Greece 1947-1967

More about the book

Greece 1947-1967 compiles contributions by Heinz A. Richter, exploring the nation's history from the civil war to the 1967 coup d'état. The first part examines key factors of the civil war, including a detailed analysis of the Varkiza Agreement of 1945 between the Greek government and the EAM, revealing that its violations ultimately ignited the conflict. An English document by C. M. Woodhouse highlights the terror in the Peloponnese during summer 1945. Contrary to the belief that the Greek Communist Party's second plenary initiated the civil war, Richter debunks this as a myth. He also investigates the murder of Georg Polk, identifying the true perpetrators, and analyzes the political context of the attack on Konitsa, alongside the evolution of the Communist Party, which expanded to 200,000 members during the occupation but reverted to a cadre party post-war. The second section delves into the military coup of April 21, 1967, through three articles that discuss Greece's crisis leading to the coup, its preparations, and the misconception that the U.S. orchestrated it. Richter emphasizes that the coup was, in fact, a genuine Greek initiative.