Eighty-four years ago, on April 27, 1941, German forces entered Athens, marking a grim milestone in Greek history. The Nazi swastika was hoisted atop the Acropolis, replacing the Greek flag, following General Georgios Tsolakoglou’s controversial surrender.
This moment was preceded by the collapse of Greek and Allied defenses, the evacuation of King George II and his government to Crete, and the retreat of British forces to the Eastern Mediterranean. Below, we recount the events leading to this day and share eyewitness accounts of the occupation’s onset.
The Fall of the Front and Tsolakoglou’s Surrender
On April 20, 1941, at 6:00 PM in Votonosi, near Ioannina, Lieutenant General Tsolakoglou signed an armistice with Brigadier General Sepp Dietrich of the LSSAH, securing terms favorable to Greece. However, Italian interference led to a revised agreement signed on April 23 in Thessaloniki by Tsolakoglou, General Jodl, and Italian representative Ferrero.
As the front crumbled, German forces attacked the Thermopylae Pass on April 22, held by the 19th Australian and 6th New Zealand Brigades under New Zealand General Freyberg. After the pass fell, Freyberg evacuated to Crete, later playing a controversial role in its capture before achieving success in North Africa.
The Corinth Canal became the final Allied stronghold, defended by the 4th Hussars, Australians, and Maoris. Despite undermining the canal’s bridge with explosives, the British faced German paratroopers from the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 2nd Parachute Regiment. After fierce fighting, the bridge was destroyed—possibly by British forces or during the battle—and the Allies retreated to the Peloponnese, evacuating from Monemvasia and Kalamata with local Greek assistance.
King George II’s Departure to Crete
On April 22, most of the Greek government fled to Crete aboard the destroyer Queen Olga. King George II and the British Ambassador followed by air on April 23. A small group, including Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Sakellariou and General T.G.G. Heywood, remained in Athens until April 27.
Commander Alexandros Papagos, refusing to abandon his troops, stayed in Athens despite knowing the Germans viewed him skeptically. According to Dr. I.S. Papafloratos, Papagos’ decision was courageous; the Germans placed him under surveillance but did not arrest him. On April 23, Papagos submitted his resignation, condemning Tsolakoglou’s unauthorized surrender and demanding his replacement. Earlier, on April 18, Prime Minister Koryzis had taken his own life in Athens.
In a radio address on April 23, King George II urged resilience: “Greeks, do not despair… I will always be with you. Our just cause and God will aid us… Remain loyal to a united, free homeland. Stand firm against enemy violence. Brighter days will come. Long live the Nation!”
The Nazis Enter Athens
On April 27, 1941—Thomas Sunday—Athens was eerily silent. Few attended church, and a radio broadcast of the Divine Liturgy was interrupted by Major General Kavrakos’ announcement:
“Due to urgent necessity, all movement in Athens, Piraeus, and suburbs is prohibited. Shops must close, residents must stay home, and soldiers and police remain at their posts. No resistance will be offered, as the city is unfortified. Violators will be arrested.”
The last British forces detonated an ammunition depot in Piraeus. A committee comprising Nomarch Konstantinos Pezopoulos, Athens Mayor Ambrosios Plytas, Piraeus Mayor Michail Manouskos, and Colonel Konstantinos Kanellopoulos surrendered the city to the Germans after negotiations with Lieutenant Colonel von Hohenberg. Archbishop Chrysanthos refused to join.
At 8:30 AM, the committee awaited German Colonel Otto von Seiben at Kifisias and Alexandras Avenues. At 10:15 AM, von Seiben arrived, and after formalities at the “Parthenon” café, Kavrakos declared Athens unfortified and assured order. Von Seiben responded, claiming the German army came as “friends” to restore peace and revive Greco-German ties. The surrender protocol was signed, and Plytas symbolically handed over the city’s key.
The Athens Radio Station’s final broadcast, written by Dimitrios Svovolopoulos and read by Konstantinos Stauroupoulos, declared: “The Athens Radio Station will soon cease to be Greek. It will become German and broadcast lies! Greeks, do not listen! Our fight continues until victory. Long live the Greek Nation!”
Eyewitness Accounts
Nikos Giannopoulos’ The German Invasion of Greece – The Forgotten ‘No’ (Historical Quest Publishing) captures vivid accounts. After the British abandoned Thermopylae, German motorcyclists and vehicles from the 2nd Armored Division entered Athens from the northern suburbs around 8:00 AM on April 27.
- Andreas Stamatopoulos, at the “City Palace” hotel, recalled a German motorcycle with a swastika flag speeding through Omonia Square: “We all felt a lump in our throats. We were under occupation.”
- Nikos Tsertsos saw BMW motorcycles and armored vehicles at America Square: “It was a cloudy, grim day.”
- Iakovos Vagiakis, aged 13, watched German soldiers at Kaningos Square pick oranges, mistaking them for sweet fruit.
- Helene Frangia, an EON member, noted: “Athens was a dead city; shutters closed, no one on the streets. We heard the boots and tanks of the invader.”
- Vasilis Kouroupos in Psiri wept behind closed windows as Germans marched down Ermou Street.
- Leonidas Kyrkos remembered the sound of German boots: “This was the first memory of the Occupation.”
- Nikolaos Pavlioglou saw sparse crowds on University Street, with only a few German-descended residents applauding.
- Stathis Tournakis contrasted the disciplined Germans with disheveled Italian prisoners: “They were soldiers.”
At 9:00 AM, German troops under Captain Jacobi reached the Acropolis, lowering the Greek flag and raising the swastika. Helene Frangia called it “a wound for us.” Author Penelope Delta, overwhelmed by grief and illness, attempted suicide by poison, dying on May 2. Yet resistance sparked immediately: Manolis Glezos and others destroyed German signposts that night, sowing confusion by morning.
Epilogue
Kalamata, the last mainland city, fell on April 28 after a fierce battle. On May 4, Hitler acknowledged the Greek soldiers’ courage, ordering their release and allowing officers to keep their weapons. The occupation left deep scars, but the Greek spirit of resistance endured.
Sources:
- Dr. Ioannis S. Papafloratos, The History of the Greek Army 1833-1949, SAKKOULAS Publications, 2014.
- Nikos Giannopoulos, The German Invasion of Greece – The Forgotten ‘No’, HISTORICAL QUEST Publications, 2015.
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