Dimitrios Itsios was defending the Greek border when the Nazis invaded in April 1941, and he was able to slow down this much larger force despite having only a small contingent of men.
Wikimedia CommonsDimitrios Itsios’ actions against the Nazis made him a war hero.
Today, the story of Dimitrios Itsios is something of legend. As a sergeant for the Greek army during World War II, he and and a handful of other soldiers stood their ground in the face of the German invasion of Greece — and ended up killing over 230 Nazi soldiers.
Itsios, a celebrated war-hero across Greece, was only supposed to provide cover fire so his fellow troops could retreat from the incoming Nazi force. However, Itsios and his men put their remaining ammunition to use.
But sadly, Dimitrios Itsios’ brave stand had a tragic end.
Dimitrios Itsios, And The Start Of World War II
Dimitrios Itsios was born in 1906 in the village of Ano Poroia in Macedonia, in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire. His childhood was marked by war — during World War I, Itsios’ village was occupied by the Bulgarians. But by the end of the conflict, Bulgaria was defeated, and an uneasy peace settled on the region. Itsios eventually married a fellow villager, Anna K. Nanopoulou, and the couple had two children together.
Public DomainAno Poroia, where Dimitrios Itsios grew up, at the turn of the 20th century. He would later defend Greece from the mountains seen in the background of this photo.
In the late 1930s, however, the clouds of war began to spread across Europe once more. The Greeks, fearful of another invasion from Bulgaria, began to built a series of fortifications along their mountainous northern border, which became known as the Metaxas Line.
According to the book Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II, the Metaxas Line primarily covered mountainous terrain in the Belles, or Belasica, mountain range, intersecting with the few, yet crucial, communication lines through the valleys.
But though construction on the Metaxas Line began in 1936, the fortifications were still unfinished by the time World War II began with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. Almost two years later, as the Nazis began to march toward Greece in April 1941, the line was still unfinished.
Wikimedia CommonsThe Metaxas Line in 1941.
What’s more, the Greeks were already fighting the Italians, who had invaded in October 1940. That meant that the majority of the Greek military was stationed along the Albanian border, engaged with the forces of Benito Mussolini. But the Nazis were coming in through Bulgaria — toward the Metaxas Line and Dimitrios Itsios’ village of Ano Poroia.
This meant that the Metaxas Line would be Greece’s first line of defense from the invasion. On April 6, 1941, the Battle of The Metaxas Line began.
Dimitrios Itsios’ Stand Against The Nazis
Wikimedia CommonsA map of Germany’s invasion of Greece.
As the German invasion of Greece began on April 6, 1941, Dimitrios Itsios was leading a five man crew at Pillbox P8 along the Metaxas Line. A sergeant, he had been tasked with providing cover fire for the larger Greek army.
But Itsios decided to take a stand against the Germans. As the much larger Nazi force approached, he and his men fired an estimated 33,000 bullets into the enemy troops. They killed 232 German soldiers, more than the entire Yugoslav Army would during the German invasion of Yugoslavia on April 17, 1941.
Once they had run out of ammunition, Itsios ordered his fellow soldiers to save their own lives and retreat to safety. However, two opted to stay behind with him and see the battle to the end.
The Germans soon overwhelmed the fort and captured Dimitrios Itsios and his men. They were interrogated by Nazi General Ferdinand Schörner, who demanded to know who had caused such devastation to his army. Itsios stepped forward and told Schörner that he was in charge of the unit.
Protothema.grThe pillbox fort Itsios and his crew operated from.
“You? A Sergeant? Isn’t there a higher ranking officer? A Colonel? A Major?” Schörner demanded, according to Hellenic Daily News NY. Itsios replied: “No sir, only me and these two soldiers.”
Schörner was astounded, and informed Itsios that he had killed “almost all of the men I sent against you — plus one Colonel.” Itsios expressed regret for the loss of life, but told Schörner that he was only doing his duty.
The Nazi general told Itsios that he would also have to do his duty. He ordered Itsios’ execution, a war crime for which Schörner never saw justice.
But Dimitrios Itsios’ brave stand against the Nazis would not soon be forgotten by his fellow countrymen.
The Enduring Legacy Of A Greek Hero
FacebookA statue of Dimitrios Itsios, commemorating his brave stand against the Nazis during the German invasion of Greece in April 1941.
By the end of April 1941, the Axis powers had conquered Greece. The country would remain under the Axis yolk until October 1944, when it was liberated.
In the aftermath, Dimitrios Itsios’ countrymen made sure that he would be remembered. His wife was able to recover his body, and bury him back in his home village of Ano Poroia. Itsios was also posthumously honored with a promotion to master sergeant. And the story of his brave stand, and unjust death, spread across the country.
Though Dimitrios Itsios is not well known today, many people in Greece have not forgotten his story. A statue of Itsios in Ano Poroia proudly tells his story, of the day in the mountains when he and just a handful of men were able to inflict massive casualties on a much larger German force. Not only did Itsios defend his country to his last breath, but he showed dignity in the face of defeat. As he told Schörner, he was doing his duty. And he did it well.
Dimitrios Itsios continues to be remembered as a Greek hero.
After reading about Dimitrios Itsios and his brave stand against the Nazis during the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, discover the incredible, if little-known, story of the Battle of Wizna, when a small Polish force stood up to a much larger Nazi army at the onset of World War II. Or, discover the incredible stories of some of World War II’s fiercest resistance fighters.
