I'm sure the Greeks didn't exactly enjoy being occupied by their Itie neighbors, but it sure beat the heck out of being ravaged by Hitler's bully-boys. And furthermore, who wouldn't rather be occupied by dark haired folks who make really good pizza and ice cream than by a gang of ill tempered blond haired bullys who think sauerkraut and fatty sausages are the epitome of fine dining?
My aunts down in the old country and some of the older people here at the parish would say “Oh, those poor Italian boys! They missed their mothers and all they wanted was a nice meal and a sympathetic ear....Then the Germans came.”
It wasn't good at all. Not far north of my maternal village, there is a monument at the edge of a cliff in the mountains. It marks the spot were 90 men and boys were machine gunned by the Germans for two offenses, (1) partisan activities and (2) hiding Jews. Names of my relatives are on that monument. Members of my family were hiding Jews while their own house had been commandeered by the local head of the Wehrmacht.