The new Netflix documentary World War II From the Frontlines inaccurately portrays Italy’s unsuccessful invasion of Greece, overlooking the significant Greek resistance, one of Europe’s most robust. The documentary suggests that Italy encountered weak resistance from the Greeks and fails to mention the Greek military’s tenacious defence, overcoming odds to push Mussolini’s forces back into Albania.
It was April 6, 1941, when armed forces from Germany launched a massive attack on Greece’s northern border after the Italian army had failed miserably in its attempt to invade Greece.
Even though Greece had defied the odds and beaten the Italians when no one thought they could, they wouldn’t be able to defeat the combined Italian and German forces. It was very important that they continue to fight, though, because even though the ultimate victory over Germany wasn’t achievable either in or by Greece, the ensuing battle would likely be one of the deciding factors in the outcome of the entire war. How long the Greeks fought and resisted ultimately prolonged the German invasion of Russia into the harsh winter when they could be defeated, just like Napoleon had been a little over a hundred years earlier.
This is the first time Netflix has caused controversy. In July this year, Netflix released “Queen Cleopatra”, a four-part docuseries exploring the life and reign of Cleopatra
Netflix’s “Queen Cleopatra” almost immediately faced criticism for casting a Black actress, Adele James, to play Cleopatra. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass — previously the nation’s former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs — said he was unhappy with the “completely fake” portrayal of the famous queen, who he alleges was entirely Greek and “not black.” Hawass accused Netflix of “trying to provoke confusion by spreading false and deceptive facts that the origin of the Egyptian civilisation is black.”
Netflix is also ending January 2024 with an ambitious new hybrid documentary drama series that will retell the life of Alexander the Great, the king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.
