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{{Infobox military conflict | |||
| conflict = Greek Civil War | |||
| partof = [[Cold War]] | |||
| date = 31 March 1946 – 30 August 1949 | |||
| place = [[Kingdom of Greece (1935-1973)|Kingdom of Greece]] (with spilover into [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)|People's Socialist Republic of Albania ]]) | |||
| result = [[Bourgeois]] victory<br>Revolution failed<br>Communists retreated into [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)|Albania]] and [[Yugoslavia]]<ref name=":1" /><br>Anti-communist US-backed police state established<ref name=":0">{{Citation|author=William Blum|year=2003|title=Killing Hope|chapter=Greece 1947 to early 1950s: From cradle of democracy to client state|page=33–37|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzacedfo2kzml5sodng4rtlybjdvertim3nybowazzlo6rztq6khixbv4?filename=William%20Blum%20-%20Killing%20Hope_%20US%20Military%20and%20CIA%20Interventions%20Since%20World%20War%20II-Zed%20Books%20Ltd%20%282003%29.pdf|city=London|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=1842773682}}</ref> | |||
| status = | |||
| combatant1 = [[Kingdom of Greece (1935-1973)|Kingdom of Greece]] | |||
| combatant1a = <b>Supported by:</b><br>[[United States of America]]<br>[[United Kingdom]] | |||
| combatant2 = [[Provisional Democratic Government (Greece)|Provisional Democratic Government]] (from 1947)<br>[[Communist Party of Greece]] and allies | |||
| combatant2a = <b>Supported by:</b><br>[[People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)|People's Socialist Republic of Albania ]]<br>[[Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia]] | |||
| units1 = [[Hellenic Army]]<br>[[MAY]] (1946–1948)<br>[[TEA]] (1948–1949) | |||
| units2 = [[Democratic Army]]<br>Ex-[[EAM]] members and other communist guerillas' local groups (March 1946 – December 1946)<br>[[People's Civil Guard (Greece)|People's Civil Guard]] | |||
}} | |||
The '''Greek Civil War''' (Ο Eμφύλιος) was a civil war in [[Greece]] from 1943 to 1949. | The '''Greek Civil War''' (Ο Eμφύλιος) was a civil war in [[Greece]] from 1943 to 1949. | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
In 1936, [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] military dictator [[Ioannis Metaxas]] seized power in Greece. After his death in January 1941, [[German Reich (1933–1945)|Nazi Germany]] invaded and the whole country was occupied by Germany, [[Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)|Bulgaria]], and [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]] by May. The [[Communist Party of Greece|KKE]] formed a resistance against the [[Fascism|fascists]] and formed the [[ | In 1936, [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] military dictator [[Ioannis Metaxas]] seized power in Greece. After his death in January 1941, [[German Reich (1933–1945)|Nazi Germany]] invaded and the whole country was occupied by Germany, [[Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946)|Bulgaria]], and [[Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)|Italy]] by May. The [[Communist Party of Greece|KKE]] formed a resistance against the [[Fascism|fascists]] and formed the [[National Liberation Front (Greece)|National Liberation Front]] (EAM) and the [[Greek People's Liberation Army]] (ELAS). By the summer of 1943, ELAS controlled much of the countryside. In 1944, the EAM organized the election of a National Council. The [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] resistance movement, EDES, spent more time fighting [[Communism|communists]] than fighting the [[Axis]].<ref name=":2">{{News citation|author=Arturo Rodriguez|newspaper=Socialist Appeal|title=The Greek Revolution and Civil War: the Battle of Athens – Part One|date=2015-07-30|url=https://www.socialist.net/the-greek-revolution-and-civil-war-the-battle-of-athens-part-one.htm|retrieved=2022-05-15}}</ref> In October 1944, the last German soldiers left Greece and ELAS reached [[Athens]]. | ||
After the Axis retreated, a National Unity government was formed under [[ | After the Axis retreated, a National Unity government was formed under [[Georgios Papandreou]]. While the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|British]] released [[National Socialist German Workers' Party|Nazis]] from prison, they also pushed for disarmament of ELAS. After leftists were prevented from joining the new army, the KKE withdrew from the government.<ref name=":1">{{News citation|author=Arturo Rodriguez|newspaper=Socialist Appeal|title=The Greek Revolution and Civil War: the Battle of Athens – Part Two|date=2015-07-31|url=https://www.socialist.net/the-greek-revolution-and-civil-war-the-battle-of-athens-part-two.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005231227/https://www.socialist.net/the-greek-revolution-and-civil-war-the-battle-of-athens-part-two.htm|archive-date=2017-10-05|retrieved=2022-05-15}}</ref> | ||
== Battle of Athens == | == Battle of Athens == | ||
On 3 December 1944, British snipers and Greek police opened fire on a communist demonstration in Athens.<ref name=": | On 3 December 1944, British snipers and Greek police opened fire on a communist demonstration in Athens.<ref name=":1" /> Later that day, 60,000 rallied in Syntagma Square and began an uprising against the British. 25,000 people were killed in the Battle of Athens and 12,000 leftists were deported or imprisoned in its aftermath. The British set up machine gun nests and bombed [[Proletariat|proletarian]] neighborhoods. They also released thousands of fascist collaborators to help them fight the communists.<ref name=":2" /> | ||
== Treaty of Varkiza == | == Treaty of Varkiza == | ||
In January 1945, a ceasefire was agreed, and the [[Treaty of Varkiza]] was signed the next month, giving power to the bourgeois parties in the parliament. In the spring of 1946, the war restarted and lasted until 1949, when the last communist troops retreated into [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)|Albania]] and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992)|Yugoslavia]].<ref name=": | In January 1945, a ceasefire was agreed, and the [[Treaty of Varkiza]] was signed the next month, giving power to the bourgeois parties in the parliament. In the spring of 1946, the war restarted and lasted until 1949, when the last communist troops retreated into [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1992)|Albania]] and [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992)|Yugoslavia]].<ref name=":2" /> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:Civil wars]] | [[Category:Civil wars]] | ||
Latest revision as of 18:00, 21 January 2024
| Greek Civil War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Cold War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kingdom of Greece |
Provisional Democratic Government (from 1947) Communist Party of Greece and allies | ||||||
|
Supported by: United States of America United Kingdom |
Supported by: People's Socialist Republic of Albania Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
Hellenic Army MAY (1946–1948) TEA (1948–1949) |
Democratic Army Ex-EAM members and other communist guerillas' local groups (March 1946 – December 1946) People's Civil Guard | ||||||
The Greek Civil War (Ο Eμφύλιος) was a civil war in Greece from 1943 to 1949.
Background
In 1936, anti-communist military dictator Ioannis Metaxas seized power in Greece. After his death in January 1941, Nazi Germany invaded and the whole country was occupied by Germany, Bulgaria, and Italy by May. The KKE formed a resistance against the fascists and formed the National Liberation Front (EAM) and the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). By the summer of 1943, ELAS controlled much of the countryside. In 1944, the EAM organized the election of a National Council. The bourgeois resistance movement, EDES, spent more time fighting communists than fighting the Axis.[3] In October 1944, the last German soldiers left Greece and ELAS reached Athens.
After the Axis retreated, a National Unity government was formed under Georgios Papandreou. While the British released Nazis from prison, they also pushed for disarmament of ELAS. After leftists were prevented from joining the new army, the KKE withdrew from the government.[1]
Battle of Athens
On 3 December 1944, British snipers and Greek police opened fire on a communist demonstration in Athens.[1] Later that day, 60,000 rallied in Syntagma Square and began an uprising against the British. 25,000 people were killed in the Battle of Athens and 12,000 leftists were deported or imprisoned in its aftermath. The British set up machine gun nests and bombed proletarian neighborhoods. They also released thousands of fascist collaborators to help them fight the communists.[3]
Treaty of Varkiza
In January 1945, a ceasefire was agreed, and the Treaty of Varkiza was signed the next month, giving power to the bourgeois parties in the parliament. In the spring of 1946, the war restarted and lasted until 1949, when the last communist troops retreated into Albania and Yugoslavia.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Arturo Rodriguez (2015-07-31). "The Greek Revolution and Civil War: the Battle of Athens – Part Two" Socialist Appeal. Archived from the original on 2017-10-05. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
- ↑ William Blum (2003). Killing Hope: 'Greece 1947 to early 1950s: From cradle of democracy to client state' (pp. 33–37). [PDF] London: Zed Books. ISBN 1842773682
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arturo Rodriguez (2015-07-30). "The Greek Revolution and Civil War: the Battle of Athens – Part One" Socialist Appeal. Retrieved 2022-05-15.