Country: The Hellenic Republic

Committee: Historical International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Topic: Reconstruction of Europe Post-World War II
ID Number:21230241105

“{…}Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like
Greeks.” Winston Churchill 1
The end of WWII marked a new beginning for the world, and this beginning includes the
recovery of the economic, political and social grounds of every country after being
demolished. This was achieved through many ways including the division of Europe, the
establishment of the IBRD and the IMF.2 Post-war reconstruction doesn’t just rely on
rebuilding back what was devastated but on building it differently and even better.
Acknowledging this, Greece underwent several actions over the course of the years to ensure
peace, safety and better economy in collaboration with national and international
organizations.
On a national scale, the “Varkiza Peace Agreement” was signed on February 12, 1945
between the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Secretary of the Communist Party of
Greece in order to ensure political stability and maintain peace. 3 In addition, the
parliamentary elections took place on March 31, 1946 under the surveillance of the Allied
Mission to Observe Greek Elections (AMFOGE) since the United Alignment of Nationalists
had a strong influence including 206 seats in the Parliament. 4 Moreover, Greece combatted
hyperinflation by producing the supra-central bank and converted its unit account from the
old drachma to the new drachma at a rate of 50 billion to one after achieving stabilization. 5
Furthermore, Constantinos A. Doxiadis, a Greek architect took in charge of Greece’s post-
war recovery program by initiating a thorough statistical exhibition of Greece’s wartime
destructions and by providing housing to war victims.6
On an international scale, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provided
Greece with food imports that included 45,000 tones and relief aid from 1941 to 1942.7 The
Hellenic Republic also cooperated with United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation
Administration, and by 1946, UNRRA donated 1,452 tractors, 5,888 trucks and cars, 20,789
livestock animals.8 Furthermore, Greece used radio broadcasting and graphic framework
including charts, diagrams to call for a foreign help. After being projected worldwide they
contributed to the creation of an ISOTYPE album that eased international communication. 9
The Hellenic Republic attended the San Francisco Conference for the creation of the United
Nations and signed the UN charter on June 26 1945.10
Rebuilding Europe after World War II doesn’t only depend on rebuilding the infrastructure
but on restoring political and social stability and renovating the economy. For example,
generating employment opportunities by using the Marshall Plan funds in building vocational
schools, establishing industrial research institutes and signing agreements with European
Companies to discharge production. In addition to providing training programs to civilian
unemployed youth. Furthermore, countries should deepen their cooperation with commercial
banks by providing supervision to make sure where are the funds going to. Moreover,
European governments must reaffirm sovereignty, independence and unity by forcing
military sanctions on countries that use their nuclear weapons against territorial integrity and
political independence. Finally, after being reconstructed, European countries could promote
tourism in order to boost fiscal reforms and restore confidence to different sectors of their
economy and pay their loans back.
Country: The Hellenic Republic
Committee: Historical International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Topic: Reconstruction of Europe Post-World War II
ID Number:21230241105

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%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Greek,that%20heroes%20fight%20like%20Greeks.%E2%80%9D
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%20ICRC%20entered%20into%20negotiations,of%20food%20into%20the%20country
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II. MIT Press. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from
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after-World-War-II
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2022, from https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/ONU_georgios_polydorakis.pdf