Bearing Gifts to Greeks

by Richard Clogg

"The occupation of Greece during the Second World War brought savage Axis reprisals, the destruction of Greek Jewry, astronomical inflation and famine. International efforts brought a partial lifting of the British blockade that had worsened the food supply problem. Bearing Gifts to Greeks throws new light on a hitherto neglected aspect of Greece's wartime experience. Topics covered include the nature of the famine; the complex diplomacy that led to a relaxation of the blockade; the role of the Greek-American community in mobilising pressure; the part played by Turkey, and later the Swedish Red Cross, in supplying food and medical aid; the Greek Red Cross's role in alerting international public opinion to the gravity of the situation; the role of Quakers in Greek relief; the initial steps of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency on liberation in 1944; Yugoslav humanitarian assistance to the Greek left; and the relief activities of the Greek resistance and of the Orthodox