In 1944, Allied forces fought a bloody 37-day battle against Greek resistance fighters in Athens.
As World War II neared its end, a power vacuum in Greece triggered the Dekemvriana. This intense conflict pitted British troops and the Greek government against the communist-led EAM-ELAS resistance. It remains a stark example of how wartime alliances fractured, leading to a brutal struggle for control of the nation's future.
The Dekemvriana, or December events, erupted in Athens on 3 December 1944, following months of escalating friction over the postwar governance of Greece. While the Caserta Agreement had placed resistance forces under British command, tensions peaked when Lieutenant-General Ronald Scobie unilaterally demanded the total disarmament of EAM-ELAS. When EAM ministers resigned in protest, a massive rally in central Athens turned lethal after police opened fire on the crowd, killing 28 people and wounding 148.
The ensuing 37-day conflict saw British forces and government loyalists fighting against EAM-ELAS, which had previously liberated much of the countryside. By mid-December, the resistance controlled most of the capital, forcing the British to deploy reinforcements from Italy. The fighting was marked by extreme violence, including the discovery of a mass grave containing 200 victims of blunt-force executions. Throughout the crisis, the Soviet Union remained largely passive, adhering to the informal Percentages agreement that placed Greece within the British sphere of influence.
The battle concluded with the defeat of EAM-ELAS, formalized by the Varkiza Agreement in February 1945. This loss shattered the power of the Greek Left and set the stage for the broader civil war that began in 1946. The events caused significant political fallout for Winston Churchill, as American media and even President Franklin D. Roosevelt expressed disapproval of British forces engaging in combat against anti-German resistance fighters while the global war was still ongoing.
Source: Dekemvriana
