The argument starts from the examples of the defeated Dutch and Norwegians, whose exile governments had little national territory left after invasion. A threatened minor power therefore needed to preserve both a viable force and a territorial foothold beyond its exposed mainland. Crete could serve as a naval and military base while Greece was still successfully resisting Italy. If the mainland campaign later collapsed, the island could preserve a reserve position and a visible foundation for continued Greek sovereignty.
Chapter · 4:03-5:11
Crete as Greece's fallback base and strategic reserve
While Greece was still holding the Italians, Crete offered a defensible fallback that could preserve forces and political legitimacy if the mainland fell.