The Greek Peace Movement and the Vietnam War, 1964–1967

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, a peace and disarmament movement, which resembled similar movements at the time on both sides of the Iron Curtain, proliferated in Greece. In 1964, this movement set aside its anti-nuclear agenda and focused on protesting the US intervention in Vietnam. The political context of Greece at the time made Vietnam relatable to the experience of the Greek protestors. Two main themes facilitated this process: the problem of Cyprus and the call for democracy. The Greek experience is comparable to other antiwar and protest movements at the time, and the transnational links and encounters between them are noteworthy. Examination of the anti-war activity of this peace movement with communist affiliations enables a new perspective on the history of the 1960s.