Spain
- 21 October 1940Publication of For Whom the Bell Tolls
- 23 October 1940Birth of Pelé
- from 28 October 1940 to 1 June 1941World War II in the Balkans
- from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941Greco-Italian War
- 13 November 1940Release of Fantasia
- 18 November 1940Birth of Qaboos bin Said Al Said
- 27 November 1940Birth of Bruce Lee
- from 9 December 1940 to 9 February 1941Operation Compass
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 8 March 1917 to 16 March 1917February Revolution
- from 1 August 1927 to 1 May 1950Chinese Civil War
- from 7 July 1937 to 9 September 1945Second Sino-Japanese War
- from 22 June 1941 to 7 May 1945Eastern Front
- from 22 June 1941 to 5 December 1941Operation Barbarossa
- 7 December 1941Attack on Pearl Harbor
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.