Perceptions of the ‘Greek Genius’ During the Interwar Economic Crisis

The aim of this chapter is to address the question whether and to what extent the 20^th century reproduced the belief in some transcendental mental power of the Greeks, which (according to collective imagination) helps them to cope with the adversities of history. Especially during the interwar period, references to the ‘Greek daimonion’ were common. To a large extent, the term was identified with innate intelligence, ingenuity and adaptability: ‘genuine children of the ingenious Odysseus’, as they were often called. On the other hand, the ‘daimonion of the Greek race’ was seldom resorted to as an interpretative tool in economic analysis, since it amounted to little more than a very superficial, stereotypical repetition of entrenched self-perceptions. Conversely, the fact that it was commonplace in public discourse implies that it mainly served psychological objectives, namely to boost the self-esteem and self-confidence of a people who had gone through many hardships and a major defeat in 1922, and was now faced with the consequences of an economic crisis of global proportions. In the face of such circumstances, Greeks ought not to lose courage.