Battle of Kilkis (1944)

Battle

This article is about the Battle of Kilkis of 1944. For the 1913 battle, see Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas.

Battle of Kilkis

Part of the Greek Civil War

Kilkis in 2012
| Date| 4 November 1944

|

Location|

Kilkis, Greece

40°59′N 22°52′E﻿ / ﻿40.983°N 22.867°E﻿ / 40.983; 22.867
Result|  ELAS victory
Belligerents
ELAS|  Security Battalions
EDES
EES
Commanders and leaders
Sarantis Protopapas|  Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Kisa Batzak)  †
Strength
7,000–10,000[1]|  7,300[1]–9,000[2]

The Battle of Kilkis was an armed conflict between communist resistance organisation ELAS and a coalition of collaborationist Security Battalions, nationalist resistance organisations EDES and the National Greek Army (EES). On 4 November 1944, ELAS captured Kilkis after nine hours of fighting. The nationalists suffered many casualties during the battle and in prisoner killings afterwards.

## Background[edit]

On 28 October 1940, Italy had declared war on Greece, beginning the Greco-Italian War, expecting a swift victory. The invasion failed and the Italians were pushed back into Albania. On 6 April 1941, Germany intervened to support its struggling ally. The small Greek force defending the Metaxas Line on the Greco–Bulgarian border was defeated by the better equipped and numerically superior German invasion force. The German penetration deep into Greece made further resistance at the Albanian front pointless, ending the Battle of Greece in the favour of the Axis Powers. Greece was subjected to a triple occupation by Germany, Italy and Bulgaria. In Greek Macedonia the KKE, communist-led Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) emerged as the most powerful resistance organisation.[3]

In 1943, ELAS began disarming smaller non-communist guerrilla groups and incorporating them in its ranks or disbanding them.[4] ELAS justified its action by accusing right-wing groups of collaboration with the German occupation authorities, a charge in which, according to SOE officer Chris Woodhouse, "there was some justice [...] because Greek nationalists, like Mihailović in Yugoslavia, regarded the Germans as a less serious enemy than the Bulgarians or the Communists".[5] EAM-ELAS constantly viewed any group not belonging to itself with distrust and accused them as "collaborators" but in many cases this backfired and became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the remnants of the right-wing groups joined the Germans against ELAS.[6][7]

During the closing stages of the Axis occupation, Axis troops withdrew from northern Greece. Fearing reprisals from ELAS, members of the collaborationist Security Battalions, right wing resistance groups (EDES and National Greek Army (EES) and their civilian supporters congregated at Kilkis.[8] The British supervised Caserta Agreement, between ELAS and the Greek government-in-exile, of September 1944 had characterised all units associated with the Security Battalions as enemy combatants and ordered them to surrender to the ΧΙ Division of ELAS.[9] By October 1944, approximately 10,000 people had sought refuge in Kilkis.[10]

Security Battalion commanders debated whether they should entrench themselves in Kilkis or move.[11] The decision was taken to remain in Kilkis, despite the fact that the local population was sympathetic to ELAS.[12] On 30 October, the defenders took positions around Ano Apostoloi, Mesoi Apostoloi and Kato Apostoloi. The following day those positions were harassed by small bands of ELAS fighters.[13] Later on Konstantinos Papadopoulos, one of the most powerful Security Battalion commanders, voiced his disagreement with the way the defences were organised. His unit of 1,500 men left for the village of Mouries, promising to return in the case of an attack on the city.[14]

## Battle[edit]

On the morning of 4 November, ELAS attacked Kilkis and captured the tactically important Agios Georgios hill. The communists emerged victorious after nine hours of bitter street fighting.[15] ELAS casualties numbered 118 to 180 dead and 410 to 800 wounded and the defenders lost 1,500 killed and 2,190 captured.[16][15] After the battle scores of prisoners were executed in acts of revenge by individual ELAS members; their number has not been accurately estimated. Other prisoners were held in dismal conditions in tobacco warehouses or were transferred to a concentration camp in Thessaloniki.[17] Sources sympathetic to the nationalists put the total number of those killed in action or executed after it at 7,432 dead.[18]

## Aftermath[edit]

The battle has been noted as the bloodiest clash between communist and nationalist bands in the prelude to the Greek Civil War.[19] On 6 November 1967, just a few months after the establishment of junta, the minister of internal affairs Stylianos Pattakos and minister of northern Greece Dimitrios Patilis conducted the first memorial service in honour of the defenders of Kilkis. A year later the junta erected a memorial honouring victims of Slavo-Communism killed in the Kilkis region during the occupation and annual state sponsored memorial services were held there until the fall of the regime in 1974. In 1992, the city council constructed a second memorial next to the town hall, to members of all resistance organisations of Kilkis. In 2002, private individuals sympathetic to the communist cause erected a statue honouring members of communist resistance organisations that operated during World War II and the Greek Civil War. The battle remains a politically divisive issue in the city, as separate commemorative events are held on all three memorials. [20]

## See also[edit]

* Greece portal

* Meligalas

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ a b Dordanas 2006, p. 495.
2. ^ Kalogrias 2012, p. 388.
3. ^ Stefanidis 1992, pp. 64–70.
4. ^ Close 1995, p. 114.
5. ^ Woodhouse 2002, p. 34.
6. ^ Close 1995, p. 104.
7. ^ Woodhouse 2002, pp. 35, 66.
8. ^ Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, p. 103.
9. ^ Dordanas 2006, p. 453.
10. ^ Dordanas 2006, p. 487.
11. ^ Dordanas 2006, pp. 487–488.
12. ^ Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, p. 173.
13. ^ Dordanas 2006, p. 489.
14. ^ Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, pp. 171–173.
15. ^ a b Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, p. 174.
16. ^ Dordanas 2006, p. 500.
17. ^ Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, p. 175.
18. ^ Dordanas 2012, p. 373.
19. ^ Kalogrias & Dordanas 2005, pp. 175–176.
20. ^ Dordanas 2012, pp. 373–385.

## References[edit]

* Close, David H. (1995). The Origins of the Greek Civil War. Addison-Wesley Longman. ISBN 0-582-06471-6.
* Dordanas, Stratos (2006). Έλληνες εναντίον Ελλήνων, Ο κόσμος των Ταγμάτων Ασφαλείας στην κατοχική Θεσσαλονίκη 1941–1944 [Greeks versus Greeks, The world of Security Battalions in occupied Thessaloniki 1941–1944] (in Greek). Thessaloniki: Epikentro. ISBN 960-6647-31-5.
* Dordanas, Stratos (2012). Η γερμανική στολή στη ναφθαλίνη, Επιβιώσεις του δοσιλογισμού στη Μακεδονία, 1945–1974 [German uniform in naphthalene, Remnants of collaborationism in Macedonia, 1945–1974] (in Greek). Athens: Estia. ISBN 978-960-05-1511-4.
* Kalogrias, Vaios; Dordanas, Stratos (2005). Οι άλλοι καπετάνιοι, Αντικομουνιστές ένοπλοι στα χρόνια της Κατοχής και του Εμφυλίου [The Other Commanders, Anticommunist Insurgents During the Years of the Occupation and the Civil War] (in Greek). Athens: Estia. ISBN 978-960-05-1237-3.
* Kalogrias, Vaios (2012). Το αντίπαλο δέος, Οι εθνικιστικές οργανώσεις αντίστασης στην κατεχόμενη Μακεδονία (1941–1944) [Fear of the enemy, Nationalist organisations in occupied Macedonia (1941–1944)] (in Greek). Thessaloniki: University Studio Press. ISBN 978-960-12-2076-5.
* Stefanidis, Yiannis (1992). "Macedonia in the 1940s" (PDF). Modern and Contemporary Macedonia. 2: 64–103. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
* Woodhouse, Christopher Montague (2002). The Struggle for Greece, 1941–1949. C. Hurst. ISBN 1-85065-492-1.

* v
* t
* e

Greece during World War II

1940-1941 Balkans Campaign

| Greco-Italian War
(1940-1941)|

| Battles|

* Pindus
* Elaia–Kalamas
* Korytsa/Korcë
* Saranda
* Morava–Ivan
* Himara
* Klisura Pass
* Trebeshina
* Italian spring offensive
* Hill 731

|

Leaders|

|  Greece|

* Ioannis Metaxas
* Alexandros Papagos
* Charalambos Katsimitros
* Konstantinos Davakis
* Markos Drakos and Ioannis Pitsikas
* Dimitrios Papadopoulos
* Georgios Kosmas

|

Italy|

* Benito Mussolini
* Galeazzo Ciano
* Sebastiano Visconti Prasca
* Ubaldo Soddu
* Ugo Cavallero
* Carlo Geloso

Units|

|  Greece|

* 8th Infantry Division
* Epirus Army Section
* Western Macedonia Army Section

|

Italy|

* 9th Army
* 11th Army

German invasion
(April-May 1941)|

| Battles|

* Operation Lustre
* Metaxas Line
* Vevi
* Kleisoura Pass
* Thermopylae
* Crete

|

Leaders|

|  Greece|

* King George II
* Alexandros Papagos
* Konstantinos Bakopoulos
* Georgios Tsolakoglou

|

British Commonwealth|

* Henry Maitland Wilson
* Thomas Blamey
* Bernard Freyberg

Germany|

* Wilhelm List
* Sepp Dietrich
* Kurt Student

Units|

|  Greece|

* Eastern Macedonia Army Section
* Central Macedonia Army Section
* Epirus Army Section

|

British Commonwealth|

* 1st Armoured Brigade
* 2nd New Zealand Division
* 6th Australian Division

Germany|

* XVIII Army Corps
* XXXX Panzer Corps
* Luftflotte 4
* 1st Parachute Division
* 5th Mountain Division

Occupation and collaboration

| Occupying
powers|

| Leaders and
commands|

|  Germany|

* Günther Altenburg
* Hermann Neubacher
* Walter Schimana
* Alexander Löhr
* Army Group E
* Hellmuth Felmy
* LXVIII Army Corps
* Hubert Lanz
* XXII Mountain Corps
* Alexander Andrae, Bruno Bräuer and Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller
* Fortress Crete
* Max Merten

|

Italy|

* Angelico Carta
* Pellegrino Ghigi
* Piero Parini
* Carlo Geloso and Carlo Vecchiarelli
* 11th Army
* III Army Corps [it]
* VIII Army Corps
* XXVI Corps

Bulgaria|

* Ivan Markov [bg]
* Trifon Trifonov [bg]
* Asen Sirakov

Atrocities|

* Kondomari
* Kandanos
* Alikianos
* Doxato
* Kommeno
* Kalavryta
* Lingiades
* Distomo
* Domenikon
* Drakeia
* Cephalonia (Acqui Division)
* Mesovouno
* Pyrgoi
* Vorizia
* Viannos
* Kallikratis and Kali Sykia
* Anogeia
* Kedros
* Kleisoura
* Haidari concentration camp
* Larissa concentration camp
* 200 of Kaisariani
* Chortiatis

Economic
exploitation|

* Greek economy, 1941–1944
* Great Famine
* GWRA
* DEGRIGES
* Compulsory loan [de]
* Occupation Reichsmark [el]

The Holocaust|

* Bulgarian-occupied Greece
* Thessaloniki
* Zvi Koretz
* Jewish cemetery of Salonica
* Baron Hirsch ghetto
* Expropriation of property
* Rescue of the Jews of Zakynthos

Collaborationist
government|

| People|

* Georgios Tsolakoglou
* K. Logothetopoulos
* Ioannis Rallis
* Georgios Poulos
* Friedrich Schubert
* Nikolaos Bourantas
* George S. Mercouris
* Ioannis Plytzanopoulos
* Sotirios Gotzamanis

|

Organizations|

* Security Battalions
* Hellenic Socialist Patriotic Organisation (ESPO)
* National Union of Greece (EEE)
* Greek National Socialist Party

Secessionists|

* Roman Legion
* Alcibiades Diamandi
* Nicolaos Matussis
* Vassilis Rapotikas
* Ohrana
* Andon Kalchev
* Cham collaboration
* Këshilla
* Xhemil Dino

Atrocities|

* Paramythia
* Executions of Kokkinia

Resistance and Free Greece

| National Liberation
Front (EAM)|

| People|

* Aris Velouchiotis
* Stefanos Sarafis
* Andreas Tzimas
* Georgios Siantos
* Alexandros Svolos
* Ilias Tsirimokos
* Markos Vafeiadis
* Evripidis Bakirtzis

|

Organizations|

* Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
* Socialist Party of Greece (SKE)
* Union of People's Democracy (ELD)
* Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS)
* Greek People's Liberation Navy (ELAN)
* Political Committee of National Liberation (PEEA) and National Council
* United Panhellenic Organization of Youth (EPON)
* National Solidarity (EA)
* Organization for the Protection of the People's Struggle (OPLA)
* Slavic-Macedonian National Liberation Front (SNOF)
* Anti-Fascist Committee for a Free Germany (AKFD)

Operations|

* Drama uprising
* Ryka
* Mikro Chorio
* Gorgopotamos Bridge
* Meritsa
* Fardykambos
* Porta
* Sarantaporos
* Kournovo Tunnel
* 1943 Athens protest
* Pinerolo disarmament
* Steiri
* Agorelitsa
* Killing of Franz Krech

Atrocities|

* Feneos executions
* 5/42 Regiment dissolution
* Meligalas
* Kilkis
* Red Terror (Greece)

Non-EAM resistance|

| People|

* Napoleon Zervas
* Georgios Kartalis
* Dimitrios Psarros
* Komninos Pyromaglou
* Antonis Fosteridis
* Kostas Perrikos
* Ilias Degiannis
* Vasileios Sachinis
* Lela Karagianni
* Konstantinos Ventiris
* Manolis Paterakis
* Petrakogiorgis
* Kimonas Zografakis

|

Organizations|

* National Republican Greek League (EDES)
* National Bands of Greek Guerrillas (EOEA)
* National and Social Liberation (EKKA)
* 5/42 Regiment
* Defenders of Northern Greece (YVE)/Panhellenic Liberation Organization (PAO)
* Panhellenic Union of Fighting Youths (PEAN)
* Prometheus II
* Apollo
* National Organization of Crete (ΕΟΚ)
* Hellenic Army (ES)
* Northern Epirus Liberation Front (MAVI)
* others...

Operations|

* ESPO bombing
* Gorgopotamos Bridge (Operation "Harling")
* Agia Kyriaki
* Milia
* Skala Paramythias
* Execution of Josef Salminger
* Xirovouni
* Trahili
* Menina
* Dodona

Atrocities|

* Expulsion of Cham Albanians

British Military Mission (SOE)|

| People|

* Eddie Myers
* Chris Woodhouse
* Patrick Leigh Fermor
* Bill Stanley Moss
* Themis Marinos
* George Psychoundakis
* Jerzy Iwanow-Szajnowicz

|

Operations|

* Operation "Albumen"
* Gorgopotamos Bridge (Operation "Harling")
* Operation "Animals"
* Asopos Bridge (Operation "Washing")
* Kidnapping of Heinrich Kreipe
* Damasta sabotage

Greek government-in-exile

| Greek government
in exile|

| Events/Battles|

* Mareth Line
* El Alamein
* Wadi Akarit
* Dodecanese
* April 1944 mutiny
* Rimini
* Symi
* Santorini

|

People|

* King George II
* Emmanouil Tsouderos
* Sofoklis Venizelos
* Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
* Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
* Christodoulos Tsigantes
* Pafsanias Katsotas

Greek Armed Forces
in the Middle East|

* 3rd Mountain Brigade
* Sacred Band
* Vasilissa Olga
* Adrias
* Katsonis
* Papanikolis
* 13th Squadron
* 335th Squadron
* 336th Squadron

Liberation and road to the civil war

| Prelude to Civil War|

| Events|

* National Bands Agreement
* Plaka agreement [el]
* Red Terror
* Lebanon Conference
* Caserta Agreement
* Operation "Manna"
* Percentages agreement
* Dekemvriana
* Treaty of Varkiza
* White Terror

|

People|

* Ronald Scobie
* Georgios Papandreou
* Archbishop Damaskinos
* Georgios Grivas
* Angelos Evert
* Nikos Zachariadis

Commemoration

| Events|

* Ohi Day

|

Museums|

* Athens War Museum
* Holocaust Museum of Greece
* Kalavryta Massacre Museum
* Kalpaki War Museum
* Museum of the Battle of Crete and the National Resistance
* Thessaloniki War Museum

Popular culture|

* Aera! Aera! Aera!
* Captain Corelli's Mandolin
* film
* Ill Met by Moonlight
* film
* Ipolochagos Natassa
* Mediterraneo
* The 11th Day: Crete 1941
* The Guns of Navarone
* film
* What Did You Do in the War, Thanasis?

* v
* t
* e

Greek Civil War

Background|

* 4th of August Regime
* Axis occupation of Greece
* Greek Resistance
* National Liberation Front
* Greek People's Liberation Army
* National Republican Greek League (EDES)
* Collaborationist governments
* Security Battalions
* Greek government-in-exile
* Red Terror
* Lebanon Conference
* Caserta Agreement
* Battle of Meligalas
* Battle of Kilkis (1944)
* Dekemvriana
* Treaty of Varkiza
* White Terror
* 1946 election
* 1946 referendum

Events (1946-1949)|

* Litochoro attack
* Truman Doctrine
* Battle of Konitsa
* Thessaloniki bombing
* Capture of Ierapetra
* Operation Charavgi
* Massacre of the First Sapper Battalion
* Operation Koronis
* Operation Peristera
* Operation Pyravlos
* Tito–Stalin split
* Operation Pyrsos

Communists|

* Communist Party of Greece
* Provisional Democratic Government
* Democratic Army of Greece
* Popular Civil Guard
* National Liberation Front (Macedonia)
* Nikos Zachariadis
* Markos Vafiadis
* Charilaos Florakis
* Alexandros Rosios
* Petros Kokkalis

National Government|

* George II of Greece
* Paul of Greece
* Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens
* Themistoklis Sofoulis
* Konstantinos Tsaldaris
* Alexandros Papagos
* Konstantinos Ventiris
* Konstantinos Dovas
* Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos
* Dimitrios Giatzis
* James Van Fleet
* Hellenic Army
* Royal Hellenic Air Force
* Greek Gendarmerie
* Countryside Security Units
* TEA

Impact and aftermath|

* Refugees
* Internal exile
* Sacred Bond of Greek Officers
* Centrist Interlude
* Greek junta
* Metapolitefsi

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