The Italo-Greek War, which began as a purely regional conflict in October 1940, would transform into a broader European confrontation as both Germany and Britain made the fateful decision to intervene in Greece. For the Germans, concerns about protecting vital Romanian oil fields from potential British air attacks, combined with fears of Italian collapse, drove the planning of Operation Marita, an invasion designed to secure the Balkans before the launch of Barbarossa. Meanwhile, Churchill and the British leadership saw Greece as an opportunity to distract Axis forces, demonstrate support for smaller nations, and potentially build a Balkan alliance with Yugoslavia and Turkey. Greek leader Metaxas initially resisted British ground forces, fearing they would provoke German intervention, but his death in January 1941 led to a shift in policy under his successor. As German forces moved into Romania and Bulgaria throughout early 1941, and British RAF squadrons began arriving in Greece, both sides prepared for a confrontation that would expand the war far beyond the mountains of Albania where Italian and Greek forces had been locked in bitter combat.

History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network.

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