This Day in European History: October 28th, 1940
Oxi Day: The Day of No
By Shaila Kavrakova
On October 28, 1940, Greek Prime
Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, firmly rejected an ultimatum from Italian Prime
Minister, Benito Mussolini. The ultimatum was presented to Metaxas by the
Italian ambassador, Emanuele Grazzi, to surrender in
order for Italian forces to strategically occupy areas in Greece. Metaxas apparently
responded by saying “Oxi!” which translates to “no” in Greek.
That same morning, Italian troops
attacked the Grecian-Albanian border, which was the beginning of Greece’s
involvement in World War II. This invasion became known as the Greco-Italian
War and lasted until April 23, 1941, much longer than Mussolini had
anticipated. The Italians faced heavy resistance and were eventually pushed
back in to Albania, causing the German army to take over. This delayed Germany
from entering Russia and ultimately altered the fate of the axis powers.
October 28th would later
become a national holiday known as Oxi Day (pronounced O-hee), celebrating the
anniversary of courage and honoring those that defended the country. Greeks all
over the world recognize today by proudly waving their flag and hosting parades
involving the entire Greek community.
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