Democratic Greece and the West, 1974-1983

This book examines Greece's evolving relationship with the West from 1974 to 1983, focusing on the country’s transition from a peripheral European state to a central member of the Western community. Adopting a multilateral approach, the author investigates Greece's interactions with key institutions such as the European Economic Community (EEC) and NATO, as well as bilateral relations with major Western powers, exploring their role in shaping Athens' external orientation and internal stability. The book highlights the challenges Greece faced in balancing its national interests—particularly security concerns regarding Turkey—with its broader integration into Western structures. Covering a decade of critical developments, the book presents 1983 as a pivotal year in Greek history, signifying the establishment of a historical consensus on the country’s external orientation. Highlighting an often overlooked even in Cold War history, this book provides useful reading for those researching international relations, Greek history, as well as European diplomatic history more broadly.

Ioannis Chalkos is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of History and Archaeology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Previously, he studied at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Ioannis' research interests focus on the history of international relations, modern Greek history, the Cold War, European integration, and international organisations. His work is characterised by an interdisciplinary and multi-archival approach to historical analysis.