249: Greece Pt. 1 - Plans and Preparations

249: Greece Pt. 1 - Plans and Preparations

From History of the Second World War by Wesley Livesay

February 23, 2026 · 28 min · Season 4 · Episode 58

About this episode

This episode examines the lead-up to the Italo-Greek War, focusing on Italy's invasion of Greece and the political and military dynamics involved.

In October 1940, Mussolini launched an invasion of Greece from Albania, determined to secure Italian expansion in the Balkans before any peace could be negotiated. This episode examines the lead-up to the Italo-Greek War, beginning with Greece under the Metaxas dictatorship and its efforts to build up military strength despite limited industrial capacity. We explore Italy's decision to target Greece after delays in North Africa, the flawed assumptions Italian leaders held about Greek willingness to fight, and the fabricated provocations used to justify the invasion. When the Italian ultimatum was delivered at 3AM on October 28th, Metaxas famously rejected it, and Greece mobilized with unexpected unity as political divisions evaporated overnight. The episode follows the opening days of the invasion, hampered by torrential rains and mountainous terrain, culminating in the Battle of Kalpaki on November 2nd where Greek artillery devastated Italian tank attacks. By November 8th, the Italian offensive had completely stalled, forcing a major reorganization and change of command that set the stage for further failures to come. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History…

People in this episode

Host: Wesley Livesay

Topics covered

  • Italo-Greek War
  • military history
  • World War II
  • political unity
  • Italian invasion
  • Greece
  • military strategy

Keywords

  • Mussolini
  • Greece
  • Italo-Greek War
  • Metaxas
  • military strength
  • invasion
  • Battle of Kalpaki
  • Italian offensive
  • political divisions

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Greece, Albania, Balkans

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