The dawn of October 28, 1940 after Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’ “OXI” (or “OHI,” meaning “no”) to the Italians, heralded the nation’s entry into World War II but not with fear—it was met with a spontaneous explosion of national unity and defiant patriotic fever.
The rejection of the Italian ultimatum instantly galvanized a nation, transforming deep political divisions into a single, unified will to resist. The response to the general mobilization was immediate and overwhelming. Rather than awaiting official orders, citizens poured into the streets, turning the declaration of war into a fervent celebration of freedom.
The streets of Athens, captured in photographs like the one showing a jubilant crowd surrounding a vehicle laden with cheering men, became rivers of patriotic emotion. Reservists rushed to assembly points, not with dread but with ecstatic enthusiasm, waved off by massive crowds.
Rapid mobilization and citizen support
This spirit translated directly into a remarkable military achievement. The complex mobilization plan, which called up over 300,000 men in a few short weeks, was executed with astonishing speed.
The sight of recruits departing for the Albanian front was a unifying spectacle. Trucks overloaded with cheering conscripts, bearing makeshift patriotic signs, streamed out of cities.
Even the trains and boxcars became symbols of national resolve, with soldiers leaning out, exchanging emotional farewells and defiant waves with citizens and children gathered along the tracks. The patriotic fervor extended far beyond the cities and military depots. In the brutal, unforgiving mountains of the Albanian front, civilian support was essential and legendary.
Villagers, particularly the women, spontaneously organized to ferry ammunition and food to the front lines, often traversing dangerous, snow-covered trails under harsh winter conditions. This all-encompassing national effort was the true “secret weapon” of the Hellenic Army.
The legacy of the Greek “Oxi”
Driven by this fierce morale, the Hellenic Army achieved what many thought impossible: halting the Italian invasion within weeks and launching a major counter-offensive deep into Albanian territory.
This victory, the first land victory for the Allies against the Axis powers, electrified the free world. It proved that in the face of tyranny, the sheer spirit, courage, and unity of a small nation could overcome superior numbers and material might, solidifying the Greek struggle of 1940 as one of the most heroic epics of the Second World War.
Related: Heroes Fight Like Greeks: When the World Bowed to the Spirit of Soldiers
