History
Scene from the east frieze of the Parthenon, The Acropolis, Athens, Greece, c.438-432BC
www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/
If you want to learn about ancient Greece, then you should visit the British Museum. Spend time in front of the marbles of the Parthenon and you will be astonished by their artistic beauty. Alternatively, you can visit either the Louvre Museum in Paris or the National Museum in Athens.
Key events in the history of Modern Greece
| 1821 | The revolution against the Ottoman Empire and the founding of the Greek state. |
| 1912-1913 | The two Balkan wars which extended Greece’s northern frontier. |
| 1914-1918 | During the 1st World War Greece joined the forces of the British, the French and the Americans. |
| 1922 | The expeditionary Greek forces in Asia Minor were defeated by the Turkish Nationalists under Mustafa Kemal. |
| 1939-1945 | At the 2nd World War Greece fought on the Allied side. |
| 1940 | The Greeks achieved a great military victory against the forces of Mussolini in Albania. |
| 1941 | Hitler invaded Greece. |
| 1941-1944 | The German occupation . An active resistance to the Axis took place in the mountains of central Greece. Many Greeks died because of the hardship of German occupation. |
| 1944-1949 | A civil war of incredible violence between communists and nationalists. |
| 1947 | The islands of the Dodecanese were added to Greece. |
| 1967 | A military dictatorship was imposed. There was a strong resistance to the Colonels’ junta. |
| 1974 | Greece returned to Parliamentary Democracy. |
| 1981 | Greece became a full member of the European Community. |
The present day
In recent times Greece has enjoyed political stability and significant economic growth. The quality of life for many Greeks is very high. Many own a house in the city, a second one in the countryside and can afford long summer holidays on a Greek island or abroad. A significant percentage of young Greeks receive high education at Greek Universities or in Universities abroad, mainly in the U.K. and America. Moreover, the Greeks achieve a balance between work and play in their everyday life. So relax with the Greeks and enjoy life!
