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World War II
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World War II
The involvement of Greece, and more particularly that of Crete in World War II, is presented in an uneasy exhibition befitting a turbulent period in modern history. The Italian offensive against Greece (October 1940); the Battle of Crete, as the German invasion of the island in May 1941 was named; the occupation; the resistance; acts of sabotage; war crimes; everyday life, make up the main sections of the presentation. This makes use of objects, images and various audiovisual documents, featuring personal accounts by people active on Crete at the time – Greeks such as Georgios Tzitzikas, and foreigners such as Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor and Jack L. Sibard.
Inserted in the exhibition as a special section are the study, library and personal possessions of the Cretan banker and politician Emmanouil Tsouderos, who served as Prime Minister of Greece during the Battle of Crete, and subsequently in the exiled Greek government in the Middle East. At the end, special reference is made to the reuse of military equipment remaining on the island after the end of the war, the most typical example of which is possibly a bomb bell.
