From adversity to alliance : Greece, Yugoslavia and Balkan strategy, 1944-1959

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Evanthis Hatzivassiliou

Abstract

During the early Cold War period, Greek-Yugoslav relations were
primarily determined by strategy rather than by ideology. In 1944-1948, Tito
was seen in Athens as the most powerful ally of a hostile superpower, who
was pursuing an expansionist policy at Greece’s expense. In 1948, the TitoStalin split changed Balkan balances overnight. Athens opted to approach the
Yugoslav leader, a former enemy who now was deprived of superpower
support and thus unable to threaten Greek security. In 1952-1955 Greece and
Yugoslavia joined Turkey in a Balkan entente which soon became a Balkan
alliance. But even after the decline of this alliance, in 1955-1956, the Greeks
were anxious to keep their contacts with Yugoslavia, in order to prevent it
from coming closer to Moscow and to Sofia.

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