Greek Resistance

One of the most important forms of resistance were the mass protest movements. The first such event occurred during the national anniversary of 25 March 1942, when students attempted to lay a wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. This resulted in clashes with mounted Carabinieri, and marked the awakening of the spirit of Resistance amongst the wider urban population. Soon after, on 12-14 April, the "TTT" (Telecommunications & Postal) workers began a strike in Athens, which spread throughout the country. Initially the strikers' demands were financial, but it quickly assumed a political aspect, as the strike was encouraged by EAM's labour union organization, EEAM. Finally, the strike ended on April 21, with the full capitulation of the collaborationist government to the strikers' demands, including the immediate release of arrested strike leaders.^[10]

In early 1943, rumours spread of a planned mobilization of the labour force by the occupation authorities, with the intent of sending them to work in Germany. The first reactions began amongst students on 7 February, but soon grew in scope and volume. Throughout February, successive strikes and demonstrations paralyzed Athens, culminating in a massive rally on the 24th. The tense climate was amply displayed at the funeral of Greece's national poet, Kostis Palamas, on 28 February, which turned into an anti-Axis demonstration. Finally, after another general strike organized by EAM on March 5, the government formally announced that all plans for civil mobilization were dropped.^[11] It was a huge victory, unique in occupied Europe, which helped the protest movement increase its activity throughout the spring and summer of 1943. It also marked the growth of EAM's popularity and influence, which was displayed at the general strike of June 25, where an estimated 100,000 people took part in protest rallies in Athens.^[12]

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Risks involved

Resisting the Axis occupation was fraught with risks. Foremost among these for the partisans was death in combat as the German military forces were far superior. However, the guerilla fighters also had to face brutal environmental conditions in the mountains of Greece, often poorly clothed and shod.

The resistance also involved risks for ordinary Greeks. Attacks often incited reprisal killings of civilians by the German occupying forces. Villages were burned and its inhabitants massacred. The Germans also resorted to hostage taking. Quotas were even introduced determining the number of civilians or hostages to be killed in response to the death or wounding of German soldiers ^[13].

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Table of main resistance groups

Group name	Political orientation	Political leadership	Military arm	Military leadership	Estimated peak membership
National Liberation Front (Ethnikó Apeleftherotikó Métopo/ΕΑΜ)	Broad leftist front affiliated with the Communist Party of Greece	Georgios Siantos	Greek People's Liberation Army (Ellinikós Laikós Apeleftherotikós Stratós/ELAS)	Aris Velouchiotis, Stefanos Sarafis	100,000 armed guerrillas^{[citation needed]}*
National Republican Greek League (Ethnikós Dimokratikós Ellinikós Sýndesmos/EDES)	Venizelist, republican, socialist, anti-communist	Nikolaos Plastiras (nominal), Komninos Pyromaglou	National Groups of Greek Guerrillas (Ethnikés Omádes Ellínon Antartón/EOEA)	Napoleon Zervas	14,000
National and Social Liberation (Ethnikí Kai Koinonikí Apelefthérosis/EKKA)	Venizelist, republican, liberal, anti-communist	Georgios Kartalis	5/42 Evzones Regiment	Dimitrios Psarros and Evripidis Bakirtzis	1,000

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Notable Resistance members

EAM/ELAS and affiliated:

EDES:

Napoleon Zervas

EKKA:

Dimitrios Psarros

Other:

British agents:

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See also

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The Resistance remembered

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External links

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References

^ Mazower (2001), p. 87-88
^ Mazower (2001), p. 106-107
^ Mazower (2001), p. 132-133
^ German Antiguerrilla Operations, Ch. 7.II
^ Mazower (2001), p. 137
^ Mazower (2001), p. 137
^ German Antiguerrilla Operations, Ch. 8.III
^ Mazower (2001), p. 155
^ Mazower (2001), p. 141-43
^ Mazower (2001), p.112
^ Mazower (2001), pp.115-120
^ Mazower (2001), pp.120-121
^ Mazower, Inside Hitler's Greece p.177

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Sources

W. Byford-Jones, The Greek Trilogy: Resistance-Liberation-Revolution, London 1945
R. Capell, Simiomata: A Greek Note Book 1944-45, London 1946
W. S. Churchill, The Second World War
N.G.L. Hammond, Venture into Greece: With the Guerillas, 1943-44, London, 1983. (Like Woodhouse, he was a member of the British Military Mission)
Reginald Leeper, When Greek Meets Greek: On the War in Greece, 1943-1945
Mark Mazower (2001). Inside Hitler's Greece - The Experience of Occupation, 1941-44. United States: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-08923-6.
C. M. Woodhouse, Apple of Discord: A Survey of Recent Greek Politics in their International Setting, London 1948 (Woodhouse was a member of the British Military Mission to Greece during the war)
Center of Military History, German Antiguerrilla Operations in The Balkans (1941-1944) Washington DC: United States Army.