Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6. WAR OF INDEPENDENCE
In 1821 Greeks rose up against Ottoman domination, initially alone and then, as of
1827, with the aid of Britain, France and Russia. Although the war ended in 1829, the
Ottomans held the Acropolis until 1834, when the new king, Otto I, entered the city.
Athens became capital of the new Greek state and was rebuilt, largely in Neo-Clas-
sical style.
7. WORLD WAR II
Mussolini declared war on Greece in October 1940, and the German army entered
Athens in April 1941, raising the swastika over the Acropolis. The Third Reich used
the Hotel Grande Bretagne as wartime headquarters.
8. POST WORLD WAR II
At the close of WWII, with its political future uncertain, Greece fell into civil war.
The US began pouring economic and military aid into the country, but on the proviso
that the Communist Left would not gain power. In the 1950s and '60s, Athens saw
rapid industrialization, mass migration from rural areas and the growth of sprawling
suburbs.
9. MILITARY DICTATORSHIP
In April 1967, a coup d'etat led by Georgios Papadopoulos signalled the beginning
of a seven-year military junta. Student protests on 17 November 1973 were violently
put down by the military, who stormed Athens' Polytechnic and killed many. But the
regime fell in 1974, following a failed attempt to take Cyprus.
10. MODERN-DAY ATHENS
Greece joined the EEC (now the EU) in 1981, and in the same year Andreas
Papandreou became the country's first Socialist prime minister. In 1985, Athens was
the first European City of Culture. Hosting the highly successful 2004 Olympics
means that the city now has improved transport, sports and cultural facilities.
