Changes

==German invasion==

==German invasion==

At the start of Operation ''Marita'' (the German invasion of Greece) which began on April 6, 1941, the bulk of the Greek Army was fighting in Albania, with the Italians preparing a second spring offensive. The German Army invaded through Bulgaria overrunning the undermanned Metaxas Line. Despite being reinforced with Elite Greek Evzones Regiments, the Greek Army in Albania, which was already suffering from poor morale, proved unable to defend Klisura and Koritza from the attacking 4th Bersaglieri Regiment.<ref>"… generals Pitsikas and Bakos … warned of ‘a danger of a complete collapse’ of the army’s morale. Papagos at first was inclined to dismiss the fears”. The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-1941, John Carr, p. 218, Pen and Sword, 2013</ref><ref>"More seriously, outbreaks of mutiny occurred in the 5th (Cretan) and 6th Divisions. A few dozen deserters were caught at the Mertzani Bridge on the border and promptly executed, but that didn’t stop the rot. Amid these signs of an army’s disintegration, on 14 April Major General Katsimitros of the much-bloodied 8th Division appealed to Pitsikas to consider an armistice with the Germans merely to keep some of the army intact.” The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-1941, John Carr, p. 219, Pen and Sword, 2013</ref><ref>"“All efforts at regaining control with the 5th Greek Division failed and … its divisional commander was sacked .. and by morning 16 April what was  left of the division was an unorganised mass in the vicinity of Petrani-Fourka.” Swastika over the Acropolis: Re-interpreting the Nazi Invasion of Greece in World War II, p. 258, Craig Stockings, Eleanor Hancock, BRILL, 2013</ref>

At the start of Operation ''Marita'' (the German invasion of Greece) which began on April 6, 1941, the bulk of the Greek Army was fighting in Albania, with the Italians preparing a second spring offensive. The German Army invaded through Bulgaria overrunning the undermanned Metaxas Line. Despite being reinforced with two entire Elite Greek Evzones Regiments, the Greek Army in Albania, which was already suffering from poor morale, proved unable to defend Klisura and Koritza from the attacking 4th Bersaglieri Regiment.<ref>"… generals Pitsikas and Bakos … warned of ‘a danger of a complete collapse’ of the army’s morale. Papagos at first was inclined to dismiss the fears”. The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-1941, John Carr, p. 218, Pen and Sword, 2013</ref><ref>"More seriously, outbreaks of mutiny occurred in the 5th (Cretan) and 6th Divisions. A few dozen deserters were caught at the Mertzani Bridge on the border and promptly executed, but that didn’t stop the rot. Amid these signs of an army’s disintegration, on 14 April Major General Katsimitros of the much-bloodied 8th Division appealed to Pitsikas to consider an armistice with the Germans merely to keep some of the army intact.” The Defence and Fall of Greece 1940-1941, John Carr, p. 219, Pen and Sword, 2013</ref><ref>"“All efforts at regaining control with the 5th Greek Division failed and … its divisional commander was sacked .. and by morning 16 April what was  left of the division was an unorganised mass in the vicinity of Petrani-Fourka.” Swastika over the Acropolis: Re-interpreting the Nazi Invasion of Greece in World War II, p. 258, Craig Stockings, Eleanor Hancock, BRILL, 2013</ref>

The Montreal Gazette reported the capture of the important Greek fortress:{{cquote|About 25 miles south of Lake Ochrid, Koritza is a road junction whence a road leads eastwards to Florina, hinge of the present British-Greek line confronting the Axis armies. Fast columns of Bersaglieri on motor cycles and in armored cars entered Koritza at 12.30 p.m. today and captured "numerous prisoners and arms of every kind including several batteries of cannon," it was claimed.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19410415&hl=enKORITZA&id=in0tAAAAIBAJ&nid=1946&pg=3136,2463178&sjid=xZgFAAAAIBAJ KORITZA TAKEN ITALIANS CLAIM, April 15, 1941]</ref>}}

The Montreal Gazette reported the capture of the important Greek fortress:{{cquote|About 25 miles south of Lake Ochrid, Koritza is a road junction whence a road leads eastwards to Florina, hinge of the present British-Greek line confronting the Axis armies. Fast columns of Bersaglieri on motor cycles and in armored cars entered Koritza at 12.30 p.m. today and captured "numerous prisoners and arms of every kind including several batteries of cannon," it was claimed.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19410415&hl=enKORITZA&id=in0tAAAAIBAJ&nid=1946&pg=3136,2463178&sjid=xZgFAAAAIBAJ KORITZA TAKEN ITALIANS CLAIM, April 15, 1941]</ref>}}

On 17 April, British General Henry Maitland Wilson wrote that Greek defeatism, ''"was now getting widespread"''. That evening the Greek Prime Minister, Alexander Korizis, retired into his study and shot himself after telling the Greek King II that ''"he felt he had failed him in the task entrusted to him"''.

On 17 April, British General Henry Maitland Wilson wrote that Greek defeatism, ''"was now getting widespread"''. That evening the Greek Prime Minister, Alexander Korizis, retired into his study and shot himself after telling the Greek King II that ''"he felt he had failed him in the task entrusted to him"''.