American cultural diplomacy in Greece, 1953–1968

Abstract

This article explores aspects of American cultural diplomacy in Greece from the early 1950s to the late 1960s focusing on the general features of Educational Exchanges and propaganda aspects in their interaction with Greek political developments as well as on the promotion of English learning. Despite the explicit recognition of the need to promote a modernising policy agenda in Greece, in praxis American cultural diplomacy was characterised by an unattainable balance between modernisation and anti-communism. Its inherent contradictions led to inconsistencies in terms of policy implementation and to an obvious tension between progressive and reactionary goals.