1938: Greece

Internal and external conditions combined to increase the hold on the country of the dictatorship of General John Metaxas, who came into power on Aug. 4, 1936. A liberal revolutionary uprising in Crete was quickly suppressed. Life in Greece is being more and more regimented. General Metaxas, who regards as his mission the establishment of 'The Third Hellenic Civilization,' has formed an official national youth organization which has invented also a new Fascist salute, called in Greece, characteristically, 'the Spartan salute.' On March 25 the first radio broadcasting station in Greece was inaugurated. Its broadcasts encourage the new Hellenic race consciousness. At the same time the Government protects the prestige of the official state religion — attendance at Sunday services has become obligatory for children, all missionary work except for the Orthodox Church has been prohibited, literature containing opinions contrary to those held by the Holy Synod is for bidden. All opposition within the country has been completely silenced.

In the economic field the Government of General Metaxas has carried through important large-scale public works and has extended the system of social insurance. Greece has been entirely opened to German economic penetration and frequent visits of leading German statesmen have deepened the German influence. On the other hand, Greece remains distrustful of Italian plans for hegemony in the Eastern Mediterranean, and does not forget that the Dodecanese, the group of twelve islands with their Greek population in the southeastern Aegean, are under Italian domination in spite of the frequent protects of the inhabitants. This led to a strengthening of cooperation with Turkey, which at the same time was directed against any increase of Bulgarian revisionist tendencies in Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace. The Government of General Metaxas devoted much attention to the strengthening of the Greek army and navy and to the establishment of a Greek air fleet, but these efforts have necessarily been kept within narrow lines. See also ITALY: Dodecanese.