CHRONOLOGY OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN 1945

CHRONOLOGY OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN 1945

February 12, 1945 – The Varkiza Agreement was signed at a resort near Athens, between the leadership of the CPG and EAM resistance movement on the one side and by the Plastiras Greek government and British General Scobie on the other. By this Agreement Greek command, on February 12, 1945, was placed under English Middle East control. By signing this Agreement EAM and ELAS practically handed over power to the political right.

April 23, 1945 – NOF, AFZH and NOMS, the Macedonian liberation organization for the Macedonian people in Greek occupied Macedonia were established in Skopje on the CPM Central Committee premises. These organizations remained under CPM/CPY control from the day they were established to the day the so-called “brotherhood and unity” between NOF and the CPG came to exist. After that they were placed under CPG control until their dissolution.

April 26, 1945 - Marshal Tito made a statement for the New York Times in Moscow in which he said: “If the Macedonians in the Greek areas express a desire to unite with other Macedonians, Yugoslavia will respect their wishes.”

June 20. 1945 – NOF for Voden Region held a conference near the city Voden on June 20, 1945. The conference was attended by 125 delegates from the city and from the surrounding villages. Among the items presented were a report on the ideological content of the struggle and its forms. This item was presented by Pavle Rakovski from the NOF main leadership. A financial report was presented by Vangel Aianovski - Oche NOF District Board Secretary. Among other things, the delegates demanded that the civil guards who terrorized the villages be liquidated. (NM / 94)

June 28, 1945 – The CPG Central Committee held its XII Plenum during which it stated that: “NOF, with its rapid growth and military formations, is endangering the Greek character of Macedonia; the Greek positions and interests as well as the territorial integrity of the Greek state.”

June 29, 1945 – By proclamation the CPG District Committee for Voden Region as well as all CPG members in Voden Region condemned NOF.

1945 - The Greek legislature enacted laws against NOF, AFZH and NOMS. LAW 543/45: “Against NOF and those acting in favour of Greek territory secession.”

July 07, 1945 - The Greek legislature enacted laws no. 453 and no. 45 “For Order, Peace and Justice” and “For Ensuring Public Security.”

July 18, 1945 - The Greek legislature enacted law no. CC 43: “Against Autonomist Activities” by which NOF, AFZH and NOMS were declared autonomist and illegal. All NOF, AFZH and NOMS members were declared criminals and were being tried for treason.

July 20, 1945. - The Greek legislature enacted law no (CC) 4124: “For the prosecution of suspected persons”. DECRE “G and Other Laws: PA 433/45” “Illegal Possession of Weapons”, PA 753/45 “Illegal Possession and Use of Weapons”. “Extraordinary Measures and Public Safety”.

DEVELOPMENT OF EVENTS IN 1946

Development of partisan forces and General Markos’s ingenious tactics to disarm them

In early 1946, the CPG, EAM and the political left in general continued to develop and carry out events without mass mobilizing the general population in the armed resistance movement. In fact the CPG allowed thousands of soldiers and officers sympathetic to the Left, who were fiercely persecuted by the new Athens government, to leave their positions.

In the meantime the CPM/CPY created NOF, AFZH and NOMS and their concept in 1945 and began to immediately mass mobilize the Macedonian population. Obviously this shows that the future for the Macedonian people was being carefully planned through the strategy and tactics of strangers.

It also shows that those Left forces which were earlier prevented all throughout Greece from participating in the immediate mass mobilization, were reoriented and allegedly later became inaccessible to DAG’s recruitment programs forcing DAG to mobilize from the Macedonian population. So, it should not be a surprise that out of the 25,000 DAG fighters 50% were Macedonians. At the same time the Greek population numbered 8,000,000 while the Macedonian population in Greece numbered 300,000.

According to research conducted by General Zafiropoulos, the partisan forces during 1946 were growing month by month as follows:

Month

Up to April May June July August September

Number of fighters

950 1,300 2,700 3,500 3,600 4,490

October 5,930 November 7,450 December 9,285

Which meant that the ratio of government forces to DAG fighters was 10:1, and their military armaments were unmatched?

So, let us examine the facts:

Markos Vafiadis said: “...When I arrived in Belgrade, I immediately met with Comrade Ioanidis in an office where I was greeted by two CPY leaders; Tempo (Svetozar Vukmanovic) and Rankovich. They asked me what they should do to help DAG. I told them I needed arms and ammunition for 18,000 fighters. The moment Ioanidis heard me asking for arms for 18,000 fighters, he got up and said: “Markos are you sure? What will you do with weapons for 18,000 fighters? All you need is enough for 4-5,000 and not a single more…” (Kisavos p. 94.)

I then asked Markos: “Why did you change the Party line after you returned from Belgrade to Greece?” At the time Doctor Sakelariou was also present. Markos said: “Ioanidis changed the Party line when I was in Belgrade…”

It is most certain that the line was changed by the Yugoslavs and since then Ioanidis and Markos had gained particular sympathy from the Yugoslavs and from Tito himself, sympathies that are still visible to this day.

Kisavos, in his book, confirmed that after returning from Belgrade to his headquarters, Markos decided to send home all those who had come to voluntarily join DAG. For example around 1,500 - 2,000 volunteers were returned to their homes. On their return most were captured by enemy forces and ruthlessly killed. Kisavos also cited other examples, such as Kostas Aridas, political commission secretary of the City Trikala who, along with a large group of cadres, decided to go up the mountain and fight but was returned, arrested and shot to death. (p. 88)

Kisavos also wrote about another tragic and outrageous case: “A group of about 250 young armed volunteers from the Kalambaka-Kastra-ku district refused to return to their homes and when they were forced to go they independently organized themselves into 2-3 units and decided to fight the enemy government forces on their own. At the time this was the largest military operation the government had undertaken on the ground.

Led by Spiros Tsaras from the village Kastraki-Kalambaka, they proved to be good fighters and fought in fierce battles without having to sacrifice themselves. But, instead of congratulating them for their courage, the Markos’s leadership at headquarters was disdained and, for a long time, was suspicious of Spiros Tsaras.”

CPM/CPY policies and the development of NOF, AFZH and NOMS for optimal popularity in the Macedonian population

So, if Markos’s political strategy and tactics were not to fuel the armed resistance with experienced ELAS fighters, then what was his logic? (See NOF Leadership Report, February 9, 1946, on NOF’s Organizational Structure in Aegean Macedonia: Am. Collection Aegean Macedonia in NOB 1945-1949, AE: 86 and 87. Published in “Aegean Macedonia in NOB 1946”, T. SH. docs 42 and 43, pp. 97, 100, 103-106.)

NOF, AFZH and NOMS organizational structure:

Villages / Members of the CPG / NOF / NOMS / SKOJ / AFZH

Kostur District

1. Prespa Locality A. German Region B. Africa Region

2. Koreshtata Locality A. D’mbeni Region B. Drenoveni Region C. Tiolishta Region

16 villages 7 villages

9 villages 14 villages 14 villages

3. Poleto Locality A. Zhupanshta B. Rupishta Region C. Kastenariata Region D. Kalevishta Subregion

12 villages 10 villages 18 villages 5 villages

Lerin District

1. Lerin Locality A. Buf Region B. Kotorski Region C. Banichki Region D. Ofchareni Region E. Turie Region

2. Sovichko-Kailari Locality A. Exshi-Su Region B. Aitos Region C. Mokreni Region

13 villages 15 villages 6 villages 9 villages 6 villages

5 villages 8 villages 16 villages

Voden District

1. Meglen Locality A. Kronchelevo Region B. Sobotsko Region

2. Ostrovo Locality A. Ostrovo Region B. Mesimer Region C. Tsrno Marinovo Region

13 villages 11 villages

7 villages 11 villages 8 villages

According to a report, meetings were held on a regular basis in January. Most villages accepted the NOF line and fought under NOF leadership. The report also outlined exactly how many people belonged to each of these organizations, and the figures were staggering. One gets the impression that the entire Macedonian population was very much influenced by these organizations. There are other details.

For Organizational Leadership

Secretary, S. R. (Moscow - Belgrade - CPG)