In October 1940 an Italian army some 200,000 strong invaded Greece across its largely undefended border with Albania. Although supported by Great Britain, at first by sea and in the air and later by landing British and ANZAC troops from North Africa, Greece bore the main brunt of the six-month war. Outclassed in materiel and outnumbered, LtGen Papagos's Greek army was so successful against the Italians in north-west Greece that, by 22 November 1940, it was advancing into Italian-held Albania. This would eventually force Hitler to send in German reinforcements to support his beleaguered Italian allies, delaying his invasion of the Soviet Union. Complete with contemporary photographs and full-colour uniform plates, this fascinating study explores the history, organization, and appearance of the armies of this oft forgotten conflict.

DR PHOEBUS ATHANASSIOU
is a Greek Army (Reserve)
officer who has seen service
in Greece and Cyprus. A
military history enthusiast and
an avid modeller, he lives in
Germany, where he works in
the financial sector. He has
written two titles so far for Osprey:
Men-at-Arms 514, Armies of
the Greek-Italian War 1940-41
and Men-at-Arms 540, Armies
in Southern Russia 1918-19.