Cold War Committee: Greek Cabinet Chair: Lakshmi Mellacheruvu

Cold War Committee:
Greek Cabinet
Chair: Lakshmi Mellacheruvu
UMICS 2012
University of Maryland International Crisis Simulation
November 2- 4, 2012
Dear Delegates,
Hello and welcome to UMICS 2012! My name is Lakshmi Mellacheruvu and as your chair, I
would like to take this opportunity to express how thrilled I am to be leading this simulation. I am
currently a sophomore at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and pursuing a double degree in
Finance and International Business along with a minor in International Development and Conflict
Management. I’ve been involved with Model UN since my freshman year of high school. I’ve
attended numerous conferences along the East coast and have also helped host conferences. This
year will be my second UMICS as I was on crisis staff last year.
Aside from Model UN, I am a member of Smith Ambassadors and treasurer of Moksha, an
Indian classical dance team. Outside of campus life, I train intensively in Kuchipudi, a specific style
of Indian dance. During my free time, I love to read and travel. Above all, I’m a huge Harry Potter
fan. This summer, I worked as a teaching assistant here on campus, for an introductory course to
International Relations and the UN.
I have high hopes for the delegates in this committee. Taking part in a crisis committee calls
for creativity, patience, and adaptability. I am looking forward to the innovative resolutions to the
many, unexpected, and difficult problems that you will all be faced with. As you all prepare for the
conference, keep in mind your character’s viewpoint as well as the overarching goals of the
committee. I look forward to seeing you all pass resolutions in a thorough and satisfactory manner.
Good Luck,
Lakshmi Mellacheruvu
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Committee Purpose/Objectives:
Structure
The Cold War Committee, though not a real body of the United Nations, has been
organized for the top leaders of the United States, the U.S.S.R., Greece, and Yugoslavia to reach a
level of diplomacy that will hopefully tuck away any animosity between the East and the West. This
committee will function similar to a quadrumvirate: Each country’s cabinet will be faced with a
variety of economic, political, social, and militaristic problems that must be debated and resolved
within their respective cabinets. In addition, the cabinet members will be forced to interact with
members of the other cabinets as crises arise. Therefore, the cabinet is required to maintain the wellbeing of both domestic and international affairs.
Background
The date is January 14 th, 1953. Though it has been a few years since World War II has ended,
some uneasiness between the East and West still remains, specifically between the United States and
the Soviet Union, as they are the only two superpowers left standing (Military). Though it may seem
that the United States and the Soviet Union fought alongside each other during World War II, each
country’s goal was simply to eliminate the common enemy, Nazi Germany. Hostility between the
two nations was bolstered when America dropped the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This battle between representative government and (essentially) autocratic one-party rule also
surfaced in part due to the tension between the capitalism of the West and communism of the East.
Between 1944 and 1947, every eastern European nation, except Greece, either established a
communist state or was absorbed into the Soviet Union (Muntone). By 1948, pro-Soviet regimes
were up and running in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Czechoslovakia. These nations
were dominated by communist rule: all of them answered to the absolute authority of the Soviet
dictator. The economy of these nations was closely tied to the economy of the Soviet Union. Stalin
claimed that absorbing these Eastern European nations was necessary to create a buffer zone
between the Soviet Union and the West, as he did not want to witness repetitions of the devastating
German invasions. If communist control was threatened, each state had the option of utilizing its
own army or calling on help from the Red Army (National Archives Learning Curve).
The spread of communism stirred fear for the United States and Great Britain. During the
Second World War, communist parties had gained prominence in Western European nations in
resistance to Nazi occupation; there was a possibility that the Communist parties in France and Italy
could come to power. Thus, the United States and Great Britain were determined to contain
communism in the East. In 1946, Stalin declared that international peace is impossible given the
existence of capitalism. Winston Churchill responded to Stalin’s message by publicly declaring that
an “iron curtain has descended across the continent” and claiming that the United States and United
Kingdom will oppose the soviet threat (Military).
In April 1948, the United States announced the Marshall Plan. Officially known as the
European Recovery Program (ERP), the plan’s fundamental objective was to restore the economies
of war-struck European nations and establish a form of political stability. It was soon recognized
that this plan could be used to diminish communist advances in the Western European nations. 16
nations became a part of the program; each state received guided help from the Economic
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Cooperation Administration (ECA) of the United States. The plan budgeted $13 billion for food,
machinery, and other staples, as well as investment in industrial capital. Between the years the plan
was in effect, 1948 to 1951, the economies of these European nations skyrocketed at an exceptional
rate. Clear signs of improvement in trade relations were present as this era led to the formation of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (Marshall Plan). Though
Western Europe had been bought, this was not enough to keep the communist threat at bay.
Greek Historical Background:
WORLD WAR II:
Greece’s participation in the Second World War was triggered by the Italian invasion which
took place on October 28, 1940. Though Italian forces were stronger in number, Greece was able to
defend itself and forced invaders into Albania in a matter of days. This victory was bittersweet: due
to the Italian loss, Hitler had to somehow secure the Balkan flank in anticipation of an attack on the
Soviet Union, planned to occur on June 22, 1941. Thus, on April 6 th, 1941, Hitler ordered the
invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia. Hitler’s troops were backed by Bulgarian and Hungarian units
and the Yugoslavian government immediately fled. Greek resistance on the mainland occurred until
April 28 th, but the islands refused to conform until June (Holocaust). The German reign was
extremely severe: countless Greeks died, including over 90% of Greece’s Jewish population
(Background).
Following Italy’s surrender to the Allied powers on September 8, 1943, Germany occupied
all of Greece. In August 23, 1944, Romania made the decision to switch over to the Allied powers.
This decision, in addition to the Soviet occupation in Bulgaria in early September of 1944,
significantly weakened German military power in Greece. The German Army High Command
eventually ordered the evacuation of Greece (Holocaust).
THE GREEK CIVIL WAR
During German occupation, the communist party in Greece (KKE) slowly began to rise.
They formed the National Liberation Front (EAM), and resisted their counterpart, the National
Republican Greek League (EDES). EAM and EDES fought each other between late 1943 and early
1944. The EDES received tremendous help from Great Britain; the British did not want to see
another European nation fall to communism. In 1944, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin arranged
for a meeting, and a truce was called. Churchill agreed to give Romania over to Soviet control if
Stalin left Greece for British control.
Greek elections took place in 1946. The Communists claimed that the elections were rigged,
causing the EDES to win. In opposition, the communists formed the Democratic Army of Greece
(DA) and gave the false impression that they were fighting to restore democracy. With help from
Yugoslavia, the DA was able to maintain control of Northern Greece for the first year of the war.
As the DA expanded its control over Greece, Great Britain became worried and sought help from
the United States. With the help of the United States, Greece’s Nationalist Army drastically
increased in size. When Stalin and Tito, the Yugoslavian leader, broke ties, the DA was forced to
choose whom to support. The DA decided to back Stalin, and thus, lost help from Yugoslavia. This
led the DA’s control over Greece weaken. This weakening, combined with increased support from
the United States, and eventually led to the defeat of Greece’s communist party by the summer of
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1949. The war left Greece in shambles; over 80,000 citizens were killed and almost 700,000 were left
homeless. Fortunately, aid received through the United States’ Marshall Plan helped improve
Greece’s dire social and economic situation (Cold War).
POST-WAR GREECE
The Civil War left Greek society to be heavily divided between the rightists and the leftists.
In 1952, the conservative party led Greece’s government. In the same year, Greece became an
official member of NATO (Background). As members of the Greek cabinet, it is your duty to
ensure that the country retain its capitalist identity. The divide between left and right should decrease
in order to ensure social and political stability.
International Relations:
YUGOSLAVIA
Though Yugoslavia is a neighboring Balkan state, it could not be less similar to Greece.
Yugoslavia has always been a communist nation. During the Greek Civil War, the Yugoslav and
Bulgarian armies joined forces to provide military and economic assistance to the Greek Communist
Party (KKE). In 1948, following the Tito-Stalin split, the strength of the Greek Communist Party
began to decline greatly. The split led the KKE to align with Stalin and the Soviet Communist
forces. Thus, Yugoslavia was forced to retract its support of the KKE. Since the split, Yugoslavia
has been a target for Soviet invasion. This threat has led Yugoslavia to seek stronger relations with
its Balkan neighbors. Trade agreements between Yugoslavia, Turkey, and Greece were all discussed.
It would have been ideal for Greece and Yugoslavia to join NATO together; however, Tito was
unwilling to give in a capitalist economy. Yugoslavia is still looking to form some alliance with
Greece and potentially Turkey. Unfortunately, animosity is high on both sides, as the Greek and
Yugoslav governments are keen on maintaining their own economic, social, and political order
without the influence of the other.
U.S.S.R.
Greco-Soviet relations were sour prior to the start of World War II. This animosity between
the two nations primarily came about due to Communism. Stalin wished to see a communist Greece;
he supported the Greek communists and urged them to create civil unrest throughout the nation.
Unfortunately, General Ioannis Metaxas’ forced dictatorship quelled the possibility of a communist
coup d’etat.
During the postwar era, the Soviet Union maintained limited contact with Greece. While the
Yugoslav and Bulgarian armies were mounting military pressure onto the Greeks, the Soviet Union
stood back and looked approvingly. Throughout the 1940s, the Soviet Union kept undermining
Britain’s presence and sphere of influence in Greece, claiming that it endangered the international
security of the Balkan region (Cutler). Stalin was expecting the Yugoslav, Bulgarian, and Albanian aid
to prevail in Greece and liberate the communists; however, he could not foresee the political
problems that would become an obstacle to realizing this dream. In 1948, Yugoslav and Soviet
relations turned negative due to Tito’s nationalistic tendencies and economic plans. Since the split,
the Greek communists allied with the Soviets. Unfortunately, the Soviet Union was unable to
provide strong support for the KKE, thus leading to a weakening of forces. Greece benefitted from
the Tito-Soviet split; the lack of backing from both Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union led the KKE to
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fall. At present, the Soviets are against any form of alliance that could be formed between
Yugoslavia and Greece. To the Soviet Union, this alliance could lead to a weakening of the
Communist bloc in Eastern Europe, it could raise anti-Stalinist sentiment, and it could encourage
the rebellion against other Soviet occupied Eastern communist nations.
U.S.A.
Historically, Greek relations with the United States have yielded positive economic, social
and political results. The strong relationship between these two nations developed as Greece fought
alongside the Americans during World War II. It is known that the United States is the biggest
proponent of anti-communism. Thus, their democratic and capitalistic values led them to help the
Greeks during the Civil War. When Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Albania were funding the KKE, the
United States countered the possibility of the birth of another communist state by providing military
support to the non-communist soldiers. Fortunately, due to political strife between Tito and Stalin,
the American-backed Greeks were able to expel the KKE soldiers. Since the war, Greece suffered
economically, but with the help of the Marshall plan, the country slowly began to stand on its own
feet. The United States’ influence on Greece has helped the nation become an ideal Western
European nation that stands against communism. Greece’s acceptance into NATO is also another
reminder of the strong relationship between the United States and Greece. As a small, developing
nation recovering from civil war, Greece can quickly fall off the path of capitalism and democrac y if
communism is not deterred.
Economy:
During the initial years after the civil war, Greece was in shambles. The country was
suffering much more than any other war stricken European nation. Countless factors led to
economic despair. German resentment coupled with a naval blockade by Britain made it increasingly
difficult for Greece to import foodstuffs, thus leading to famine. The suffering started in World War
II, when the Greek population declined by 7%. Between 1941 and 1944, Greece was occupied by
the Axis powers. During this period, the occupying regime forced loans that undervalued the Greek
drachma. This led to hyperinflation in the Greek economy. The Greek Civil War bolstered the
economic downfall and by 1950, GDP had dropped to $1,951. After this period, Greece’s economy
slowly began to pick up. With help from Western nations, especially the United States and its
Marshall Plan, Greece attracted many foreign investments. Radical changes occurred in many of
Greece’s industries including tourism and reconstruction. For the past three years, Greece is happy
to report an annual growth rate of approximately 7%. It is your duty to ensure that this economic
growth is steady as the country cannot afford to hit yet another slump.
Government:
The goal of this council as far as the government is concerned is ultimately to maintain
power, though the democratic nature of the country would pressure you to put the Constitution
above this goal. As a conservative right government, you should do all you can to prevent
Communism and protect the monarchy, with less regard for civil liberties than the previous Centre
government had.
IDEOLOGY
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Greece is currently organized as a Westernized Constitutional Monarchy, since the victory of
centralist forces over the Communists in 1949. There is a multi-party Parliament as well as a king, of
the House of Glücksburg, which also rules Denmark and Norway.
There are three political concentrations in Greece: the Centre, the Left, and the Right. The
Centrist faction gained power from 1950-1952. In the past year, after the 1952 Greek Parliamentary
Elections, General Alexander Papagos’s Greek Rally Party took power for the royalist conservative
right by uniting the conservative factions under one party. Papagos is the current Prime Minister,
dominating with 247 of the 300 Parliamentary seats. The weakened Centre faction is the only
significant competitor, with 34% of the vote, but only 51 seats. The Leftist parties have lost all of
their seats, and have no significant impact on politics right now.
STRUCTURE
The Kingdom of Greece concentrates some in the king, but less so than in the past. The
king appoints his cabinet of ministers, and has the ability to dismiss them, but adheres to “manifest
confidence,” the expectation that his appointments conform to the will of Parliament. The current
king, Paul, is very involved in politics, and will never consent to being a mere figurehead.
Nevertheless, the king only possesses the powers bestowed upon him by the Constitution and by the
laws.
The legislature is unicameral, following the 1864 abolition of the Senate as a tool of the
monarchy. The Greek population enjoys universal suffrage. Currently, the legislature is dominated
by the conservative right faction, much to the benefit of the anti-Communist West, and the Left
holds very little influence. The recent Constitutional revisions of the new conservative Assembly
banned the Communist Party from Greece and kept the 1927 conventions on the role of the King.
Military:
The overarching military goals of this committee are to establish and protect your alliances in
order to deter outside threats, and to aid NATO in whatever way you deem fit. Currently, there is a
Greek presence in Korea, and supporting your efforts in Korea should be considered a secondary
goal.
STRUCTURE
As of 1950, the Greek military has been consolidated into the Ministry of National Defense.
To head the military in this new organization, the Hellenic National Defense General Staff was
formed. The current head of the General Staff is Lt. General Stylianos Kitrilakis. Under them were
the Hellenic Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The 1 st Army of the Hellenic Army is based in Larissa, Thessaly. Its primary responsibility is
to guard the Northern and Eastern borders. The 2 nd Army Corp, headquartered in Veroia,
Macedonia, is the Army’s rapid response unit, and is mostly an infantry formation.
The Navy, which has recently been greatly strengthened by an influx of British and Italian
ships, is headed by the Hellenic Navy General Staff. It is divided into the Aegean Sea , Ionian Sea,
and Northern Greece Naval Commands, plus support units. The Navy recently underwent changes
to conform to modern naval doctrines upon Greece’s entrance into NATO in 1952.
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The Royal Hellenic Air Force (RHAF) was established as a separate service in 1930, and was
recently reorganized to comply with NATO standards, with the aid of the U.S. The RHAF is heavily
involved in the Greek Expeditionary Force in Korea, usually in transportation and evacuation.
The Greek Expeditionary Force, active since November 1950, consists of just over 1,000
men and a squadron of troop carrier airplanes. It was dispatched to Korea as a response to requests
for aid in the Korean War by the United Nations.
WEAPONRY
Most of the weaponry used by the Greek military in the 1950s consisted of retired or sold
Allied assets (A history of military equipment). The tanks of the Greek military, the Centaur Mk. 1,
were sold to them by the British, and used effectively in the Civil War. They have two retired WWII
U.S. Cruisers, relatively outdated by this point, and four retired U.S. minesweepers.
In general, the Greek military is underequipped compared to most Western nations, and uses
weaponry left over from World War II.
Delegates:
King Paul of the Hellenes (Chair): King of Greece
Field Marshal Alexandros L. Papagos (Vice Chair): Prime Minister; also known as the
“President of the Ministerial Council”
Stephanos Stephanopoulos: Minister of Foreign Affairs
Panegiotis Kanellopoulos: Minister of Defense
Pafsanias Lykourezos: Minister of the Interior
Konstantinos Papagiannis: Minister of Finance
Dimitros Bampakos: Minister of Justice
Konstantinos Kallias: Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs
Charalampos Psarros: Minister of Communications
Eleftherios Gonis: Minister of Labor
Stylianos Kitrilakis: Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff
Lt. General Emmanouil Kelaidis: Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff
Vice-Admiral Lappas: Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff
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Works Cited
"Background Note: Greece." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 17
July 2012. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3395.htm>.
Cutler, Robert M. "Soviet Relations with Greece and Turkey: A Systems
Perspective."Robertcutler.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
"Holocaust History." Greece. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
<http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005778>.
"Military." Cold War. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/cold_war.htm>.
Muntone, Stephanie. World History Demystified. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
"The Cold War Museum." Cold War Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
<http://www.coldwar.org/articles/40s/GreekCivilWar1945-1949.asp>.
"The Marshall Plan." The Marshall Plan. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
<http://www.marshallfoundation.org/TheMarshallPlan.htm>.
"The National Archives Learning Curve | Cold War." The National Archives Learning Curve |
Cold War. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 July 2012.
<http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/coldwar/G4/cs3/default.htm>.
“A history of military equipment of Modern Greece (1821 - today).” Web. 14 October 2012.
<http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com/search/label/civil%20war>.
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