Greece Before the War
France and Britain were pressuring Greece to join their side in World War I. The Greeks however, wanted to remain neutral because of some Pro-German feelings. They were under pressure by the French fleet that was blocking the port of Pairios. Venizelos got involved because he had faith that the French and the British would win. Also, because Turkey was an ally of Germany if the Germans lost, that would place Turkey in the defeated camp. Greece would gain from that. Venizelos however, didn't realize that the promises that were made were not going to be kept. The British promised him the Island of Cyprus which never happened because the British wanted to keep Cyprus as a military base for themselves. Greece had an opportunity to sit at the Peace Conference and in the treaty, Greece was given Smyrna. Greece also got Thrace and Eastern Thrace, but not Constantinople. Greece spent the 1920s in turmoil. In 1923 Greece became a republic. One of the enemies of Greece was Italy. Mussolini really wanted the Eastern Aegean and the whole Mediterranean. The idea of Democracy didn't sit well. It was believed that it was a bad form of government. Greece had the Great Depression to worry about. Greece wasn't ready for a war if one did start. In 1935, Metaxas becomes a member of Parliament. The economy keeps on deteriorating. The Parliament voted that Metaxas should be the leader of military affairs.