The Guerrilla War begins

The day before the Greek General Election is held in March 1946.  The Greek Communist Party orders a guerrilla to attack a Police Station in a town near to Mount Olympus, this in hindsight is now taken as the start of the Greek Civil War but at first it is a low level insurgency but through the year the level of attacks grow although to no where near the scale of fighting seen later in the war.  In December 1946 the Communist Democratic Army of Greece is established.  Its first commander is the brilliant guerrilla commander Mark Vafiadis, a biography of him is included, not only does he form an effective guerrilla army but also the civilian support network needed to supply it.  Also I describe the geography of Greece and a very brief recent history of the country.

To be published on Saturday 28th September.

Good news this podcast now has a facebook page where you can become involved with the podcast.  It is run by son Daniel Kendrick

https://www.facebook.com/pg/koreanwarpodcast/posts/

If you want to email me then please do so at kendrick6@aol.com but please head the email with ‘Korean War Podcast’, so you email get the attention it deserves.

The White terror

Hopes for a peaceful entry of parties of the Greek left into the  political system are damaged by mass arrests by the police of thousands of left wing activists, others fled to Communist Yugoslavia or went into hiding in the Greek mountains.  Right wing death squads the ‘X’ target Greek left wing activists.  The Jewish survivors of Thessalonian holocaust found themselves denied to any right of return of their property.  A biography of the leader of the Greek Communist Party Zachariadis.  A review of the Cold War in Europe in the years just after the Second World War and of Winston Churchill famous Iron Curtain speech made in 1946 in the United States.

to be published on Saturday 21st September,

The Battle of Athens part two

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden  fly to Athens at Christmas 1944 to hold a conference with the Greek Government and to show British Government support for the Greek Government against the Greek Communists to the rest of the world.  British military reinforcement are sent to Greece, these added troops help the turn the course of the Battle of Athens in favour of the British Army and against the Greek Communists, a biography of the British army commander General Scobie.  During their time of occupation of much of Athens, the Greek Communist secret police murder thousands of alleged political opponents which becomes known as the red terror.  By January 1945 the battle of Athens having been lost, the Communist pull out of the City but take thousands more prisoners with them.  In February 1945 the Greek Communists agree to lay down most of their weapons and allow the Greek Government to occupy the town of Greece.

to be published on Saturday 14th September