- National and Social Liberation
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National and Social Liberation (Greek: Εθνική και Κοινωνική Απελευθέρωσις, Ethniki kai Koinoniki Apeleftherosis), also known by its Greek initials EKKA, was a Greek Resistance movement founded in autumn 1942 by Colonel Dimitrios Psarros and politician Georgios Kartalis during the Axis Occupation of Greece.
Alongside Psarros and Kartalis, founding members included fellow officers Dimitrios Karachristos, Dimitrios Georgantas and others. The organization's aims were to fight the Germans as long as the occupation lasted and, after Liberation, work for a republican regime and social change.
EKKA's armed wing was the 5/42 Evzone Regiment, founded in early 1943 and named after Psarros' old unit. It numbered at its peak ca. 1,000 men, and was active mainly in Central Greece, in the area of Fokida. The organization however was from the outset confronted with the might of the communist-led Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS), which claimed the overall leadership of the Resistance movement and regarded EKKA as reactionary and an anglophile organization. ELAS forces attacked the 5/42 Evzones Regiment occurred on 14 May and 23 June 1943 forcing its dissolution, but bowing to pressure from the British Military Mission, they agreed to allow it to reform within the unifying framework of the so-called "National Bands Agreement" of July 1943. Nevertheless, the rivalry between ELAS and the republican EDES and EKKA groups continued, and on 14 April 1944, the EKKA forces were attacked by ELAS. The 5/42 Evzones Regiment held out for three days, but was then forced to retreat. A number of men managed to escape and cross the Corinthian Gulf to the Peloponnese. The majority however remained behind with Col. Psarros, and were taken prisoners. Psarros himself was captured, shot, stabbed and beheaded by ELAS Major Th. Zoulas, although ELAS maintained that he had been killed during the battle. The event caused a major shock in the Greek political scene, since Psarros was a well-known republican, patriot and anti-royalist. The apparent determination of EAM-ELAS to monopolize the resistance movement caused concerns about its post-war intentions, leading to a more decisive opposition from the part of the other resistance groups and the pre-war political establishment. The event is considered a precursor of the Greek Civil War that broke out a year later (see Dekemvriana).
Following the disbandment of the 5/42 Evzones Regiment, EKKA ceased to exist as a military and political factor, although Kartalis himself still participated as its representative, alongside the leaders of the other major Resistance and political groups, in the Lebanon conference shortly after.
Sources
- Mamarelis, Argyrios (2003), The Special Operations Executive in Greece 1941-1944: The case of the 5/42 Regiment of Evzones, http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/hellenicObservatory/pdf/1st_Symposium/Mamarelis.pdf
- Papastratis, Prokopis (1984), British policy towards Greece during the Second World War, 1941–1944, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521243421
- Lymberatos, Michalis P. (2007). "Οι οργανώσεις της Αντίστασης [The organizations of the Resistance]". In Hatziiosif, Christos; Papastratis, Prokopis (in Greek). Ιστορία της Ελλάδας του 20ού αιώνα, Γ' Τόμος: Β' Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος. Κατοχή - Αντίσταση 1940–1945, Μέρος 2ο. [History of Greece in the 20th Century, Volume III: World War II. Occupation and Resistance 1940–1945, Part 2]. Athens: Bibliorama. pp. 9–67. ISBN 978-960-8087-06-4.
- Woodhouse, Christopher Montague (2002), The struggle for Greece, 1941–1949, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, ISBN 978-1850654872
Greece during World War II 1940–41 Balkans Campaign Occupation and Resistance Greek government in exile Battles: Elaia–Kalamas · Pindus · Morava–Ivan · Klisura · Trebeshina · Italian Spring Offensive
Commanders:
Greece
Ioannis Metaxas · Alexander Papagos · Charalambos Katsimitros
Italy
Sebastiano Visconti Prasca · Ubaldo Soddu · Ugo Cavallero · Giovanni MesseBattles: Metaxas Line · Vevi · Kleisoura Pass · Thermopylae · Crete
Commanders:
Greece
Alexander Papagos · Georgios Tsolakoglou
British Expeditionary Corps
Henry Maitland Wilson · Thomas Blamey · Bernard Freyberg
Germany
Wilhelm List · Kurt StudentOccupying powersOccupation Authorities:
Germany
Günther Altenburg · Hermann Neubacher · Walter Schimana · Alexander Löhr · Hellmuth Felmy
Italy
Pellegrino Ghigi · Carlo Geloso
BulgariaAtrocities: Kondomari · Kandanos · Doxato · Kommeno · Kalavryta · Distomo · Domenikon · Drakeia · Cephalonia · Paramythia · Mesovouno · Pyrgoi · Viannos · Kedros · Chortiatis · The Holocaust in Greece · Great Famine
CollaboratorsPeople: Georgios Tsolakoglou · K. Logothetopoulos · Ioannis Rallis · Georgios Poulos
Organizations: Collaborationist government · Security Battalions · ESPO · EEE · Greek National Socialist Party
Secessionists: Principality of the Pindus · Ohrana · Cham collaboration (Këshilla)
People: Aris Velouchiotis · Stefanos Sarafis · Georgios Siantos · Markos Vafiades · Evripidis Bakirtzis · Andreas Tzimas
Organizations: KKE · ELAS · PEEA · EPON · E.A. · OPLA · SNOF
Operations: Ryka · Mikro Chorio · Gorgopotamos Bridge · Fardykambos · Sarantaporo · Kournovo Tunnel
Non-EAM ResistancePeople: Napoleon Zervas · Georgios Kartalis · Dimitrios Psarros · Komninos Pyromaglou · Alexander Papagos · Kostas Perrikos · George Psychoundakis
Organizations: EDES · EKKA · YVE/PAO · PEAN · ΕΟΚ · E.S. · MAVI · Other
Operations: ESPO bombing · Gorgopotamos Bridge · Fardykambos · Agia Kyriaki · Milia · Skala Paramythias · Xirovouni · Menina · Dodona
Atrocities: Expulsion of Cham Albanians
British Mission in Greece (SOE)People: Eddie Myers · Chris Woodhouse · Patrick Leigh Fermor · Bill Stanley Moss
Operations: Operation "Albumen" · Gorgopotamos Bridge · Operation "Animals" · Asopos Bridge · Kidnap of General Kreipe · Damasta sabotage
Events: El Alamein · Dodecanese · April 1944 mutiny · Rimini
People: King George II · Emmanouil Tsouderos · Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Notable units: 3rd Mountain Brigade · Sacred Band · Vasilissa Olga · Adrias · Katsonis · Papanikolis · 13th Squadron · 335th Squadron · 336th Squadron
Towards the Civil WarEvents: Plaka agreement · Lebanon conference · Caserta agreement · Percentages agreement · Dekemvriana · Treaty of Varkiza
People: Ronald Scobie · George Papandreou · Archbishop Damaskinos
Categories:- 1942 establishments
- Greek Resistance
- Greece stubs
- European military stubs
- World War II stubs
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