Webster Athens Virtual Lecture Series: OXI Day: WWII & Greece's Brave Fight with Dr. Stanley Sfekas
Webster Athens Virtual Lecture Series is an ongoing monthly series that originated in March 2021 in honor of Greece's Independence Bicentennial. Each month a different period in Greece's modern history is highlighted. Today we hear about OXI Day by Webster Athens renowned professor, Dr. Stanley Sfekas. OXI Day is a national public holiday and commemorated on October 28th every year in Greece, Cyprus and by Greeks around the world.
On this day 81 years ago, the Prime Minister of Greece, Ioannis Metaxas denied Benito Mussolini’s request to allow Italian troops to cross the border into Greece. He responded to the Italian ultimatum in French, the diplomatic language at the time, “Alors, c’est la gueree!” or “Then it is War!”.
In the days following, the word of Metaxas’ denial had spread around the capital and the Greek population took to the streets shouting “Oxi!” (NO). His decision made on October 28th, 1940, is commemorated each year as a day that represents bravery, solidarity and heroism for millions of Greeks all around the world.
Although Greece had tried to remain neutral in the early days of WWII, it was at this time it became allied with Great Britain. The Greek Army turned out to be a formidable force, holding back the Axis forces from entering Greece for almost six months. This is the first time a country stood up to the Axis Powers with any amount of success. Greece gave the rest of the world hope that the Axis could, in fact, be defeated.
It was Winston Churchill who noted: “if there had not been the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we do not know what the outcome of WWII would have been. Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks.”
Abour the professor: Dr. Sfekas has taught in various institutions in higher education in the US and abroad. He is widely published with scholarly articles and books, and has served as critic for the American Philosophical Association, including several international journals. In addition, he has been the educational advisor to the Fulbright Foundation in Greece. As a public lecturer in the Athenian academic community, Dr. Sfekas has delivered over 150 public lectures since 1986 and frequently appeared on Greek television as an academic spokesman. Apart from his scholarly publications, he has translated, between 1995 and the present, the scripts of seven historical films and 35 archaeological documentaries. He was also the philosophical consultant to the various productions. He received his B.A. in Philosophy and English from the University of Maryland, and went on to earn both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy from New York University. Dr. Sfekas joined Webster Athens in 2014.
About Webster Athens: Webster University Athens is an accredited American university in the heart of Athens providing high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. For more information on the academic and study abroad programs visit the website: www.webster.edu.gr