868.00/1419: Telegram
The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 35
648. You will be aware of disturbances which have broken out among Greek armed forces in the Middle East and of difficulties which have arisen with Greek Government in Cairo.
2. Outbreak in Greek army and navy followed closely on establishment in the mountains of Greece of political committee sponsored by E.A.M. and there is little doubt that extremist elements who have long been working to subvert allegiance of Greek forces to their legitimate King and Government seized on this as a heaven sent opportunity for open and violent action. The dissident elements are undoubtedly opposed to the King and in favour of a republic but throughout disturbances there have been almost no direct attacks on the King’s personal position and only specific demand put forward is that Greek Government should take immediate and effective steps to recognise and associate with themselves political committee in Greece.
3. This crisis came at a particularly unfortunate moment since Monsieur Tsouderos has already sent an invitation to a number of moderate politicians in Athens urging them to come to Cairo to join the Government. He had also invited representatives of E.A.M., the Communist controlled organisation which has created and now dominates political committee. Tsouderos was thus doing everything in his power to create a truly representative Greek Government.
4. In this programme he had support of his colleagues and they appear to have had no hand in provoking disturbances in Greek forces. But they were extremely jealous of Tsouderos’ position and used trouble in Greek army, which was at first on a small scale, to get rid of him. Feeling that he had lost control of the situation, Tsouderos resigned and proposed Venizelos for Premiership. The trouble in Greek army rapidly spread to the navy and assumed the proportions [Page 97] of a full scale mutiny in both forces. The politicians in Cairo realised that matter had gone beyond one of personal rivalries or ambitions and their only thought was to find some candidate for Premiership sufficiently notorious for his left wing views to be acceptable to the mutinous elements in the forces.
5. The King of Greece was reluctant to accept a new Government whose composition was in effect dictated by mutineers. He considered that order in Greek armed forces must be restored before any lawful reconstruction of Government could be undertaken. I entirely agree with him and instructed our Ambassador to the Greek Government to do his utmost to induce Greek ministers to remain at their posts until the King could get back to Cairo and take stock of the situation. This I am glad to say they agreed to do. I also gave instructions to military authorities in the Middle East to deal firmly with discipline [indiscipline?] in Greek forces under their command. Order in the Greek army and navy has not been completely re-established but dissident elements are being isolated and once ringleaders are under arrest mutiny should rapidly subside.
6. The King of Greece has now reached Cairo and after studying the position for himself has formed a Government under M. Venizelos. For the future I have informed our Ambassador to Greek Government that he should be guided by following considerations:
“Our relations are definitely established with lawfully constituted Greek Government headed by the King, who is ally of Britain and cannot be discarded to suit a momentary surge of appetite amongst ambitious émigré nonentities. Neither can Greece find constitutional expression in particular set of guerrillas, in many cases indistinguishable from banditti, who are masquerading as saviours of their country while living on local villagers. If necessary I shall denounce these elements and tendencies publicly in order to emphasize the love Great Britain has for Greece, whose suffering she shared in a small measure, being alas not then armed as we are now. Our only desire and interest is to see Greece a glorious free nation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the honoured friend and ally of victorious powers. Let all therefore work for this objective and make it quite clear that any failure in good conduct will not be overlooked.
“I had been working hard to arrange movement of Greek brigade in Italy. Here they might still take part in entry into Rome which is to be expected during the summer. This brigade, the 1st Greek brigade, representatives of the army which had beaten back the Italian invader and were only felled by treachery and brutal interruption of German hordes, had and still has chance of raising name of Greece high in the world. It is a lamentable fact that they should have signalized this opportunity by an undignified, even squalid, exhibition of indiscipline which many will attribute to an unworthy fear of being sent to the front.
“In the same way the Greek navy which is full of daring seamen and is playing a worthy part in upholding its country’s good name [Page 98] should not suddenly have tried to meddle with politics and presume to recover a constitution to Greek people. I believe that both these two forces can be brought back to a high sense of national honour and duty if courageous leadership is forthcoming backed by overwhelming force in reserve.
“All the time I have been planning to place Greece back high in counsels of victorious nations. Witness how we have included them in Italian Advisory Council and tried to send a brigade to take part in impending victories in Italy. Greeks who are in safety in Egypt under our protection, equipped with our vessels—or armed with our weapons or others in security under military authority of British Commander-in-Chief, Middle East will place themselves in an abject and shameful position before all history if they allow their domestic feuds to mar their performance of solemn duties to their country of which they have become the heirs. They may easily by selfish, excitable behaviour, reduce Greece to a country without expression either at home or abroad and their names will be stained as long as history is written.
“The King is the servant of his people. He makes no claim to rule them. He submits himself freely to judgment of the people as soon as normal conditions are restored. He places himself and his Royal House entirely at the disposition of the Greek nation. Once the German invader has been driven out Greece can be a republic or a Monarchy entirely as the people wish. Why then cannot the Greeks keep their hatreds for the common enemy who has wrought them such cruel injuries and would obliterate them as a free people were it not for resolute exertions of the great Allies.”
7. In sending these instructions I have asked the Ambassador, Mr. Leeper, to make use of all these arguments freely in my name if necessary both to the troops and to the sailors as well as, of course, the politicians who have been clattering around him. In making it clear to them that this is the policy of his Majesty’s Government I have asked him to emphasize that we seek no advantage for ourselves and have no interests but in upkeeping of Greek independence, freedom and honour.
- Copy sent to the Secretary of State by the British Ambassador (Halifax) on April 18.↩