IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 644 

Expressing support for the designation of October 28 as ‘‘Oxi Day’’ to 

commemorate the anniversary of Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’ 

answer of ‘‘Oxi!’’ or ‘‘No!’’ to surrender to the Axis forces, inflicting 

a fatal wound that helped save democracy for the world. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 18, 2019 

Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. SARBANES) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 

and Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of October 28 as 

‘‘Oxi Day’’ to commemorate the anniversary of Greek 

Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas’ answer of ‘‘Oxi!’’ or 

‘‘No!’’ to surrender to the Axis forces, inflicting a fatal 

wound that helped save democracy for the world. 

Whereas the National Fascist Party, headed by Benito Mussolini, imposed totalitarian rule over Italy from 1922 to 

1943; 

Whereas Fascist Italy, in alliance with Nazi Germany, formed 

the Axis forces and sought to promote fascist and racist 

policies throughout Europe in the World War II era; 

Whereas, on October 28, 1940, the Italian dictator Benito 

Mussolini delivered a 3 a.m. ultimatum to Greek Prime 


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Minister Ioannis Metaxas, demanding he allow Axis 

forces to enter Greece or face war; 

Whereas Prime Minister Metaxas answered the Axis force’s 

request for surrender with one word: ‘‘Oxi!’’ or ‘‘No!’’; 

Whereas Italian troops attacked the Greek border hours 

later, marking the beginning of Greece’s involvement in 

World War II; 

Whereas that same morning, thousands of Greek citizens 

took to the streets, chanting ‘‘Oxi!’’, in honor of Prime 

Minister Metaxas’ refusal to relent to fascism; 

Whereas after the world watched the Axis forces overwhelm 

15 countries in less than a year, Greece became the first 

to repel the Axis invasion, leading United States President Franklin Roosevelt to say, ‘‘When the entire world 

had lost all hope, the Greek people dared to question the 

invincibility of the German monster, raising against it in 

the proud spirit of freedom’’; 

Whereas British Prime Minister Winston Churchill observed 

of the Greek people’s courageous actions, ‘‘Hence we will 

not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes 

fight like Greeks’’; 

Whereas Nazi forces had to delay their invasion of Russia to 

intervene in the Greco-Italian War to ensure the ultimate 

surrender of Greece and the Greek people’s spirited resistance; 

Whereas this delay caused the Nazi regime to face a brutal 

Russian winter which hindered their advance and ultimately led to their eventual defeat; 

Whereas the Greek people’s bravery changed the trajectory of 

the war, leading Hitler’s Field Marshal and Chief of 

Staff Wilhelm Keitel to say, ‘‘The Greeks delayed by two 


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or more vital months the German attack against Russia; 

if we did not have this long delay, the outcome of the war 

would have been different’’; 

Whereas Prime Minister Churchill concluded that ‘‘if there 

had not been the virtue and courage of the Greeks, we 

do not know which the outcome of World War II would 

have been’’; 

Whereas this was a consequential victory for freedom and democracy in the modern world and, at the time, an act 

that inspired and gave hope to the free world; 

Whereas, since 1942, ‘‘Oxi Day’’ has been celebrated in 

Greece and Cyprus on October 28, commemorating 

Greece’s refusal to submit to fascism; and 

Whereas, October 28, 2019, would be an appropriate date to 

designate as ‘‘Oxi Day’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the designation of ‘‘Oxi Day’’ in 

3 commemoration of Greece’s refusal to submit to the 

4 Axis Powers during World War II, noting that this 

5 resistance likely led to the ultimate defeat of Nazi 

6 Germany; and 

7 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

8 to support and participate in appropriate cere9 monies, programs, and other activities in observance 

10 of such a day of remembrance. 

Æ 


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