Museum of Crete's Defense and Popular Resistance ( Greek Μουσείο Μάχης Κρήτης και Εθνικής Αντίστασης ) is a municipal historical museum dedicated to the defense of Crete during the Second World War and Cretan popular resistance.
| Museum of Crete Defense and Popular Resistance | |
|---|---|
| Μουσείο Μάχης Κρήτης και Εθνικής Αντίστασης | |
| Established | 1994 year |
| Location | |
| Address | Heraklion , Crete |
Located near the archaeological museum in the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete , in Greece .
History
The museum was opened in May 1994 and is dedicated to the defense of Crete during the Second World War and popular resistance, one of the organizers of which was the English archaeologist John Pendlebury .
Exposition
A significant part of the exposition is occupied by the materials of the so-called “Battle for Crete” - the largest airborne operation in the history of World War II, when in April - May 1941 German troops landed from the sea in Souda Bay (west of the island, not far from the then capital Chania ) and threw out several thousand paratroopers from the air. They were opposed by the Cretans and British troops, including parts of New Zealanders. The Cretans believe that thanks to the “Battle for Crete” Moscow was not taken, as the protracted Cretan operation delayed the onset of the invasion of the USSR and depleted German resources. [one]