Iron crusade Greece joins Entente

Greece joins Entente

Political event

1917
2/6

Following years long National Schism and almost terroristic actions of Entente, Greece finally joins the war.


Greece remained staunchly neutral - despite Salonikan Front being literally on their territory - until now. It was divided between two main political groups - while Eleftherios Venizelos, a hero of the war against Ottoman Empire that lead to creation of Greece in its current power, wanted to join the war beside Entente, king Constantine XI opposed that.   Eleftherios believed in Allied victory and hoped to gain territory from Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria after that happens - he even dreamed of retaking Constantinople, though that part was adamantly refused by Entente, especially when Russian Empire was still around. Constantine, in the meantime, opposed him. He was married to a German aristocrat and was quite close pro-German. Which didn't mean joining the war on Central Powers side - he simply believed that his country wasn't ready for another war, especially of this size.   The struggles between royalists and venizelists bordered on a civil war. It wasn't until Entente employed increasingly terroristic measures (including total embargo of royalist ports and even a threat of bombarding Athens) that led to king's abdication and exile in Switzerland that Greece was finally united under Venizelos and joined the war. It, however, caused a deep division in Greece that keeps threatening it with a civil war, military coup or whatever else the future might hold.