Under its commander, Maj Gen Charalambos Katsimitros, the division engaged in a feverish activity of constructing fortifications and laying out defensive plans.

With the Italian invasion looming from August 1940 onwards, a limited mobilization was carried out, which brought the division up to strength and even allowed for the reconstitution of the 24th Regiment as a separate unit.

The division fought throughout the subsequent Albanian campaign, but was dissolved along with the rest of the Greek Army after the German invasion in April 1941.

The 8th Division was formally reconstituted only in 1946, as the Hellenic Army started being rebuilt, from the forces of the Epirus Military Command, comprising the 74th, 75th and 76th brigades.

The phrase was attributed to the Prime Minister of Greece, Ioannis Metaxas, on 28 October 1940, when he was given an ultimatum by Benito Mussolini to allow Italian troops to occupy strategic Greek sites or face war.

The motto was given to the division in recognition of its decisive role in stopping the Italian advance during the early days of the Greco-Italian War.