Dear compatriots,
Eighty-six years ago, in the early hours of 28 October 1940, Greece was called upon to respond to Mussolini’s ultimatum, demanding its immediate surrender and neutrality.
The answer was “OHI” (“NO”). A single, short word whose historical significance continues to fill all Greeks with pride. That word encapsulates the determination of an entire nation to defend its freedom and dignity, fully aware that this choice would come at a heavy price.
The “NO” was written in the mountains of Pindus with the blood of our soldiers. Greece responded with “Fire against lawless fire”, as our great poet Odysseus Elytis wrote in his “Heroic and Elegiac Song for the Lost Second Lieutenant of the Albanian Campaign”.
Yet it was also written in the homes and hearts of ordinary people: in the women who carried supplies to the front under the harsh conditions of war, and in the families, who endured anguish, separation and loss.
The “NO” became a powerful wind that swept beyond Greece’s borders, stirring the hearts of Greeks abroad, inspiring feelings of national pride and rekindling their patriotic spirit.
The struggle on the Pindus front resonated in Greek homes across America, Australia, Egypt, South Africa and wherever Greek communities existed.
Greeks who had lived far from their homeland for many years contributed whatever they could, often from their meagre means. Some donated money, others volunteered their services, while others returned or offered to serve the Homeland of their parents and ancestors.
The mobilisation of the Greek diaspora in 1940 stands as proof that Hellenism extends far beyond Greece’s geographical borders. The Homeland is more than a geographical place. It is memory, language, family and a sense of national responsibility.
Greece lives wherever people keep its language, history, culture and collective memory alive. It lives in the families, communities, schools and churches of the Greek diaspora. Above all, it lives through the legacy of values and ideals passed down from one generation to the next.
Our greatest responsibility is to pass this memory on to future generations. It is our duty to ensure that our children learn not only what happened in 1940, but also why it continues to matter today. They must understand that behind the “NO” stood people who refused to yield to ultimatums and chose freedom, fully aware of the heavy price they would have to pay.
Decades later, in a world beset by armed conflicts and economic and energy crises, the historical legacy of 28 October reminds us that freedom, dignity and commitment to our values must never be taken for granted. They require vigilance, responsibility and, above all, unity.
Dear compatriots,
Today, we honour those who fought and sacrificed their lives for freedom.
Let us pass this message on to our children.
Let us keep their memory alive as a responsibility towards the future.
Best wishes to all Greeks, wherever they may be in the world.
Long live 28 October!
Long live Greece!
October 27, 2026