Back in 1940, Benito Mussolini and his buddy, Adolf Hitler, thought it would be helpful to the war effort if Greece were to allow itself to be occupied. In anticipation, Italian troops lined up on the border between Greece and Albania, which was, at that time, an Italian protectorate, and on October 28th, the Italian ambassador to Greece asked General Ioannis Metaxas if it would be okay for them to come in and get the invasion started.
The general’s reply was brief. One word, actually. The word was “Ochi” (In English: “No.”) And just in case it lost something in the translation, he had his own forces attack the Italian forces and drive them back through most of Albania.
October 28th is now a public holiday in Greece, and Metaxas’s famous “Ochi” is celebrated with parades, feasting, and special church services.
