Britain and the Campaigns in Greece and Crete in 1941

Abstract

One of the intriguing questions about Britain’s strategy in the Second World War concerns its decision in February 1941 to commit forces to the defence of Greece. At that time, the British Commonwealth was standing alone against Hitler’s Germany. The Axis powers—Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Romania—dominated Europe. Germany had a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, and Spain seemed to be tilting towards Germany. The Battle of Britain might have been over, but German bombers were still striking each night at British towns and cities. At sea, German submarines were gaining the upper hand. The only glimmer of success was in northern Africa, where Commonwealth forces had advanced into Italian Libya. It hardly seemed that Britain was in a position to open a new front against the Axis, which would need to be supported across the seas, at the other side of Europe. Show more