Hello, and thank you for listening to the history of World War II podcast, episode 67,

Mauree Nostrum.

On October 28, 1940, at 5.30 a.m., local time, Italy invaded Greece.

For Mussolini, this was another part of his plan to fulfill his dream of Mauree Nostrum

in Latin, our sea.

The Mediterranean would once again become a Roman lake.

The Italian dictator had somewhere along the way lost his fear and respect for the British,

which led him to believe that a quick victory in Greece would put another nail in the coffin

of British dominance in the Mediterranean.

And Mussolini's excitement was for more than just fulfilling a dream since 1922, when

he came to power.

He was also excited at thrusting Italy back to the center of the world stage.

Let the earth tremble and fear again at the sound of Italian boots, this time marching

across the Aegean.

Hitler wasn't the only great man in Europe.

But this invasion was only the beginning.

Greece was to serve a larger purpose.

Once under Italian control, Greece would not only outflank Yugoslavia, but also check

Britain's other ally, Turkey.

What's more, the route from the Romanian oilfields to Italy would be that much more secure.

And as for the despised, once great British Empire, with Greece under Italian control,

Alexandria and the Suez Canal were that much more exposed.

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