Armies of the Greek-Italian War 1940-41

In October and November 1940 an Italian army some 200,000 strong invaded Greece across the largely undefended Albanian border. Although supported by Great Britain, at first by sea and in the air and later by landing British and ANZAC troops from North Africa, Greece bore the main burden of the six-month war. Although greatly outnumbered, LtGen Papagos's Greek army was so successful against the Italians in northwest Greece that by November 22, it was advancing into Albania. This forced Hitler to send in German reinforcements to support his Italian allies, delaying his upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union. Complete with contemporary photographs and full-color uniform plates, this fascinating study explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies of this oft forgotten conflict during World War II.

DR PHOEBUS ATHANASSIOU is a Greek Army (Reserve) officer who has seen service in Greece and Cyprus. A military history enthusiast and an avid modeller, he lives in Germany, where he works in the financial sector. He is the author of Osprey's Armies of the Greek-Italian War 1940-41 and Armies in Southern Russia 1918-19.