National Republican Greek League - Accusations of Collaboration By ELAS

Accusations of Collaboration By ELAS

The left wing Greek People's Liberation Army on various occasions accused its rival organizations, and particularly EDES, for collaboration with the occupation forces. Specifically, one of the reasons given for the ELAS to launch an attack on EDES in October 1943, was the latter's presumed collaboration. However, this accusation was as yet unfounded, at least concerning EDES' guerilla branch. Moreover during the armed conflicts between ELAS and EDES in Athens, a propaganda war was launched with ELAS accusing EDES of collaboration, mainly due to gaining plausibility from the explicit exemption of EDES from German propaganda attacks. EDES was accusing ELAS for soviet perspective and crimes against non communists.

On the other hand Stylianos Gonatas, initially a political leader of EDES in Athens, won the peculiar enmity of the organization because he supported the collaborationist Security Battalions and encouraged young officers to join their ranks, which led to hostility of the EAM groups towards him. Apart from British support EDES had also some kind of covert German support. Since autumn 1943 EDES and the 12th Army of Nazi Germany there was an important connection, which led to an armistice and a pact of mutual assistance against the Greek People's Liberation Army in February 1944.