The Kaiser and the ‘Political Dinosaur’: Greece, Germany and World War I Claims

Abstract

In recent years, Greece's war claims against the Federal Republic of Germany, stemming mainly from World War II, have returned to the forefront, piquing Greek and international public opinion, while mass media worldwide strove to understand the nature of these demands. However, a fact that remains unknown, is that in 1974, the Federal Republic agreed to compensate Greek nationals for damages they suffered during Greece's neutrality before its official entry in World War I in 1917. The compensation was paid 56 years after the end of the Great War and was distributed almost 70 years after the damaging events, with a large part ending up in the hands of non-Greek recipients. This article will follow the origins of the claim, by analyzing its various aspects and the international framework governing World War I reparations. It will also document Greek and German policies in handling the claim, the claim’s connection to the Greek military dictatorship (1967–1974) and in part to the USA, while depicting the legal and political impact on the war debt assertions currently being raised by the Greek state.