Olivia Copelan, Lexi Koon, Martin Gorman
October 1, 2009
War Project/ Mr. Hinze P7
The Greek Civil War
Picture from The Greek Civil War." M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civil-war/index.htm>.
Prior to the end of World War II, when it was clear there would be a power vacuum
left by an Axis defeat, the Greek Civil War was born. Communism and western democracy
took sides in the two stage Cold War conflict, in which Greek Communists unsuccessfully
attempted to gain control of Greece. Ultimately, the Soviet Union decided the Greek
National Liberation Army was not worth a war with the United States just yet. The fighting
created more despair for the people of Greece than did World War II.
The main long-term cause of the Greek Civil War was the Nazi invasion of Greece
during World War II, which put Greece under Axis control in 1941. The Greek Communists
offered the most effective and organized resistance to the Nazi Regime; this allowed the
Communists to gain public support and numbers. In 1941, the Communists created the
ELAS, which was led by guerilla leaders such as Aris Veloukhiots. 1 The ELAS attracted those
who opposed monarchy and dictatorship, but wanted equality for all people in society.
1
Malkoff, Karl. "Greek Civil War." Bloom's Literary Reference Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009.
<http://fofweb.com/Lit/ MainDetailPrint.asp?iPin=HIL07>.
During the year of 1943, they took control of many rural areas. The Germans soon withdrew
their troops from Greece, and Greece’s communists and royalist Greek guerrillas were forced
to come together to create a government with British help.2 The two groups did not
cooperate with one another and soon, the government fell apart. On December 3, war broke
out in Greece, but the British troops were able to contain the fighting, even though the ELAS
had taken over much of Athens.3 The communists had been defeated, but were not yet
finished. A new government had been set in place and elections were held in March 1946.4
Greek communists refused to vote during this election, and thus a royalist majority returned.
King George II was in the Greek throne after a plebiscite.5 The strength of the communist
party in Greek had been renewed, and a full-scale civil war broke out in 1946.6 This political
break-down of the government was another cause of the war.
Picture from The Greek Civil War." M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civil-war/index.htm>.
2
"Greek Civil War." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 Sept. 2009.
3
Ibid.
4
"Greece." The Columbia Encylopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP, 2007.
Questia Online Library. Web. 14 Sept. 2009.
5
“Greek Civil War.” World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2009.
Web. 15 Sep. 2009. http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com.
6
"Greek Civil War." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 Sept. 2009.
This war consisted of limited, guerilla, and civil warfare. It was a limited war by
which if the communist group in Greece was not defeated, then Greece would turn into a
communist country. Though communism was not widely accepted by the Greeks, it would
create equality for all. The Greek Civil War was a guerilla war because of the communist
group in Greece, the ELAS. The ELAS was a guerilla group that used raids and ambushes to
take over Greece. The country of Greece became an exceedingly dangerous place to be:
“Because the battle lines were everywhere, all Athens was a no man’s land in which few
unarmed civilians dared to venture.” 7 The communists tried to overthrow the government
by creating bands of communist groups throughout Greece’s northern mountain districts.8
Lastly, the Greek Civil War was a civil war because it was fought by two opposing groups in
the same country. It was fought by the communist group, the ELAS, and royalist group.9
Picture from The Greek Civil War." M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civil-war/index.htm>.
The Greek Civil War was fought with many of the same weapons and technologies as
were used in World War II. The war was fought on land, with no fighting in the air. There
7
"GREECE: Civil War." TIME Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778262,00.html>.
8
"Greece." The Columbia Encylopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP, 2007.
Questia Online Library. Web. 14 Sept. 2009.
9
The Greek Civil War." M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civil-war/index.htm>.
was one account where the ship Himara was sunk, but it is still unknown if the shipwreck
was due to a mere accident, or if it was sabotaged. On the home front, women played a very
important role in war. Women made up half of the Democratic Army of Greece (DAG).10 70%
of the DAG’s employers for support services were women.11 But, because of this involvement,
women were executed by those of the right wing party for the first time in history, and others
were put into prison. The right and left wing women had thoroughly different viewpoints.
The left side was more fighting orientated while the right wing held a more traditional view
in which women were expected to knit sweaters for the soldiers.12 By the end of WWII,
women had faith that they would achieve equality, but they were not given political
freedoms, such as voting, which was given in Italy and France.
The Greek Civil War became the war it was as a result of several long and short-term
causes, including a continuation of struggles from World War II, a struggle to fill the power
void once German occupiers vacated the state, and outside influences from world powers
around the globe. Upon the Germans withdrawal from Greece, Britain occupied Athens and
established an interim administration, which allowed them to support the Greek Democratic
National Army.13 Britain soon realized that they could no longer support Greece as they were
only worsening the situation. As a result Britain removed their troops from Greece to allow
the United States to step in. The United States then, with the Truman Doctrine, pushed for
the removal of communists by supporting the right-wing royalists. They gave money and
weapons, and supplied military advisers to the anti-communists.14 The Greek Civil War
officially ended in October 1949, when Nikos Zakhariades announced a temporary ceasefire, but there was no written treaty that ended the war. Hundreds of thousands of Greek
10
Cook, Benard A, ed. Women and War. Santa Barbra: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
Ibid.
12
Ibid.
13
Pike, John. "Greek Civil War." Global Security. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/greek.htm
11
14
"The Civil War in Greece." A History of Greece. Google, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/civilwar.htm>.
citizens were relocated during the war because it was believed that the rebels would have less
support without as many people.15 Many of the communist rebels were executed when the
fighting was over. Post-war Greece had an overwhelming hatred for communists. Also,
many Greeks moved to the United States, while the U.S.A. helped the Greek government by
giving them money for the military.
“Athens, where the word democracy (from demos, the people) first achieved political
meaning, was a battleground for two forces, each claiming to defend democracy.” 16The Civil
War, fought between the communists and royalists, ultimately ended with the defeat of the
communists, intervention from various countries, and a weak and broken Greece. Though
the United States was needed to help rebuild the country, Greeks could foresee a brighter
future and a stronger government, without the threat of communism.
Picture from The Greek Civil War." M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civil-war/index.htm>.
15
16
Ibid
"GREECE: Civil War." TIME Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778262,00.html>.
Bibliography
“The Civil War in Greece.” A History of Greece. Google, n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.ahistoryofgreece.com/civilwar.htm>.
Cook, Benard A, ed. Women and War. Santa Barbra: ABC-CLIO, 2006. Print.
“Greece.” The Columbia Encylopedia. 6th ed. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. Questia Online Library.
Web. 14 Sept. 2009.
“GREECE: Civil War.” TIME Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2009. <http://www.time.com/time/
magazine/article/0,9171,778262,00.html>.
“Greek Civil War.” Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2009.
“The Greek Civil War.” M.I.A. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2009. <http://marxists.org/subject/greek-civilwar/index.htm>.
Malkoff, Karl. “Greek Civil War.” Bloom’s Literary Reference Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009.
<http://fofweb.com/Lit/MainDetailPrint.asp?iPin=HIL07>.
Pike, John. "Greek Civil War." Global Security. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/greek.htm