The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, today sent a message to Neos Kosmos marking Ohi (Oxi) Day — the anniversary of Greece’s defiant stand against fascism during World War II.

Ohi Day commemorates 28 October 1940, when Greece’s Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas rejected Benito Mussolini’s demand to allow Axis forces to occupy Greece. The Greek response — a resolute “Ohi!” (“No!”) — was followed by a stunning military victory over Italy, marking the first Allied success of the war.

In his message, Prime Minister Albanese wrote:

“On the 85th anniversary of Oxi Day, Australians once again share in the pride of a nation and a people who showed that victory is ultimately won by those who stand for freedom and peace. We remember the defiant όχι! (no) In response to Axis aggression, and the courage and determination of those who fought in a battle against overwhelming odds. We recall that Australia and our Allies joined with the Greek people, knowing that if tyranny was not confronted together, it would have to be confronted alone. Above all, we honour the lives of all those who sacrificed so much in the cause of justice and freedom, courageously laying the foundations for a brighter future they knew they might never get to see with their own eyes  Eighty-five years on, it is in the spirit of our shared history that we join with the people of Greece and the extraordinary Greek diaspora here in Australia to commemorate Oxi Day. We also pay tribute to the bonds between our nations, bonds strengthened by the generations of Greek migrants who chose to make Australia home and whose hard work, aspiration and love of country have done so much to enrich our nation. As you gather on this special day, I say to the Australian Greek community, and to Greek people  everywhere: Ζήτω η 28η Οκτωβρίου 1940!”

As you gather on this special day, I say to the Australian Greek community, and to Greek people   everywhere: Ζήτω η 28η Οκτωβρίου 1940! – PM Anthony Albanese

Ohi Day’s significance was recognised globally at the time. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised Greece’s bravery, telling the American  Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) Supreme Lodge on 25 April 1941, “The heroic struggle of the Greek people to defend their liberties and their homes against the aggression of Germany after they had so signally defeated the Italian attempt at invasion has stirred the hearts and aroused the sympathy of the whole American people.”

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also paid tribute, famously declaring, “Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks.”

Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt saw the Greeks’ defiance against overwhelming odds as a defining moment in World War II. Photo: AAP

Greece’s victory against Italy and its fierce resistance to Nazi Germany delayed the Axis invasion of Russia — a turning point that altered the course of the war.

Eighty-five years later, Ohi Day remains a symbol of courage, freedom, and the enduring friendship between Greece and Australia.