What significance did the triumphant establishment of the first international intergovernmental organization and the complex emergence of the international factor after World War I have for a small introverted Balkan state like Greece, which experienced traumatic and xenophobic events in the 19th century? How did society and the state mechanism react to everything that was "imported" - not only in political and economic matters but also in ideas, organizations, political initiatives, social movements, and technological developments? The world was changing dramatically, but how much change could Greece absorb and why? And for what reasons was Greece perennially and unilaterally in awe and hatred of the West, disregarding its neighbors? Ultimately, why have Greece and the "foreigners" been adversaries from 1821 until today?

Especially today, these questions urgently need new answers. An attempt is made in this book, focusing on "our own faults." Because while the West's constant pursuit may have always been to fit us "into its own shoes," as Odysseas Elytis once said, the real question is whether we ever seriously attempted to walk in our own.