http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...and-Germans-Nazis-taking-control-economy.html
Greeks brand Germans 'Nazis' for driving through painful cuts and 'taking control of their economy'
Greek anger with the way they believe Germany has taken over their economy is boiling over on the country's streets.
In recent days, protesters have burned German flags and defaced the Bank of Greece's headquarters to make it look like the Bank of Berlin.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also been depicted in Nazi uniform on the front page of right-wing newspaper Democracy above a headline alluding to Auschwitz.
The backlash has been provoked by Germany’s role in driving through painful measures to stop Greece's debt crisis from spiralling even further out of control.
Greece believes the Germans keep changing the requirements needed to access a 130billion euro tranche of bailout funds
This week it was told it had to cut an extra 325million euros from its budget and a meeting, where it was due to be told it would receive the bailout cash, was cancelled at the last minute.
The satirical protests, which have been followed with violent riots, compare the German government with the Nazis who occupied the country in the Second World War.
Posters with Merkel dressed as an officer in Hitler’s regime, wearing a swastika armband bearing the EU stars logo on the outside, with the words 'public nuisance' underneath, have also appeared.
Newspaper cartoons present modern-day German officials dressed in Third Reich regalia, and Greek government officials who agree to belt-tightening moves as 'Sieg Heil' saluters.
German visitors flocking to ancient tourist sites are also being met with a hostile welcome from some Greeks.
Berlin's interference has revived historical enmities and evoked comparisons to the massive destruction of Greece at the hands of Hitler’s Germany more than 65 years ago.
Germany occupied Greece from 1941 to 1944 and, despite the old West Germany helping in no small part to rebuild the conquered land's economy, relations have never really recovered.
In 1957 Greek authorities detained Maximilian Merten, the former German wartime military administrator of the northern city of Thessaloniki.
He was later tried for war crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
But he was quietly released soon after because, as archives opened in 1990 revealed, the Greeks freed him in return for securing economic co-operation with West Germany.
Greeks brand Germans 'Nazis' for driving through painful cuts and 'taking control of their economy'
- Protesters burn German flags and depict Merkel in Nazi uniform
- Anger at Germans who 'keep changing rules for bailout money'
Greek anger with the way they believe Germany has taken over their economy is boiling over on the country's streets.
In recent days, protesters have burned German flags and defaced the Bank of Greece's headquarters to make it look like the Bank of Berlin.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has also been depicted in Nazi uniform on the front page of right-wing newspaper Democracy above a headline alluding to Auschwitz.
The backlash has been provoked by Germany’s role in driving through painful measures to stop Greece's debt crisis from spiralling even further out of control.
Greece believes the Germans keep changing the requirements needed to access a 130billion euro tranche of bailout funds
This week it was told it had to cut an extra 325million euros from its budget and a meeting, where it was due to be told it would receive the bailout cash, was cancelled at the last minute.
The satirical protests, which have been followed with violent riots, compare the German government with the Nazis who occupied the country in the Second World War.
Posters with Merkel dressed as an officer in Hitler’s regime, wearing a swastika armband bearing the EU stars logo on the outside, with the words 'public nuisance' underneath, have also appeared.
Newspaper cartoons present modern-day German officials dressed in Third Reich regalia, and Greek government officials who agree to belt-tightening moves as 'Sieg Heil' saluters.
German visitors flocking to ancient tourist sites are also being met with a hostile welcome from some Greeks.
Berlin's interference has revived historical enmities and evoked comparisons to the massive destruction of Greece at the hands of Hitler’s Germany more than 65 years ago.
Germany occupied Greece from 1941 to 1944 and, despite the old West Germany helping in no small part to rebuild the conquered land's economy, relations have never really recovered.
In 1957 Greek authorities detained Maximilian Merten, the former German wartime military administrator of the northern city of Thessaloniki.
He was later tried for war crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
But he was quietly released soon after because, as archives opened in 1990 revealed, the Greeks freed him in return for securing economic co-operation with West Germany.
