Nerevarine

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Greek-backed Socialist Coup in Albania as of June 23, 1960



Green: Kingdom of Albanian, under the Zogu Dynasty
Red: Hoxhaist controlled territory
Burgundy: Greek occupied Epirus

Key Players:

Enver Hoxha - Leader of the Albanian Socialist Movement, was purged from the country back in the 40s by King Zog I of Albania, and has spent the last 20 years of his life in a political refugee camp in the outskirts of Athens. He's got a significant following, and the Greeks are looking to back him in order to establish a satellite state in Albania for a buffer with Austria. They don't trust him, but he's better than nothing, at least until a suitable replacement can be found.

King Skander IV of Albania - The mentally retarded child of King Zog, and his only surviving progeny due to mysterious circumstances. Skander is 22 and incapable of even basic functioning and tended to by his advisors, who are corrupt and exploiting him for their own gain.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Greece

Somewhere in Northern Epirus, June 11, 1960

“Don't tell me you're afraid of fighting “savages”, as you call them”

Yiannis rarely looked this pale. Thaimes was his usual apathetic self. Maybe his friend had something he was worried about losing, but Thaimes was waiting for this day straight from enlistment. There was nothing left for him back in Sparta, and it was obvious to everyone that another war was right around the corner. Whether Albania or Turkey, there was no way that he could lose in the military. Either he came back a hero, and was able to make something of himself, or he would up in a ditch with a bullet wound in the head, free from whatever was waiting for him back in Greece. Yiannis never actually expected to see action. He was happy to be dealing with trouble makers in Epirus, but actually marching into a foreign country. That was crazy.

“Don't be such a pussy, we're just back up anyways,”

Before he could retort, the commander of the army had spoken up.

“Listen closely men. Today we will move on from simply patrolling cities, to playing our part in the spread of the revolution. The brave men of the Albanian Socialists have already begun the push against tyranny started by the so-called King Zog, continued in the inept rule of his unfit son, Skander. We owe it to our brothers to stand side by side with them and spill our blood to help them in the liberation of their people from the clutches of monarchy. So, we shall begin the glorious march into Albania, and in time they will be free to make their own destiny.”

Yiannis looked as if he was about to pass out, with Thaimes just boredly looking ahead as he internally mocked the commander. He knew this was all just an attempt to get control over a previously hostile nation, bring them into their fold and eliminate enemies. No one gave a damn about the Hoxhaists before now, now that it was convenient for them. Zog dies and his retarded son takes the throne? Perfect timing to back and hopeless mess like the Hoxhaists.

But that was none of his concern. So long as he could personally benefit from this, it was all that mattered.

“Don't be so afraid, Yiannis. We're gonna kill Shiptars, like you always wanted to do.”

Yiannis swallowed hard and winced as if in pain before responding,

“Yeah...Yeah...It's going to be fine, we can do this. What's the worse they can do anyways?”

About 100km southeast of Mount Çika, Albania, June 23, 1960

June was an ideal time to be returning home.

Hikmet Toskaj had spent the last 20 years of his life squatting in Athens along with many of the Hoxhaists. Who had once been an idealistic 16 year old boy who left home to fight for socialism alongside his brothers in Hoxha's graces, he was now a bitter man in his 30s, with nothing left to lose. Albania was almost as rough as the camp, the mountains, angry and jagged, almost mocked his return. Many of the men had come to Greece as children or young men, and now returned in the middle of their lives, angry and hateful. Though they were not alone.
Seated beside him was 16 year old Evangelos Tzanavaras, a boy from a small village outside of Athens. Evangelos, or Evangjel in proper Albanian, was one of the few Arvanites left in Attica. Furiously proud of his heritage, he was an active campaigner for the recognition of the Hoxhaist movement in Athens, and for Arvanite support of the group, and had run away from home to join the Hoxhaists when he found out they were going to be returning to Albania to bring socialism to the Kingdom.

The pair found themselves pinned down by gunmen hiding in the mountains. Greeks would be arriving soon to provide back up, but for now, the Hoxhaists were left to fend for themselves. Between shots, Hikmet would return to cover to allow Evangjel to fire into the mountains, and so the pair alternated.

Night was falling and it was becoming clear that the Greeks would not be reaching this destination until later.

“Damn them, how can they just leave us here?” Evangjel shouted as he took another shot into the mountains, aiming at a nearby Monarchist sniper.

“Don't know what to tell ya, kid” Hikmet replied, quickly changing out the magazine on his rife, a French rifle the Greeks had supplied to the Hoxhaists before they marched into the mountains. “We can't be relying on them too much, we gotta take care of ourselves.”

Evangjel ducked down as Hikmet stood up to take a shot, firing into the nearby hill, chuckling a bit as he saw the limp body of a gunman fall from the cliff onto the ground below, dust thrown up as he hit the ground.

“Got one”, which was Evangjels queue to take over shooting.

Hikmet had become something like a father figure to Evangjel, for as long as they had journed together, it seemed like the two had something of a bond that could not be broken.

Perhaps that’s why the next few seconds would be forever burned into Evangjel's brain for the remainder of his life.

As the boy ducked under the stone wall of the house they were taking cover in, Hikmet stood up, only to fall right back. Evangjel's attention was caught only to see his fellow soldier laying on his back on the dirt floor of the little stone house, blood gushing out of his throat in pulsating bursts.

If he screamed, it wouldn't be obvious to himself. What he could remember was throwing himself onto the older man, forcing his hands over the other's throat and pressing down, futilely hoping to stop the bleeding as red liquid simply poured through his fingers with every beat of the dying man's heart. The shock was overwhelming, so much so he had not even noticed the arrival of reinforcements outside, as Greek artillerymen began firing off into the distance, raining death upon the marksmen in the mountain pass.

In the coming moments when Greek and Hoxhaists began to advance into the pass, driving the Monarchist forces away, Evangjel just lay in the house, hands sticky with cold, clotting blood, as Hikmet lay dying.

Voices could be heard outside of the door,

“The fuck happened in here?”

Evangjel's head darted to the left, seeing two Greek soldiers standing in the doorway of the house, the soft lights they held giving an orangish glow to their face as the setting sun turned from orange int its own right to a cool blue.

“He's dead, he died waiting for you to come and help us!” the child shouted, furious at these Greeks, how they seemed so uninterested in the condition of his friend.

“It's war, get over it, Kid” one of the Greeks spoke up. “Just be glad we came at all, so you didn't end up like him too.”

With that, the Greek left, though the other lingered a bit, seemingly horrified as he watched the younger soldier sob softly over his fallen comrade.

“Yiannis, what the fuck is holding you, hurry up,”

“Ye-yeah,” Yiannis said, as he slipped out of the building unnoticed

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Greece

Algiers, Algeria, July 1959

(Collab with @SgtEasy)

Adrian Emirolou furiously splashed water over his face, cursing the heat and the sun. Clearly, the heat must be the source of the nerves that plagued him today. The aging man shuffled over to a nearby window, forcing his short, fat fingers under the lip of the portal and lifting with an audible grunt, pryed it over his head as a cool breeze wafted in. The serenity of the alabaster city before him was intoxicating, and he feared if he looked at it any longer, he would get lost in its beauty, and lose sight of what he had been summoned here for today.

The Greek Embassy in Algiers had only been established 5 years ago, yet it was quite successful, to say the least. The secret behind it was none other than the corpulent man who had been with it all this time. Adrian Emirolou had a reputation as something of an Afrophile, a distinction he wore with pride since his childhood in Macedonia. Adrian was a natural choice to head the embassy at Algiers, and it showed in his masterful execution of the trade agreements for the acquisition of Algerian Oil. With a loud cough and an adjustment of his tie, it seemed that he was ready.

Farid Hamidou was known for his vigor and charisma. He oozed confidence and had all the qualities of an inspiring leader. He was also known to brute force his way through problems and was seen as foolhardy, stubborn. But you couldn't tell the man that he was a bad leader of any sort. Evidence has shown that he has led the country into a new golden age. People were wealthier than ever before, more Algerians are attending university than before. Unemployment has decreased due to his pipeline building plans that will boost the country's economy to new heights. Some may point to Farid's inspiring speeches that moved the nation to be greater, others may point to his choice of Secretaries and their help with the urbanisation of Algeria. All would agree that Algeria was on the up and up, despite growing turmoil within the south but they were confident that their President had plans for it. And he had many, many plans indeed, one of them coming into fruition at tis moment. He watched the Greek ambassador enter, hands clasped together.

It had been a long while since Adrian set foot into the office of the Algerian president. He would never be quite used to just how small the meeting place was. Adrian gave a slow, dignified bow, before opening his mouth to send forth his message in perfect French, no sign of his native Greek accent peeking through the words.

"Mr. President, it is an honor to speak with you once again," he spoke as a smile crept across his face.
"I have come to you today with a proposal from my superiors about an issue that affects both of us."

Adrian cleared his throat as he once again spoke strongly and firmly, "As I am sure you are fully aware, the
The Greek nation has long been at odds with our neighbor to the East, the Ottoman Empire," the fat man clasped his
hands together audibly as he continued. "We are no stranger to the military ambitions of the Turks, and it is
only a matter of time before they seek to begin retaking lands that rightfully belong to us." Adrian stood himself up and looked directly at the president. "We are fully aware that you are no friend of the Turk, and we believe that with the conclusion of our military action in Albania, it is the perfect time for us to make a proposal for mutual military support in the event of Ottoman military aggression towards either of our nations."

Adrian stepped back, placing his hands behind his back and clasping them once more, eagerly awaiting the president's response.

The Prsident nodded, keen eyes scanning Adrian's body up and down. He kept his hands clasped and looked into the ambassador's eyes. After a moment, he broke the stare and gestured for the man to sit down. Adrian looked reluctant as he sat down but followed his gesture. The president smiled at him. "I am not surprised about your presence within my office, ambassador Adrian. We Algerians have also taken note of your dislike towards your imperialist neighbours. We hold no love for the former colonial powers and although we tolerate most of them, the Ottomans have proven most difficult to telrate." He paused, standing up to pick up a textbook on his desk and handing it to the ambassador. "All you need to do is pick up a history book and see the actions they took against my people all those years ago. And despite their "liberalisation" since the Great War, I have no doubt that they are sinking back into their warmongering ways. And, as you may know, my people's opinion of Osman IV is not a positive one."

Farid paused again, turning to look back at the paintings of what he saw as greater men than him. He smiled. He would ascend higher than these men and make his mark in history. "Our obvious differences would make an alliance, even a purely military one would be difficult." A communist government and a democracy working together in harmony? Even he wasn't so foolishly optimistic. But he could see an opportunity when it was presented and who knows? Maybe something greater could become of this. He turned and looked at the ambassador with a serious expression on his face, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Is Greece and its people ready to rid themselves of the old ties, Ambassador Adrian?"

Adrian coughed softly into his hands and returned the look to the President. "President Hamidou, I believe that the safety of our nations is ultimately a more important issue than the minor details of how you and my superiors choose to run our nations."

"I can assure you, however, that the Greek nation is far from a relic of a long since gone past such as our neigbor," Adrian's expression changed from his usual jovial grin to something much more serious, "We are willing to do anything to ensure the survival of our great nation, and to make it more than what it was. And I know that you are a man who is willing to do the same for your nation."

The President smiled back, a proud glint in his eye. "I would do anything for my people, Ambassador Adrian. I agree that despite our differing ideologies, the current situation takes precedence. A defensive military alliance against the Ottomans will be most beneficial for our two nations, especially seeing the tensions flaring over Eastern Thrace." He paused and smiled even wider, showing his pearly white teeth. "You have my word that if any acts of aggression or declarations of war given by the Ottomans are directed towards your state, Algerian and Greek shall stand side by side in war. I will have my secretary look over the details of a pre-prepared document and send it to your embassy. Will you want to announce our alliance, Ambassador?"

Adrian's face once again lit up with his usual cheerful demeanor, "This is most excellent, Mr. President. I will be more than honored to announce this declaration of Greek and Algerian co-operation." As usual, Greece could count on the skill of Adrian in securing an crucial alliance in the defense against Ottoman interests. "This will be a celebrated day in Greece for years to come, and I believe that this shall be the beginning of a powerful force against any ambitions that the Turks may have in the Balkans or Africa." Adrian extended a hand to the President, happy in the success he had on this day.

Farid took the man's hand with curled lips, also happy in his small victory. This was one more step towards his plans. "It will be a glorious day indeed, for both of our nations. And any nation who sees the Ottoman militarism for what it truly is." His face turned mischievous, letting go of the man's hand and showing him to the door.

"Oh and ambassador," the President said with finality in his tone, the ambassador halfway through his doorway "the Mediterranean Defence Coalition has this ring to it that I like, wouldn't you agree?"

Adrian nodded his head, "Yes, I do agree. It's to the point"

"I'm glad we agree then, the document will be at your door as quick as possible." With that, Farid waved a friendly goodbye and Adrian was shown out by two Presidential Guards. They escorted him out of the People's National Assembly., leaving the man to his thoughts.

Athens, Attica Department, June 1960

"Comrade Hoxha, the Council will see you now,"

Officially, Vafeiadism is against imperialism, requesting freedom for all, and the right for nations to determine their own destiny. Albania was, however, the best argument against that. Greek interference in Albanian politics was the nation's worst kept secret. The Greeks liked to assert that their occupation of Epirus was only them acting on the will of the Greek people to be a part of the Greek nation. Their sheltering of a wanted rebel leader and his followers was also justified as protecting the will of the People against a despotic tyrant.

Enver Hoxha had been in Athens for the last 20 years, etching out an existence with what little of his followers had survived King Zog's purges back in the 40s. His request for asylum was granted by the Premier, and the ragtag survivors of the Albanian Socialist Army had taken to living in a government refugee camp. Hoxha knew that the support of a powerful nation was required if his cause was to ever be successful. But a meeting with Markos Vafeiadis was not an easy thing to get, and what little chances he had gotten to meet with him were rarely successful. Greek ambitions for Epirus took precedence over the backing of a coup leader.

Today was, however, no ordinary day. Hoxha was escorted out of the camp by armed guards and brought to the Council house, stood before, arguably, the most powerful man in Greece.

Stephanos Papayannis had eyes and ears all over Greece and beyond. He had been expecting Hoxha today.

"Enver Hoxha, the would-be leader of Albania," Stephanos looked up over the clipboard he was using, addressing him in his own language. "I'm sure you're wondering why I suddenly give a damn about you after leaving you in that refugee camp for almost 2 decades now." Straightening himself out, he continued. "To put it simply, you're actually useful now."

"And how is that?"

Stephanos grinned, "The Kingdom is sick, Comrade. Zog is dead, and his successor is, shall we say, not up to par."

Skander IV was the only surviving son of the old king. Skander was mentally deficient, afflicted by some kind of disability. Every would-be manipulator in Albania who could get close to him sought to use him for their own gains. Albania was heading down the path of turmoil, and now was a perfect time for the Greeks to do with Albania as the pleased.

"Your movement gives us a perfect opportunity to turn Albania from a hostile monarchy into a friendly neighbor. Thus we have a proposition for you, Comrade Hoxha." Hoxha listened intently while Stephanos spoke once again. "Your movement will get the full support of Greece, with as much monetary and military support as you need. Once you capture Albania, you will get our support as an ally."

Hoxha nodded, "So you've finally seen the value in my cause?"

"Something like that," Stephanos spoke as he motioned for the guards to come remove the man and take him back to the camp. "We will begin preparations to train you and your followers tomorrow,"

As Hoxha was escorted out, a voice spoke up,

"So what do we do when he makes it?"

"Enver Hoxha is not to be trusted," Stephanos replied, standing up. "I have details for what to do if he is successful in this. Do not allow him out of your sight, keep tabs on him at all times, and we will deal with him when the times comes."

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Greece

Ioannina, Southern Epirus

"Girls, I ask you to please hurry! We're going to be late if we keep at this pace,"

There was some charm left to Ioannina, some remnant of the city that once stood before Athens decide that it must be expanded and brought into the new millennium. The old town stood out like a colored core in a ring of brutal gray, the Greco-Ottoman look slowly being overtaken by that which prioritized function over aesthetic. Ioannina had certainly grown, but not into anything that could be called beautiful. Within a small restaurant, one would find a hoard of young girls and women, ranging from 12-16, practically invading and occupying the place in their own right. Ioanna was host to an outing for a girls-only outing organized by a branch of Komen, the national Greek communist youth organization, to Epirus. The goal was to have them journey to Argyrokastro and then to Korytsa, to better get an understanding of the status of Epirus, and have the girls participate in local volunteer work to make them feel like they were contributing to the liberation of Northern Epirus from Albanian control. The train had stopped on its journey from Athens in Ioannina, with the final leg of the journey being made in the early morning.

Amid the chatter of the girls, a dark haired child nibbled quietly on a piece of baklava, only stopping to return the greeting of another girl. Athena Metaxas was 13 years old, and it was her first time so far away from Athens. Athena was fully aware of the baggage that came with her ancestry, how her great-grandfather had taken over the Country in the past, and how a depressed one-night stand between her grandmother, Ioannis' third daughter Sophia, and a nameless communist soldier lead to her father's existence. She never could fully escape that lineage, but she constantly told herself that with hard work maybe she could make it, in spite of the odds being against her from before she was even born.

Athena tore her baklava in half to share with her friend, Lydia, who had just come to meet her from across the table. Lydia was an Epirot by birth, though she had left as an infant. This would be the first time she would return since then.

"I wonder if I'll get the chance to see the building we used to live in," Lydia said between bites of the shared baklava

Athena nodded, smiling at her friend, "I've never been this far away from home, I have no idea what to expect!"

"Mom and Dad always said that it was nice over there," Lydia flashed a smile, "but I hear Athens is still better, so I hope you won't be disappointed."

The morning came slowly for Athena, who spend most of the night awake before being funneled onto an armored train, passing the military checkpoint that marked the start of Northern Epirus.

The short tour around Argyrokastro left much to be desired by the two girls. The group was lead around like a leashed dog through the streets of the city. The guide made claims of security, due to Albanian terrorist activity in the area, and yet Lydia was visibly craving to freely walk around. Shortly after the lackluster outing, the girls were huddled over to several buildings that had been defaced, and were tasked with cleaning and painting over the graffiti.

"We barely saw anything," grumbled Lydia under her breath, Athena standing to her right as usual.

Athena sighed, "I'm sorry, Lydia. But hey, maybe it's not lost yet"

"What do you mean?"

Athena smiled wide, "Well, we're spending the night here. You and I are sleeping in the same place, so why don't we slip out and take a look around Arygrokastro ourselves?"

"Athena!" Lydia's eyes widened at the suggestion, her gaze quickly shifting to her feet, to her sides, and finally over to her companion. "You know what they'll do to us if they find out we snuck out at night?"

"So we don't get caught"

"It's crazy, just insane" Lydia replied, her voice breathy with anxiety. The girl anxiously started painting again, sloppy, rushed brush strokes spattering paint all over herself.

"Don't you want to see your home city?"

"Yes, but I don't want to get in trouble!"

"It won't be trouble, just trust me!"

Lydia ceased painting

"You do trust me, right? When have I been wrong before"

"Okay...we can go out tonight, but we come back as soon as I say, okay?"

"It's a deal"

11:23 PM, Argyrokastro, Northern Epirus Autonomous Region

Lydia Panagakos had been friends with Athena Metaxas since she was 6 years old. It was days like this that made her wonder if she made the right choice sometimes.

It was a cold night, and Lydia wrapped her jacket around herself while Athena made her way out of the inn.

"Ready to go look around?"

Athena extended a hand as she lead Lydia down the street

Occupation was not kind to Argyrokastro, and it became painfully apparent beyond the central city. Armed men stood at every corner, amidst burnt out shells of buildings, decay setting in amidst administrative neglect.

"This...this isn't what I imagined"

She was unsure if it was the night or the constant presence of armed me, and lurid quips towards them from the various disheveled looking men who seemingly lined every inch of the streets, but Athena was shaking uncontrollably.

"Maybe there was a reason they didn't take us here...maybe we should just go back"

"Yeah, mayb-" Lydia started before she was cut off by a harsh shouting and the sight of two men leading a third, restrained and shuffling about pained, up to a wall. The two girls quickly backed into an alley, peaking out behind the wall at the goings-on.

The taller of the two men, clearly a soldier along with his partner, laughed as the other pushed the older man against the wall.

"Another Shiptar causing trouble, huh"

The man could only grunt, struggling with his hands restrained behind his back, his mouth bound shut

"Sick of all this nationalist shit going on nowdays; glad they're letting us just take care of you on the spot now." said the other soldier as he placed a gun up against the man and fired, the loud shot obscuring the cries coming from the alley as Athena quickly grabbed Lydia and pulled her back into the alley, holding her tight and placing her hand over her mouth to muffle the cries as she looked over to see if the soldiers were still there.

Nothing, just the body of a would-be rebel laying dead on the street. Athena sighed, falling back and letting her and Lydia slide down the walls of the alley, still clinging to her friend, who was lost in a hysterical fit of crying and screaming, her face buried into Athena's chest as the other simply stared at the blank wall ahead of her.

"Lets...lets...just go back" she said monotonously, waiting for Lydia to become stable enough, taking her by the hand and making their way back to the main roads of Argyrokastro.

The girls slipped back into the inn as easily as they had slipped out, with Lydia quickly insisting she sleep with Athena in the same bed this night. Athena accepted, but little sleep was had, as she simply stared into the ceiling for the remainder of the night.

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Greece

1941

May 11, Army Barracks in Athens
Vangelis Georgiadis never once thought he would personally live to see this day. The young farmer never expected to survive his time spent in the Macedonian forests, fighting off royal soldiers better armed and better trained then he. Every day it seemed like death was coming for him, and yet, he and his brothers pushed on, never stopping, never surrendering. And it had all come to this day. It felt a bit unreal, to have left his life in Thrace, still a young man of 24, to spend the next few years of his life fighting not only for his own life, but for the lives of all who would have something to lose under the Nationalists. He drifted away into a flashback as he thought of the day he left.

"So my son is to sneak off to play soldier because he's afraid the government will come for his Turkish whore?"

The young Vangelis had indeed joined the ranks of Democratic Army with the fear of what would happen to his beloved, a Turkish girl named Defne he met while still a child. He had always been sympathetic to communism, but it was not until the word of the butchering of Turks in the South, areas controlled by the kingdom, that he felt compelled to fight. His father had none of it.

"When they find what's left of you, ill let them know to dump you into the nearest ditch they find."

Defne was always a hated subject between the two. His father was sure it was her that had made him a "fucking leftist bastard". Their relationship was irreparably damaged when Vangelis had announced his intentions to marry her, going as far to declare his intentions to convert to Islam per the wishes of her family. Vangelis did so when he was 18, and the couple had a child, named Mustafa, shotly after. This only served to make the separation from his father that much easier, but made him wonder if he was right to go off and fight like this.

This dissociative state broke when Vangelis felt a sharp sting and caught sight of the bright red on his hand.

An audible chuckle could be heard from across the washroom, where a tall, blond man, 30 years of age but looking seemingly older, came to put his arm around the younger man.

"Careful Vangelis, don't want to come all this way just to end up cutting your own throat in the bathroom,"

Vangelis chuckled a bit as the older man, Adonis, lifted back up and began shaving as well.

"Got something on your mind, kid?"

"Same as always, Adonis"

"If you ain't always got that girl on your mind"

"I just sent her a letter this morning, letting her known I'm alive and that I'll be going back to Iasmos by the end of this month"

Adonis gave a hardy laugh at this news, "So little Vangelis is finally going back to his wife, huh?"

"Indeed"

And with that came two more men, chatting among themselves as to how satisfying it was to watch the body of the old PM hang. Vangelis had not gotten the opportunity to watch Metaxas die. From what he had heard, the old man was basically on his way out no matter what, and the DSE simply wanted to kill him as a public statement, rather than let the bastard rot in prison away from public eyes.

A raid earlier last night had shown that King George high-tailed it out of Athens on the first plane as far away from Southern Europe as possible.

"Probably on his way to London to suck off the King for asylum," one of the two other soldiers said as the conversation turned to the exiled Greek King

"As if he'd need a reason to get on his knees for an Englishman" Adonis quipped across the room

Vangelis choked, fighting back a laugh as he finished his business and exited, making his way to the former Parliament building.

Central Athens
It was a hot day in Athens, and Markos Vafeiadis had picked a less than ideal time to deliver his speech to the crowd, looking for some news and organization with the loss of their former leaders. Word had reached Vafeiadis of the flight of King George II as soon as it was possible. With the death of Ioannis Metaxas, and the arrest and imprisonment of nearly all former member of parliament, it was plainly apparent what was to follow.

Vafiadis made his way to the front of the building, a roaring crowd coming to meet him and listen to what he had to say. For years he had given orders as the leader of the Communist resistance in Greece, and now his life's work had come to this. The woolen military uniform he had chosen to wear on this day quickly getting hot under the sun looming down on the city. He wasted no time in speaking,

"Comrades, Men and Women of Greece. I come to you this day with good news.
For 5 long years, we have been in struggle against the vile forces of the Kingdom. We have toiled for years, spilling blood, many giving their lives so that Greece may be free of the bindings placed upon her by those who would call themselves king. So that every Greek would know freedom. We sang that mantra, "Freedom or Death". And each time those words escaped our mouths, they rang true. For many, the later would be the reply to their call, however those who died did so for this moment, for this time when we can firmly say that the Revolution has won in Greece, and that we, the people, have cast aside they who would be our masters, and shown to the world that the Greek People are in control of their own destiny. We have shown that we need no King, and we need his cronies even less! Thus, brothers and sisters, we will proclaim, on this day, a Hellenic Socialist Republic, and the abolition of all monarchy and nobility in this land!"

In the cheering, roaring crowd was Vangelis, who seemed to drift into another dissociative state as he heard this news.

Is this real?, he thought, looking at the crowd around him, at the commander there at the front, proclaiming a new Republic and the fall of the monarchy. All this time, he expected nothing more than to die. To die protecting his beloved and at least saying he tried for her, and to join her in death when the nationalists came for her. And yet, he was standing in this crowd in Athens, seeing the fruits of not only his but many, many other's labors.

Vangelis would awake back in the bunker sometime later, disoriented, and catching a voice beside him.

"Just like old times,"

Adonis had been responsible for saving Vangelis' life many times in the war. Most notably, in the push into Thessaly, where the Kingdom opened fire with artillery onto them, with Vangelis being knocked unconscious, only to be dragged to safety by Adonis. The two had been the best of friends in the Army, with Vangelis returning the favor later, during the battle for Delphi.

"If old Adonis were not watching you..."

"I'd be a meat splatter on the ground right now," Vangelis said teasingly.

"I was planning on passing out on the floor too, but I was hoping you'd wait to join me in it after I invited you to celebrate tonight"

"Of course, I can always go for round two"

1960

Macedonia Department

Vangelis Georgiadis sat reclined in the old wooden rocking chair his wife had moved from their home out to the porch of their home. Now a man of 44 years, he fiddled with a set of komboloi as his youngest daughter, Vakdi, happily played with a pair of dolls her mother had crafted for her, humming some children's song that Vangelis had tried synchronizing moving the beads along with. His eyes followed the beads, falling into a kind of trance as he moved them from one hand to the other.

"Vangelis!"

The man turned his head back to see his wife Defne standing outside of the door, her long black hair tied up, and dressed in clothes betraying what she was doing inside.

"Oh, Defne, what is it, my love?"

"Mustafa", she said, exasperatedly tapping her hand on the side of her hip, a habit she had when annoyed. "You were to meet him in Salonika for lunch, remember?"

Vangelis' eyes widened as he remembered. He had lost so much time in playing with his komboloi, he nearly forgot he was to meet his eldest son in the city before he left.

"Ah, thank you, dear," he wheezed out exasperatedly, "I just need to get my..."

He was cut off by Defne simply holding out his car keys, a mildly annoyed look on her face.

"I called the cafe he is at to let him know you are coming. Don't keep him waiting too long"

Au Bon Pain Cafe, Thessaloniki
Mustafa Georgaidis hated those who were not punctual. He hated lateness in general. Sometimes he wondered how he became like this, but then he remembered when he met with his father, and then the childhood seeds of this distaste for tardiness became all too clear. Mustafa had sat in the cafe, drowning himself in coffee for nearly 30 minutes waiting for his father to arrive. It would be another 30 before Vangelis would enter into the building, finding his son eying him across the room, his hand tapping on his hip, a habit he picked up from his mother.

"I hope you are not upset with me"

"I am not," Mustafa replied, motioning with his hand to let the employee at the counter know to bring over the food he had purchased for himself and his father.

"Mustafa, it has been too long since we last spoke!"

"Indeed"

Vangelis would never be used to the aloof nature of his son. He knew him to be an intelligent young man, 25 years old and already involved in a rather high position in the military. It would seem the personality of Mustafa affected his appearance as well, making him look quite a bit older than he was.

"So, why is it you're going to Cyprus again?"

"Work related,"

Vangelis nodded at this, "So when will you be back"

"Don't know, just need to be there as long as they need me. I'm leaving tonight."

The conversation continued for some time before father and son caught sight of the time.

Mustafa's face became strained at the time, only for Vangelis to chuckle.

"I can tell that face, and I agree, it's getting late for me too." he spoke as he rose up, "I'll be sure to tell your mother and your sisters the news"

"Thank you", Mustafa replied as he hugged his father. The hug lingering for some time before both left, parting ways once more.

Famagusta, Cyprus, Rhodes and Cyprus Department

This was nostalgia.

Mustafa had not been back to Famagusta since he had come here on holiday with his parents. However, the nature of this visit would be far less inviting.

The Popular Civil Guard had gotten reports of subversive activities in Cyprus, mostly coming out of the Turkish minority areas in the North. Mustafa played a valuable asset in these areas, being half-Turkish and a native speaker of the language himself. Accompanying him was his partner Mihail, who was far less useful in these areas, but served the all-important purpose of providing some muscle for the smaller Mustafa.

The two had just gotten information. As usual, when it came to Cyprus, the name Melik was bound to follow. After breaking a couple arms of some Turkish nationalists in the city. Something about an exchange with two Turkish intelligence agents going on in Melik's home before leaving the city, and the two were now staking out the location, having recently seen some visitors enter, and waited for them to leave.

"What do you suppose they're doing in there?" inquired Mihail, greedily consuming a Doner he had purchased earlier as they sat in the car watching

"As they usually do, plot against the country probably"

"No I mean like, they're probably eating or something, but I don't know, how do Turks eat dinner?"

"We eat it the same as you," Mustafa replied sarcastically, "we slather everything in yogurt and then blend it before drinking it as a liquid"

Mihail snorted at this, "No need to be a smart ass, I'm just curious. I've never met a Turkish person before you"

Mihail had come from Sparta, and likely had never even seen a Turk before he was stationed in Thessaloniki.

"Well, I am half-Greek too"

Mihail shrugged before pointing out movement outside the house.

"Its them,"

The plan was to intercept the agents before they got out of Cyprus, and recover whatever it was that Melik was giving them. As the Ottoman agents departed, Mustafa and Mihail were right behind them.

Argyrokastro, Northern Epirus Autonomous Region

"Fucking Shiptars"

Yiannis Anastasopoulos was a true son of Epirus.

Born in Ioannina, Yiannis was ecstatic to partake in the rightful return of Greek lands to the Greek state. Being stationed in Northern Epirus was fine and all, but he did have one problem. And it was the degenerate savages that were an unfortunate carry along.

To say that he did not like Albanians was a grave understatement. Yiannis hated Albanians, who he saw as basically savage. A couple of young women had come by and accidentally bumped into him, prompting him to scream at them, calling them both "shiptars", their name for themselves but that was a painful slur when uttered by the Greeks. The girls quickly shrank trying to get away, only for Yiannis to take hold of one, briskly pulling off the girl's hijab, nearly choking her as it came off. "What are you doing wearing this fucking rag on your head," the soldier said, shouting at the girl, who looked near to tears at this point, "God has no place in this country, so get your head into the 20th centary already!" he said, throwing the cloth onto the ground, prompting to the one girl to start sobbing, as her friend took her hand and walked her away.

"Do you always have to be such an asshole?"

Yiannis turned his head around to see his partner Thaimes, lighting up a joint just out of sight in the alley as usual. It seemed his partner was always getting cheap drugs from the Albanians living in the gutters of Argyrokastro.

"I'm surprised you were paying attention." Yiannis said, walking over and motioning for Thaimes to share the marijuana with him, as usual.

"I don't see why you hate them so much,"

"We're in Greece, in Greek land. Why should some barbarians get to demand to be different?"

"Whats it like living in ancient Athens?"

"Oh shut up, Thaines"

Northern Epirus was mostly Greek even before the occupation, though a significant Albanian minority existed. Tensions were always rising between the Albanians and Greeks, especially in xenophobic behaviors of settlers from Mainland Greece, and occupying soldiers.

"Did you hear that they shot down a guy not to far from here. Say he was planning to try and get in contact with Albania to get them to come invade again."

"Of course I did, and good riddance, I say!" Yiannis spoke between a drag of the joint "Less filth in Epirus, the better"

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Hellenic Socialist Republic

Leader:
Premier Markos Vafiadis - A major leader of the Communist Party in Greece, Vafeiadis was a natural choice for leadership of the State of Greece following the success of the communist takeover. Born in the Ottoman Empire on the Island of Chios, Markos and his family became Greek nationals when the military invaded and took control of Chios during the Great War. With the island devastated by the war, Markos moved to Thessaloniki with his family in 1923. Vafiadis became actively involved in politics and quickly became a leading figure in the Communist party alongside fellow leader Nikos Zachariadis. The two conducted the military campaigns against the Kingdom of Greece during the Civil War, and Vafiadis was elected to the possition of Premier with the creation of the new State

History:

Incessant revanchism lead to the entrance of the Kingdom of Greece into the Great War, fighting on the side of the entente with the promises of concessions of historically Greek lands as rewards for their contributions to the war effort. The Greeks actively participated in the invasions of the Ottoman Empire, taking control of Eastern Thrace and completely occupying the Aegean. Fueled by the promise of the fulfillment of the Megali Idea, the country was devastated when they were shorthanded in their share of spoils of the dying Ottoman State. While taking control of Cyprus, the Aegean Islands, and much of Eastern Thrace, the Greeks were spurned their ambitions in Anatolia, and perhaps most insulting of all, the city of Constantinople remained firmly in the control of the Turks.

With the conclusion of the war, Greece began to enter into a period of economic decline, along with the commencement of a trend of radicalization of the general public. When the Ottomans once again were vulnerable during Ataturk's uprising, the Greeks seized upon the opportunity to take what they felt was rightfully Greek land.

Using the Aegean Islands as a base, the Greeks attempted an outright invasion of Anatolia. However, they had gravely misunderestimated the power of their enemy, and the Greek invasion was badly defeated, quickly exorcized from Asia Minor, and never once entering into Constantinople. As a concession for their defeat, the Greek Kingdom was further humiliated in being forced to cede all of Eastern Thrace to the Ottomans. With this defeat, the dream of the Megali Idea died forever, and the reputation of the then ruling Liberal Party fell into the darkness.

1936 saw a severe split in the Greek public opinion, with the population nearly entirely radicalized towards the Far Right and Far Left. Elections saw the final fall of the moderate parties, with the parliament being split nearly 55/30/15% Communist, Nationalist, and Other parties respectively. It was around this time that a former general during the Great War named Ioannis Metaxas, with support from then King George II, and the backing of the Nationalist Party, took control of the Government in Athens, putting the country into a state of martial law and instituting a purge of those elements that were deemed enemies of the Greek State, most notably Communists, Socialists, Ethnic and Religious minorities (particularly Turks and Muslims), and anyone else he saw as a threat to his power, legitimsed under the auspices of the King.


Greek Civil War, 4 August, 1936

With the seizure of power by Metaxas, the Communist Party and supporters quickly reorganized and relocated to the north of the country, forming the Democratic Army of Greece in Thessaloniki with volunteers as well as turncoats from the Greek Army, and forming a powerful opposition to the Nationalist forces, and declaring a Hellenic Socialist Republic. For the next five years, Greece would be consumed by a violent civil war, with public opinion of Metaxas falling with the increasing brutality of his rule. On 4 August, 1941, The Democratic Army of Greece entered into Athens, capturing Prime Minister Metaxas and having him quickly tried and executed by hanging. King George II fled to exile in Britain, with the communists declaring the abolition of the Monarchy.

With the creation of this new socialist state, the Greek government set about fixing the state after the civil war, with massive seizing and redistribution of privately owned land prior to the revolution, and the establishment of social programs to improve the quality of life of the average Greek citizen, as well as the gradual purging of the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church from the legislation of the country, with increasing restrictions on public expression of The Church. The new government also turned it's attention towards its neighbors, with the new mission to spread the socialist revolution to all Greeks. Greece renewed its claims to Eastern Thrace, much to the chagrin of the Ottomans, and Greek espionage forces fomented the revolt of Northern Epirus and its pledge of integration into the Hellenic Socialist Republic, with Greek forces occupying the area in 1951, though the area is still recognized as a part of Albania by much of the international community.

Entering into the 1960s, the Hellenic Socilist Republic is a budding new state, a strongly socialist government that seeks to reclaim those areas it feels it has lost to the Ottomans. Having finally recovered from the scars of the civil war, the future has endless potential for Greece.

Other:

Greek espionage is active throughout the Balkans and Anatolia, especially in areas of heavy Greek popluation, such as in the borderlands with the other Balkan States and in western Anatolia and Eastern Thrace.

Greece and Albania entered into a ceasefire in the 50s that continues to this day, however the Epirus Incident remains a point of tension between the nations.

The Communist Party of Greece exists as the only legal political party in the country

Greek is the sole official language, however Turkish, Albanian and "The Romanian dialects" (Romanian, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian) all have special minority status, thus allowing for state funding of institutions such as schools using these languages as mediums, in designated minority areas.

Demographics

The population of the state as a whole is 8.5 Million, the vast majority of which are ethnic Greeks (90%), with Turks being the second most populous group at 6%, followed by "Slavic" (2%), Albanians (1%), Romanis (0.8%) with all others making up about 0.2% of the Greek population. Greek is the mostly widely spoken language, spoken as the native langauge of about 95% of the population and understood by all, with Turkish coming second with 4% speaking it as a mother tongue, and about 13% of the country understanding it as a second language. French is the most widely studied foreign language in the country with 60% of students taking a course in it, and about 30-45% of the population capable of speaking it, followed by English, studied by 30% of students and spoken by about 20% of the population.

The state is forbidden from collecting data on religious adherence, but it is estimated that 80% of the country is Christian, (further subdivided into Eastern Orthodoxy at 95% of Christians, with Catholics at 3%, and all others at 2%), 10% Atheist/Irreligious, 8% Muslim (nearly all of which are Sunni Muslims), 2% all else. The Government of Greece officially promotes State Atheism, and all public expressions of religion are heavily restricted.

While the south is nearly entirely Greek due to extensive deporations and ethnic cleansings during the Metaxas regime and after the civil war, the north of the country is notable for its vibrant Turkish minority community, many of whom can trace their ancestry all the way back to the Ottoman period. Many other Turks are leftist aligned immigrants from the Ottoman Empire. And while some may fear assimilation of future generations into the predomiant Greek culture, the Turkish minority is ironically perhaps the most patriotic and supportive group of the communist regime.

The north of the country is notably more left-leaning and liberal than the south, which is characterized as a strongly conservative area, the Peloponesse being a particularly conservative area. Thessaloniki is known as the most liberal of cities, while Sparta has a reputation as a stronghold of conservativism.

Military

The Democratic Army of Greece

Symbol of the Democratic Army of Greece

The Democratic Army of Greece (Greek: Δημοκρατικός Στρατός Ελλάδας, DSE (ΔΣΕ)) is the standing military of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. Formed in 1936 as a response to the royally sanctioned military takeover of Ioannis Metaxas and attrocities commited in his name, the DSE was based out of the City of Thessaloniki, where its main headquarters can still be found today. While at its height in the Greek Civil War, the army had membership of 50,000, Today the military is comprised of about 34,000 members.

The Popular Civil Guard
The Popular Civil Guard (Greek: Λαϊκή Πολιτοφυλακή, PL, (ΛΠ))is the Military Police force of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. The Guard is a feared force by many, known for its acts of domestic surveillance, removal of dissidents, and espionage activities. Behaving as a kind of Secret Police, the PL is tasked in keeping the domestic integrity of the state strong, as well as carrying out acts of spying and to instigate socialist uprisings in neighboring countries. Seemingly omnicient, the people of Greece are not without good reason to fear the Popular Civil Guard.

Important People

Defense Minister Nikolaos "Nikos" Zachariadis - Greek Minister of War - Born as the son of a tobacco farmer in East Thrace, Nikos Zacharadis would go on to become a major military commander of the Communist forces of Greece. Once the civil war was completed, Zacharadis was appointed as the head of the Ministry of National Defense. Now an old man, Zacharadis can no longer participate on the battlefield, but his experience makes him a valuable asset in the military ambitions of the Greek State.

General Dimitrios Partsalidis - Head General of Democratic Army of Greece - An exile from Treibizond who was forced out during the Pontic Greece genocide, Dimitrios Partsalidis acts as a second brain in the actions and planning of the Democratic Army of Greece along side Zacharidis.

Stephanos Papayannis - Head of the Popular Civil Guard - Papayannis is the head of the Popular Civil Guard, and a man known for his zealotry in regard to Communism and his brutal, draconian policies.

Vasilis Bartziotas - Appointed Successor of PCG - Second in command to Papayannis

Anastasia Demitriades - Greek Ambassador to Ethiopia

Adrian Emirolou - Greek Ambassador to Algeria

Non-Government characters
Mustafa Georgaidis - Greek intelligence agent. Half-Turkish.

Athena Metaxas - Great-Granddaughter of Ioannis Metaxas.

Yiannis Anastasopoulos - Epirot Soldier

Thaimes Hatzi - Spartan Solider

Evangjel Tzavaranas - Arvanite boy from Athens fighting in Alabania

Ahmet Pashaj -aka Gjergj Kastrioti -Albanian Terrorist leader

Terms and Slang
Shiptar - A derogatory term for Albanians, mostly reserved for Albanians of Albania proper and Northern Epirus
Arvanite - Albanian population native to Southern Greece. Mostly wiped out in the civil war, with survivors of the Arvanite community existing in Epirus (where they are being asimilated into the "Shqip" Albanians, or to Macedonia, where they are integrating into the Macedonian Turks

Places
Argyrokastro - The capital of the Northern Epirus Autonomous Region. A violent, dangerous shit hole

Post Catalogue:
1. The Rise of Socialism; Stake out in Cyprus; Life in Occupied Epirus.
2. Athena Metaxas and the state of Argyrokastro
3. The Mediterranean Defense Coalition; Backing a Coup in Albania
4. The boys in Epirus finally see action in Albania
5. Greece formally backs Hoxha

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Traditional powers aren't very popular.

Also, to the lad who wants to take on Greece, your application is all fine except for the occupation of Anatolia/Eastern Thrace. The Ottomans had all pulled back to Anatolia by 1929. If you want to say you launched an invasion and took all the islands in the Aegean successfully and then attempted an invasion of Anatolia in a Gallipoli-type situation, I'm fine with it. I really liked your app apart from that, I hope we can get some cool story arcs going!
@Nerevarine

@Chapatrap

Alright, I switched it from an occupation to a failed attempt to invade Anatolia.

Also updated the app to fix some mistakes, oversights, and to add more info

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Hellenic Socialist Republic

Leader:
Premier Markos Vafiadis - A major leader of the Communist Party in Greece, Vafeiadis was a natural choice for leadership of the State of Greece following the success of the communist takeover. Born in the Ottoman Empire on the Island of Chios, Markos and his family became Greek nationals when the military invaded and took control of Chios during the Great War. With the island devastated by the war, Markos moved to Thessaloniki with his family in 1923. Vafiadis became actively involved in politics and quickly became a leading figure in the Communist party alongside fellow leader Nikos Zachariadis. The two conducted the military campaigns against the Kingdom of Greece during the Civil War, and Vafiadis was elected to the possition of Premier with the creation of the new State

History:

Incessant revanchism lead to the entrance of the Kingdom of Greece into the Great War, fighting on the side of the entente with the promises of concessions of historically Greek lands as rewards for their contributions to the war effort. The Greeks actively participated in the invasions of the Ottoman Empire, taking control of Eastern Thrace and completely occupying the Aegean. Fueled by the promise of the fulfillment of the Megali Idea, the country was devastated when they were shorthanded in their share of spoils of the dying Ottoman State. While taking control of Cyprus, the Aegean Islands, and much of Eastern Thrace, the Greeks were spurned their ambitions in Anatolia, and perhaps most insulting of all, the city of Constantinople remained firmly in the control of the Turks.

With the conclusion of the war, Greece began to enter into a period of economic decline, along with the commencement of a trend of radicalization of the general public. When the Ottomans once again were vulnerable during Ataturk's uprising, the Greeks seized upon the opportunity to take what they felt was rightfully Greek land.

Using the Aegean Islands as a base, the Greeks attempted an outright invasion of Anatolia. However, they had gravely misunderestimated the power of their enemy, and the Greek invasion was badly defeated, quickly exorcized from Asia Minor, and never once entering into Constantinople. As a concession for their defeat, the Greek Kingdom was further humiliated in being forced to cede all of Eastern Thrace to the Ottomans. With this defeat, the dream of the Megali Idea died forever, and the reputation of the then ruling Liberal Party fell into the darkness.

1936 saw a severe split in the Greek public opinion, with the population nearly entirely radicalized towards the Far Right and Far Left. Elections saw the final fall of the moderate parties, with the parliament being split nearly 55/30/15% Communist, Nationalist, and Other parties respectively. It was around this time that a former general during the Great War named Ioannis Metaxas, with support from then King George II, and the backing of the Nationalist Party, took control of the Government in Athens, putting the country into a state of martial law and instituting a purge of those elements that were deemed enemies of the Greek State, most notably Communists, Socialists, Ethnic and Religious minorities (particularly Turks and Muslims), and anyone else he saw as a threat to his power, legitimsed under the auspices of the King.


Greek Civil War, 4 August, 1936

With the seizure of power by Metaxas, the Communist Party and supporters quickly reorganized and relocated to the north of the country, forming the Democratic Army of Greece in Thessaloniki with volunteers as well as turncoats from the Greek Army, and forming a powerful opposition to the Nationalist forces, and declaring a Hellenic Socialist Republic. For the next five years, Greece would be consumed by a violent civil war, with public opinion of Metaxas falling with the increasing brutality of his rule. On 4 August, 1941, The Democratic Army of Greece entered into Athens, capturing Prime Minister Metaxas and having him quickly tried and executed by hanging. King George II fled to exile in Britain, with the communists declaring the abolition of the Monarchy.

With the creation of this new socialist state, the Greek government set about fixing the state after the civil war, with massive seizing and redistribution of privately owned land prior to the revolution, and the establishment of social programs to improve the quality of life of the average Greek citizen, as well as the gradual purging of the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church from the legislation of the country, with increasing restrictions on public expression of The Church. The new government also turned it's attention towards its neighbors, with the new mission to spread the socialist revolution to all Greeks. Greece renewed its claims to Eastern Thrace, much to the chagrin of the Ottomans, and Greek espionage forces fomented the revolt of Northern Epirus and its pledge of integration into the Hellenic Socialist Republic, with Greek forces occupying the area in 1951, though the area is still recognized as a part of Albania by much of the international community.

Entering into the 1960s, the Hellenic Socilist Republic is a budding new state, a strongly socialist government that seeks to reclaim those areas it feels it has lost to the Ottomans. Having finally recovered from the scars of the civil war, the future has endless potential for Greece.

Other:

Greek espionage is active throughout the Balkans and Anatolia, especially in areas of heavy Greek popluation, such as in the borderlands with the other Balkan States and in western Anatolia and Eastern Thrace.

Greece and Albania entered into a ceasefire in the 50s that continues to this day, however the Epirus Incident remains a point of tension between the nations.

The Communist Party of Greece exists as the only legal political party in the country

Greek is the sole official language, however Turkish, Albanian and "The Romanian dialects" (Romanian, Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian) all have special minority status, thus allowing for state funding of institutions such as schools using these languages as mediums, in designated minority areas.

Demographics

The population of the state as a whole is 8.5 Million, the vast majority of which are ethnic Greeks (90%), with Turks being the second most populous group at 6%, followed by "Slavic" (2%), Albanians (1%), Romanis (0.8%) with all others making up about 0.2% of the Greek population. Greek is the mostly widely spoken language, spoken as the native langauge of about 95% of the population and understood by all, with Turkish coming second with 4% speaking it as a mother tongue, and about 13% of the country understanding it as a second language. French is the most widely studied foreign language in the country with 60% of students taking a course in it, and about 30-45% of the population capable of speaking it, followed by English, studied by 30% of students and spoken by about 20% of the population.

The state is forbidden from collecting data on religious adherence, but it is estimated that 80% of the country is Christian, (further subdivided into Eastern Orthodoxy at 95% of Christians, with Catholics at 3%, and all others at 2%), 10% Atheist/Irreligious, 8% Muslim (nearly all of which are Sunni Muslims), 2% all else. The Government of Greece officially promotes State Atheism, and all public expressions of religion are heavily restricted.

While the south is nearly entirely Greek due to extensive deporations and ethnic cleansings during the Metaxas regime and after the civil war, the north of the country is notable for its vibrant Turkish minority community, many of whom can trace their ancestry all the way back to the Ottoman period. Many other Turks are leftist aligned immigrants from the Ottoman Empire. And while some may fear assimilation of future generations into the predomiant Greek culture, the Turkish minority is ironically perhaps the most patriotic and supportive group of the communist regime.

The north of the country is notably more left-leaning and liberal than the south, which is characterized as a strongly conservative area, the Peloponesse being a particularly conservative area. Thessaloniki is known as the most liberal of cities, while Sparta has a reputation as a stronghold of conservativism.

Military

The Democratic Army of Greece

Symbol of the Democratic Army of Greece

The Democratic Army of Greece (Greek: Δημοκρατικός Στρατός Ελλάδας, DSE (ΔΣΕ)) is the standing military of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. Formed in 1936 as a response to the royally sanctioned military takeover of Ioannis Metaxas and attrocities commited in his name, the DSE was based out of the City of Thessaloniki, where its main headquarters can still be found today. While at its height in the Greek Civil War, the army had membership of 50,000, Today the military is comprised of about 34,000 members.

The Popular Civil Guard
The Popular Civil Guard (Greek: Λαϊκή Πολιτοφυλακή, PL, (ΛΠ))is the Military Police force of the Hellenic Socialist Republic. The Guard is a feared force by many, known for its acts of domestic surveillance, removal of dissidents, and espionage activities. Behaving as a kind of Secret Police, the PL is tasked in keeping the domestic integrity of the state strong, as well as carrying out acts of spying and to instigate socialist uprisings in neighboring countries. Seemingly omnicient, the people of Greece are not without good reason to fear the Popular Civil Guard.

Important People

Defense Minister Nikolaos "Nikos" Zachariadis - Greek Minister of War - Born as the son of a tobacco farmer in East Thrace, Nikos Zacharadis would go on to become a major military commander of the Communist forces of Greece. Once the civil war was completed, Zacharadis was appointed as the head of the Ministry of National Defense. Now an old man, Zacharadis can no longer participate on the battlefield, but his experience makes him a valuable asset in the military ambitions of the Greek State.

General Dimitrios Partsalidis - Head General of Democratic Army of Greece - An exile from Treibizond who was forced out during the Pontic Greece genocide, Dimitrios Partsalidis acts as a second brain in the actions and planning of the Democratic Army of Greece along side Zacharidis.

Stephanos Papayannis - Head of the Popular Civil Guard - Papayannis is the head of the Popular Civil Guard, and a man known for his zealotry in regard to Communism and his brutal, draconian policies.

Vasilis Bartziotas - Appointed Successor of PCG - Second in command to Papayannis

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

Okay, now that time's come up, I will be interesed as playing the Hellenic Socialist Republic

@Chapatrap I'm interested in collabing on some shared history with Greece and the Ottomans

Precipice of War - The Big Leagues of NRP (Only generous tippers need apply)

[disregard]