The naval intervention belongs within Greece's National Schism: Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos favored the Entente, while King Constantine expected German victory and resisted Greek participation. After Bulgarian and German forces entered Greek territory and a rival movement formed at Thessaloniki, French Vice Admiral du Fournet demanded Greek warships and control of the Salamis arsenal. The confrontation escalated into the landing of roughly 3,000 Allied marines and fighting in Athens, placing a fleet commander in coercive diplomacy and combat ashore.
Chapter · 2:15:27-2:24:25
French intervention in Greece and the November Events
The November Events trace Greece's divided wartime politics into a French-led demand for ships, the landing of Allied marines, and fighting in Athens.