Operation Marita was the codename for Germany's invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia during the Second World War. It was launched on 6th April, 1941, and involved around 688,000 German, Italian, and Bulgarian troops. The invasion was aimed at securing the Balkans region and ensuring access to key resources such as oil and minerals.
The German High Command believed that the Balkans were strategically important due to their proximity to the Soviet Union and the Mediterranean. They also saw the region as a vital source of resources that could help sustain the German war effort. Germany's primary objective was to capture the Greek capital of Athens and to secure the country's ports to facilitate further operations in the Mediterranean.
The German forces that took part in Operation Marita were divided into three army groups. Army Group South, led by General Franz List, was tasked with invading Greece from Bulgaria. Army Group West, under General Lothar Rendulic, was responsible for securing Yugoslavia and capturing the capital, Belgrade. Finally, Army Group South-east, led by General Giovanni Messe, was to push southwards from Albania and secure the western coast of Greece.
The initial phase of the invasion was successful, with the German forces making rapid progress through Greece and Yugoslavia. By 13th April, 1941, German forces had captured the Greek capital, Athens, and 4 days later they had secured Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia. By the end of April German forces had moved through Greece to its southern shore, capturing 7,000 British, Australian and New Zealand personnel. The conquest of Greece was completed with the capture of Crete a month later. The invasion was seen as a significant success for Germany, as they had knocked over the Balkans in double quick time.
Hitler's mindest towards the occupation was simple. To plunder as much as he could to aid Germany. Anything and everything that had an economic value was either removed or put under direct German control. On top of this there was a race to gather as much food and provisions for the German war machine before the Italians got their hands on it. The result was a Greek population that was put on the brink of starvation. It is estimated that 40,000 civilians in the greater Athens area died of starvation under German occupation.
The Bulgarians entered the territory hot on the heels of the Germans. Their occupation zone included the north-eastern area of the main land plus a few islands. Bulgarian policy was one of extermination and expulsion as they tried to implement the 'Bulgarianisation' of the region. Doctors, teachers, lawyers, civil servants, business leaders and religious leaders were all deported and replaced by Bulgarians. Place names were changed and a ban on the Greek language was implemented. Economic sanctions were placed upon the locals in an effort to force them to move out of the area.
However, the success was short-lived, as resistance forces in both Greece and Yugoslavia began a guerrilla campaign against the German occupation forces. The resistance forces were made up of various groups, including communist partisans, nationalists, and royalists. They were supported by the Allied powers, who provided them with arms, supplies, and training.
The guerrilla campaign was initially small-scale, but it grew in intensity as the war progressed. The resistance forces harassed German troops and attacked supply lines, causing significant disruption to the German war effort. The guerrilla campaign was particularly effective in Yugoslavia, where the resistance forces tied down large numbers of German troops.
Not surprisingly, retaliation came in not and heavy with the occupation quickly becaming one of brutal repression and violence. Anyone suspected of assisting the resistance were subjected to summary executions, mass arrests, and forced labour. In Yugoslavia, the Germans implemented a policy of collective punishment, where entire villages were destroyed in response to partisan attacks.
One German soldier who took part in Operation Marita, Kurt Langanke, described the brutality of the occupation:
"We had been told that we were going to liberate the Balkans from the clutches of the Communists and partisans. But what we found was something very different. We were ordered to execute civilians, burn down villages, and destroy everything in our path. The local people were terrified of us, and I can understand why. We were not liberators, but conquerors."
In total, the German forces suffered around 6,000 casualties during Operation Marita. The resistance forces suffered significantly more, with estimates of up to 100,000 civilians killed in Yugoslavia alone. The invasion was seen as a significant success for Germany in the short term, but it ultimately led to a protracted and costly guerrilla campaign that tied down large numbers of German troops.
Comments