Invasion of the Balkans Timeline

Italy utilized tens of thousands of its soldiers to take the nation of Greece, a move that proved to be an initial success. However, a combined effort centering around the dedicated resistance of the Greeks themselves, coupled with air support from the British RAF, sent the 200,000-strong Italian Army packing.

Yugoslavia's Prince Paul signed a deal with the Axis but was overthrown from power by his own people several days later. Hitler enacted a plan - Operation Marita - to invade both Greece and Yugoslavia simultaneously in response.

The invasion was handled in classic German fashion, utilizing airborne elements and a fast-moving ground force. Constant bombardment of the Yugoslavian capital netted countless of civilian lives lost. Greek defenses began to falter and the Allies (a combined force of British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers) were in retreat. After the Yugoslavian government and army officially surrendered to the Germans, nothing stood between Germany and the conquering of Greece.

The Allies were ultimately ordered to evacuate from a passage in the south of Greece while Italian and German forces took Athens proper and, eventually, all of Greece.

The Axis invasion of the Balkans was now complete.