NOTES

NOTES:

1. Andartes – members of the Greek armed illegal bands that fought in Macedonia against the Macedonians for Greece. They were especially active during the Ilinden Uprising and afterwards up until 51% of Macedonia’s occupation by Greece.

2. Pavlos Melas (his real name was Mikis Zezas) was born in Messalina on March 29, 1870. He was originally from Epirus. For his exploits and the role he played in fighting against the Macedonian rebels, in 1904 he was appointed leader of the Greek struggle in western Macedonia with Kostur as its centre.

3. On October 25, 1903 Captain Kote, together with Vane Kizov from the village Gabresh and Pop Stavre from Psoderi, brought the severed head of Lazar Pop Traikov in a dirty bag to the Metropolitan of Kostur (Karavangelis) for which they were paid a large sum of Turkish gold coins (Lira). After this, Bishop Karavangelis, through Turkish officials, had the head attached to the door of the Kostur administration building where the head remained until the last days of October.

4. Ioannis Metaxas (1871 - 1940) was a Greek general and politician. He headed the Greek General Headquarters in 1915. He was a supporter of the Royalist movement since 1926. On August 4, 1936, as a Minister and President, he dissolved the Greek Parliament and introduced a monarchical dictatorship. He also imposed a ban on the Macedonian language.

5. In 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met on a boat in the Atlantic where, on August 14, 1941, they finalized and signed the famous “Atlantic Charter” whose principles were later adopted by the United Nations in its 1945 Declaration. Among other things, the Charter stated that all territorial changes must be in accordance with the expressed will of the free people. All nations have the right to choose a form of government for themselves. All rights must be returned to the people and warned them not to use force.

6. Two organizations were formed: SNOF for Kostur Region formed in October 1943 in the village D’mbeni and SNOF (created by EAM with the intent of destroying the Kostur Macedonian rebels and freedom fighters. This organization was strictly controlled by EAM and ELAS) in Lerin Region formed in November 1943 in the village Belkamen. Efforts to organization SNOF as an organization for all Macedonians from Greek occupied Macedonia and requests to organize them to act independently, i.e. outside of EAM, were supported by the CPG. The reader should also be aware of the fact that in January 1944, the CPG allowed the formation of a “Slavo-Macedonian” People’s Liberation Army (SNOV), a military wing, under the direct leadership of EAM and ELAS

7. Tsvetko Uzunovski - Abas was responsible for OZNA (military police). Following his instructions during the CPM Central Committee Plenum, held in the summer months in 1945, the CPM proposed to take a frontal stance against a group of people that broke off from the Party. Included in this group were: Chento, Venko Markovski, Apostolski, Kiro Gligorov, Lazar Sokolov, Peter Piruze, Blagoi Hadzhi Panzov, all assisted by Dimitar Vlahov.

8. “Dulo” (Cave). This particular cave was a steep, underground hole extending very deep inside Mount Mali-Madi. It was known as “Duloto” in D’mbeni Region.

9. The Greek organization PAO (Pan-Hellenic Liberation Organization) consisted mainly of former police chiefs, Greek Army officers (EC) and other various anti-Peoples nationalist elements. PAO, in cooperation with the Greek authorities, tried to infiltrate the military ranks of ELAS with its agents and officers who were tasked to liquidate Partisans belonging to ELAS and communists. Included among the PAO officers that infiltrated ELAS were Kirtsidakis, Zisis and Mandaropoulos. These three were caught, convicted and physically liquidated in late April 1943.

Vassilis Bardzhiotas, high ranking member in the CPG and Political Commissar of DAG. “Struggle of the Democratic Army of Greece”, p. 128.

10. MY NOTE: The CPG and the DPV kept their word in front of the world and, after the war, fought to bring back the children but only those deemed “Greeks by genus”. Half a century has passed since the children were taken away and their parents are still lamenting over them. Why didn’t the CPG take care to bring back the Macedonian children? Did it forget the sacrifices that the many thousands of Macedonians made when we gave it our support? Did it forget how many mothers and fathers of those children left their bones in Vicho and Gramos when they were fighting for CPG interests??!

11. The Partisan newspaper (DAG) “Eksormisi” was published every fifteen days. It was edited and printed on Mount Gramos.

12. On June 16, 1949 the AFZH Executive Board of Macedonian Women in Greek occupied Macedonia adopted a resolution to induct Macedonian women for the purpose of fighting in the front line in defense of Vicho.

13. “Those who control the past, control the future! Those who control the present control the past!” George Orwell: 1984.