Only one generation had passed from the "War to end all Wars", World War I.  Though this war was a disaster in terms of life and property lost it would pale in comparison to the next world war that began in 1939 and lasted till 1945.

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party (NSDAP) came to power in Germany it foreshadowed a forthcoming war.  The writings of Hitler such as "Mein Kempf" clearly indicated his idea of a great Germany which would include territories of many surrounding countries.  These countries clearly would resist Germany's expansionist plans.

However, out of fear of another world war the super powers indirectly caused another world war.  They made many concessions to Germany such as allowing Germany to march into the Rhineland in 1936, to unite with Austria in 1938, to take the Sudetendland from Czechoslovakia in 1939 without war, and on and on..  This only served for Hitler to believe that he could to do a great deal more without the super powers of the time intervening.

In such he decided to attack Poland in September 1939 and call the bluff of Poland's protectors France and England.  France and England then declared war on Germany and the world was swept into another disasterous world war.

Greece though it had a Fascist dictatorship wished to remain neutral in this world war.  Greece had suffered much more then the other European countries and did not wish to see another war in which it would be involved.

However, in Italy their existed a dictator by the name of Benito Mussolini.  He had an idea as ridiculous as Hitler's to reestablish a new Roman Empire which would naturally include Greece.

The Italians committed on many occasions aggressive acts and violations of international laws to instigate Greece into a war.  The Italians would routinely invade Greek airspace to strike at Greek shipping.  On the 15th of August they committed an act which horrified and enraged the Greek nation entering Greek waters an Italian submarine torpedoed and sank the Greek naval ship "Elli" in the harbor of Tenos.  Greece kept its' calm and did nothing wishing to avoid another war.  

Italy's aggressive tendencies could not be controlled and on the night of the 27-28th of October Italy asked  Greece to allow it to occupy strategic positions within Greece.  The response by the Greeks to the Italian ultimatum was only one world the legendary "OXI",  which simply means "NO"  in Greek.  Italy then invaded Greece from Albania on the 28th of October.

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