The National Liberation Front was the main movement of the Greek Resistance

Greek Resistance

The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...

 during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II. Its main driving force was the Communist Party of Greece

Communist Party of Greece

Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...

 (KKE), but its membership throughout the Occupation period included several other leftist and republican groups. EAM became the first true mass social movement

Social movement

Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....

 in modern Greek history, and even established its own government, the Political Committee of National Liberation

Political Committee of National Liberation

The Political Committee of National Liberation , commonly known as the "Mountain Government" was a communist-dominated government established in Greece in 1944 in opposition to both the collaborationist German-controlled government at Athens and to the royal government-in-exile in Cairo...

, in the areas it had liberated in spring 1944. At the same time, from late 1943 onwards, the political enmity between EAM and rival resistance groups from the centre and right evolved into a virtual civil war, which was ended only with the Lebanon conference in May 1944. The organization reached its peak after Liberation in late 1944, when it controlled most of the country, before suffering a catastrophic military and political defeat in the December 1944 events. This marked the beginning of its gradual decline and the open persecution of its members (accusing it for crimes against political rivals and Soviet perspective) and leading eventually to the outbreak of the Greek Civil War

Greek Civil War

The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...

.

Background

During the Metaxas Regime

4th of August Regime

The 4th of August Regime , commonly also known as the Metaxas Regime , was an authoritarian regime under the leadership of General Ioannis Metaxas that ruled Greece from 1936 to 1941...

, the Communist Party of Greece

Communist Party of Greece

Founded in 1918, the Communist Party of Greece , better known by its acronym, ΚΚΕ , is the oldest party on the Greek political scene.- Foundation :...

 (KKE) was outlawed and its members persecuted. Its hierarchy and organization suffered heavy blows from Metaxas' efficient security forces, and more than 2,000 Communists were imprisoned or sent to internal exile

Internal Exile

Internal Exile was Fish's second solo album after leaving Marillion in 1988. The album, released 28 October 1991, was inspired by the singer's past, his own personal problems and his troubled experiences with his previous record label EMI.The album's music reflects Fish's indulgence in the vast...

. With the German invasion

Battle of Greece

The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...

 and occupation of the country in April–May 1941, several hundred members were able to escape and flee to the underground. Their first task was to reform the Party, along with subsidiary groups like the "National Solidarity

National Solidarity (Greece)

National Solidarity was the social welfare organization of the EAM resistance movement in occupied Greece during World War II.The decision to establish a resistance organization was taken by Pantelis Karagitsis, Lefteris Apostolou and Aristotelis Bouras, who had just escaped from the internal...

" (Εθνική Αλληλεγγύη, ΕΑ) welfare organization May 28. After the German attack on the Soviet Union

Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...

 on 22 June and the break of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, the newly reconstituted Communist Party found itself firmly on the anti-Axis camp, a line confirmed by the Party's 6th Plenum during 1–3 July. The Communists were committed to a "Popular Front

Popular front

A popular front is a broad coalition of different political groupings, often made up of leftists and centrists. Being very broad, they can sometimes include centrist and liberal forces as well as socialist and communist groups...

" tactic, and tried to engage other parties from the left and the centre, including established pre-war politicians. However, these efforts proved largely fruitless. On 16 July however, the "National Workers' Liberation Front" (Εθνικό Εργατικό Απελευθερωτικό Μέτωπο, EEAM) was established, bringing the country's labour union organizations together.

Establishment of EAM

At the KKE's 7th Plenum, the establishment of EAM was decided, despite the refusal of mainstream politicians to participate. EAM was founded in 27 September 1941 by representatives of four left-wing parties: Lefteris Apostolou for the KKE, Christos Chomenidis

Christos Chomenidis

Christos Chomenidis is a Greek novelist. He read Law at the University of Athens and in Moscow and Communication Studies in Leeds. He worked as a lawyer before becoming a full-time writer...

 for the Socialist Party of Greece

Socialist Party of Greece

The Socialist Party of Greece was a political party in Greece. The party was formed in 1920, as an anti-Comintern minority split away at the second congress of the Socialist Labour Party of Greece. The group that founded the Greek Socialist Party was led by A. Sideris...

 (SΚΕ), Ilias Tsirimokos

Ilias Tsirimokos

Ilias Tsirimokos was a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister for a very brief period .-Life:...

 for the Union for People's Democracy (ΕLD) and Apostolos Voyiatzis for the Agricultural Party of Greece (ΑΚΕ). EAM's charter called for the "liberation of the Nation from foreign yoke" and the "guaranteeing of the Greek people's sovereign right to determine its form of government". At the same time, while the door was left open to cooperation with other parties, the KKE, due to its large size in relation to its partners, assumed a clearly dominant position within the new movement. Furthermore, the KKE's well-organized structure and its experience with the conditions and necessities of underground struggle were crucial to EAM's success. Georgios Siantos was appointed as the acting leader, since Nikolaos Zachariadis

Nikolaos Zachariadis

Nikolaos Zachariadis was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece from 1931 to 1956.-Early life:Born in Adrianopole in 1903, the son of an employee of the Ottoman tobacco monopoly. He worked as a seaman on the Black Sea, where he came under the influence of the Bolshevik Revolution...

, the KKE's proper leader, was interned in Dachau concentration camp.

Expansion and preparation for armed struggle

On October 10, EAM published its manifesto, and announced itself and its aims to the Greek people. During the autumn of 1941, its influence expanded throughout Greece, either through pre-existing Communist cells or through the spontaneous actions of local "people's committees". A youth movement, the "United Panhellenic Organization of Youth" (EPON) was founded in winter, followed by EAM's military wing, the "National People's Liberation Army" (ELAS) was ordered formed in December 1942. Later, a crude navy, the "National People's Liberation Navy

National People's Liberation Navy (Greece)

The Greek People's Liberation Navy , commonly abbreviated as ELAN , was the naval force of the communist-led Greek People's Liberation Army resistance movement during World War II, and later during the Greek Civil War....

" (ELAN), was established, but its strength and role were severely limited.

The First Civil War and the "Mountain Government"

ELAS fought against German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation forces, as well as, by late 1943, its non-communist led rival organizations, namely the National Republican Greek League (EDES) and the National and Social Liberation (EKKA), succeeding in destroying the latter entirely in April 1944. EAM/ELAS activity resulted in the complete liberation of a large area of the mountainous Greek mainland from Axis control, where in March 1944 EAM established a separate government, the "Political Committee of National Liberation

Political Committee of National Liberation

The Political Committee of National Liberation , commonly known as the "Mountain Government" was a communist-dominated government established in Greece in 1944 in opposition to both the collaborationist German-controlled government at Athens and to the royal government-in-exile in Cairo...

" (PEEA). EAM even carried out elections to the PEEA's parliament, the "National Council", in April, where for the first time in Greek electoral history, women were allowed to vote. In these elections is rumored that 1,000,000 people voted.

Liberation, the Dekemvriana, and the road to the Civil War

After Liberation in October 1944, the tensions between EAM and right-wing, nationalist or western-oriented republican forces, which were supported by Great Britain, escalated. Originally, as agreed at the Lebanon conference, EAM participated in the government of national unity under George Papandreou

George Papandreou (senior)

Georgios Papandreou was a Greek politician, the founder of the Papandreou political dynasty. He served three terms as Prime Minister of Greece...

 with 6 ministers. Due to disagreements regarding the disarmament of ELAS and the formation of a national army, on 1 December, the EAMite ministers resigned. EAM organized a demonstration in Athens on December 3, 1944 against British interference. The exact details of what happened have been debated ever since, but gendarmes opened fire on the crowd, resulting in 25 dead protesters (including a six-year-old boy) and 148 wounded. This clash escalated into a month-long conflict between ELAS and the British and Greek governmental forces, known as the "December events" (Dekemvrianá), which resulted in a British and Greek government victory. In February, the Varkiza agreement was signed, leading to the disbandment of ELAS. In April, the SΚΕ

Socialist Party of Greece

The Socialist Party of Greece was a political party in Greece. The party was formed in 1920, as an anti-Comintern minority split away at the second congress of the Socialist Labour Party of Greece. The group that founded the Greek Socialist Party was led by A. Sideris...

 and ΕLD parties left EAM. EAM was not dissolved, but was hence for all intents and purposes merely an expression of the KKE. During the 1945-1946 period, a conservative terror campaign (the "White Terror

White Terror

White Terror is the violence carried out by reactionary groups as part of a counter-revolution. In particular, during the 20th century, in several countries the term White Terror was applied to acts of violence against real or suspected socialists and communists.-Historical origin: the French...

") was launched against EAM-KKE supporters. The country became polarized, eventually leading to the outbreak of the Greek Civil War

Greek Civil War

The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...

 in March 1946, which lasted until 1949. In its aftermath, and in the context of the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, KKE was outlawed, and EAM/ELAS vilified as an attempt at "Communist take-over" and accused for various crimes against political rivals. The issue remains a highly controversial subject to this day. With the coming of Andreas Papandreou

Andreas Papandreou

Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...

to power in 1981 however, EAM was recognized as a resistance movement, and the fighters of ELAS were honored and given state pensions.