The United States and the Making of Modern Greece: History and Power, 1950-1974 (review)

The 1947 proclamation of the Truman Doctrine was a momentous event in post-World War II US foreign policy and in the history of modern Greece. It is not surprising that the period since 1947 has produced numerous studies on the policies and politics of both countries. In contrast to the volume under review, there are several classic studies providing valuable insights into the formative years of US-Greek relations. These include L. S. Stavrianos, Greece-American Dilemma and Opportunity (Washington, DC: Regnery, 1952), the first early warning of the challenges facing US policy in Greece; William Hardy McNeill, Greece: American Aid in Action 1947-56 (New York: Twentieth Century Fund, 1957), showing the wide authority enjoyed by the US mission in Greece; Stephen G. Xydis, Greece and the Great Powers (Thessaloniki: Institute for Balkan Studies, 1963), containing a detailed analysis of the complex interaction of the objectives of Greece and its Great Power protectors; and Theodore A. Couloumbis, Greek Political Reaction to American and NATO Influences (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1966), a carefully constructed conservative analysis on the first decade and a half of postwar Greek-US relations. Only the Couloumbis book is included in Miller's bibliography.

The fall of the junta in Greece, the 1974 tragedy in Cyprus, and the demise of the Cold War gave rise to new critical studies of US-Greek relations. James Edward Miller dismisses many of them because they reflect a "conspiratorial view of history," lack sophistication, are based on "Marxist or neo-Marxist models of historical explanation," or adopt Andreas Papandreou's "mythology." Greek scholars are also criticized for "removing responsibility for the negative events from Greek authorities and attributing it to other countries."

Miller, having edited volumes in the official Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series, derives his information primarily from these sources, along with selective references from Central Intelligence Agency files. He accuses the CIA of being "masters of a sophisticated and on-going program of historical disinformation." Accurate as this assessment may be, it may also reflect Washington's turf battles and how some Department of State officials view the intrusion of other agencies in the foreign policy process. Miller selectively utilizes limited British and French official sources. He claims that these sources are "neutral," providing "corrective balance" to his own material. This is questionable given Britain's role in Greece and Cyprus. Moreover, these sources are utilized only when they concur with the author's views. The same is true about much of the secondary material used by Miller.

The book paints in broad strokes a most negative picture of Greece and Cyprus. The unfamiliar reader will be left wondering how these two immature and manipulative states acted against US interests, failed to heed constructive American advice, mishandled US assistance while asking for more, and got the United States into trouble it did not deserve. In this morass, Miller presents the United States as a benign and benevolent actor whose reluctant engagement in Greece aimed to democratize and modernize a country that looked more like a "Balkan society" and acted more like an "Ottoman than a European polity."

Academics should not shy away from constructive criticism of a political system and its leadership. Having read many of the FRUS volumes for the period from 1947 to 1967, I am also critical of the behavior of Greek politicians courting the favor of the United States. However, was the US representation in Athens so naïve as to be manipulated by the insecure and wily Greeks, or were the US embassy and other US agencies active contributors to the corruption of Greek politics?

The book is interesting not only for what it says but for how it says it. Code words are used to create a totally negative image of the institutions and of the political culture of...