The Mad Hatter
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Some of the toughest resistance fighting took place on Crete after its fall to the Nazis in May, 1941.
Dominated by rugged mountains, Crete had been part of the Ottoman empire until 1911, only 30 years before the German invasion. During the 19th century, Cretans had resisted Ottoman rule. Many participants in that earlier resistance remained alive in 1941. This tradition of resistance combined with a hardy mountain sense of individualism. Prone to blood feuds, Cretans resilsted any sort of authority.
As a result, some of the most determined resistance activity took place on Crete, beginning wilth armed resistance by the Cretan peoples when the Germans first invaded, continuing with their assisting stranded British, Australian, and New Zealander soldiers escape, intelligence about German supply efforts for Rommel, and culminating in the kidnapping of the German general in command of Crete.
Today, the heritage of the resistance remains part of the background ambience of Crete.
Crete has a traditional costume, an important part of which is made-to-measure boots, which still can be obtained in the off-season in Chania, the largest town in western Crete.
Obtaining such a pair not only recaptures part of the resistance movement, but allows one to get in touch with his inner Zorba.
Dominated by rugged mountains, Crete had been part of the Ottoman empire until 1911, only 30 years before the German invasion. During the 19th century, Cretans had resisted Ottoman rule. Many participants in that earlier resistance remained alive in 1941. This tradition of resistance combined with a hardy mountain sense of individualism. Prone to blood feuds, Cretans resilsted any sort of authority.
As a result, some of the most determined resistance activity took place on Crete, beginning wilth armed resistance by the Cretan peoples when the Germans first invaded, continuing with their assisting stranded British, Australian, and New Zealander soldiers escape, intelligence about German supply efforts for Rommel, and culminating in the kidnapping of the German general in command of Crete.
Today, the heritage of the resistance remains part of the background ambience of Crete.
Crete has a traditional costume, an important part of which is made-to-measure boots, which still can be obtained in the off-season in Chania, the largest town in western Crete.
Obtaining such a pair not only recaptures part of the resistance movement, but allows one to get in touch with his inner Zorba.
