Greece has history on its side in its current economic battle with Germany. Or at least Greece hopes to use some ugly history to offset its current ugly economic situation. Greece is asking Germany for reparations for Nazi-era crimes–and those crimes are worth $303 billion according to the Greek government. In addition to the cash, Greece wants its ancient treasures returned, many of which were ransacked by Germans last century.
Greece, of course, has a struggling economy that threatens the eurozone and the value of the euro. Germany is the most powerful country in the eurozone, creating much of the currency’s value. The Greek government, to Germany’s consternation, continues to deny German demands that Greece implement austerity measures to get its financial house in order. Germany paid reparations in 1960, but many in Greece believed that payment was insufficient.