DEPARTMENT of HISTORY FACULTY of ARTS UNIVERSITY of GLASGOW FEBRUARY 2003 I
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THE ROLE OF BRITAIN IN GREEK POLITICS AND MILITARY OPERATIONS: 1947-1952 ELEFTHERIA DELAPORTA PhD THESIS SUBMISSION DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY FACULTY OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW FEBRUARY 2003 i Abstract This thesis examines Anglo-Greek relations during 1947-1952; the era of the Greek civil war from the British announcementto withdraw aid from Greeceuntil the end of the civil war and Greece'sentry into NATO. A comprehensivetreatment of the crisis of the civil war focuseson British imperial defence, the politics and society of Greeceand bilateral relations as formulatedby Cold War needs.During the rift between the Rigbt and the Left in Greece, the main issue addressedby this work is the continuation of British influence in Greek affairs and the extensionof British interestin bolstering the a nti-Communist fight of the Greek government. In 1947 Britain, being itself on the verge of economic collapse, opted to discontinue financial support to the Greekright-wing government,which boostedthe enunciationof the Truman Doctrine in March 1947. In t he w ake ofA merican i nterferenceinG reece,A nglo-Greekr elations remainedclose and intense,as the Greek governmentsmaintained their trust in the British. For the British, Greeceremained a destitute country, in need of assistanceto defeatthe communists. This study emphasisesthe diplomatic and military co-operation between the British, the Americanand the Greekgovernments in trying to defeatthe communist forces, while attention is given to the policy and aims of the Greek Communist Party. The communistattempts to take over power along with the policies of the Greek governmentsand their allies are examined, with particular emphasis on the counterinsurgencyoperations of the Greek government developed from 1947 until the final defeat of the communist forces in 1949. The British role in these operations is consideredto be important and influential in training and equipping the Greek armed forces. 11 In the first post-civil war period of 1950-1952,the main issuesexamined are the attemptsmade by the Greek governmentsand the allies to establisha strong democratic cabinet and to strengthenthe security of Greecewithin the context of internationalCold War policies. Due to anti-Communist perceptions, precipitated by the Korean War, Greece became a quasi NATO member in 1950 and full member in 1952, which brought the withdrawal of the British Military Mission from Greece. iii Contents ABSTRACT I CONTENTS III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Vil NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION x I SETTING THE STAGE: 1941-1946 19 From Resistanceto Civil War 19 The DecemberEvents 32 The Development of a Full Scale Civil War 36 11IN SEARCH OF SECURITY: 1947 43 The Maximos Government: The Test of the Centre 43 The Truman Doctrine 50 The War in Greece 54 The Sofoulis Government: A New Centre Experiment 63 Counter-insurgency Operations in Greece 66 III THE DENOUEMENT: 1948-1949 78 Military Preparations 78 The Battles of 1948 81 Stalematein Late 1948 88 The End of the Civil War 94 IV POST-CIVIL WAR POLITICS, THE KOREAN WAR AND NATO SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS: 1950 108 The Period of UnstableCoalitions 108 The VenizelosGovernments: A Marginal Stability 119 iv GreeceJoins NATO 124 V STABILISATION ERA: 1951-1952 130 PapagosEnters Politics 130 The PlastirasGovernment 144 The Rally Wins the Election 149 VI GREECE'S ACCESSION TO NATO: 1952 154 Greeceand NATO's SouthernFlank 154 The DefenceBurden Debare 161 The British Military Missionand the NATO Framework 165 UNSCOBand Balkan Cold War Policy 171 CONCLUSION 174 APPENDICES 180 BIBLIOGRAPHY 196 V Acknowledgments This study has been made possible by the kindness of many. The official debts go tomys upervisor,DrS imon B all. His suggestionshave enlarged the scope of my researchand broadenedthe limits of the thesis.He unwaveringly offered me much of his time during and off term to comment upon the chapters and the thesis as a whole. Special thanks are due to Dr Richard Aldous, University College Dublin, and Dr Phil O'Brien, Glasgow University, for their discerning comments, apt remarks as well as constructivecriticism during my viva. They both offered me insight on their particular area of interest and made the exam a particularly fruitful experience. I am warmly appreciative of the professionalism of the staff at the PRO, Liddell Hart Archives, Churchill Archive and National Library of Scotland; without their competenceand wholehearted assistance the research of this work would have been extremely frustrating. I shall always be indebtedto the staff of the DDS of the GlasgowUniversity Library for making everypossible effort to offer me accessto all booksneeded. I also owe particular dept of gratitude to the staff of King's College Library for their exceptional professionalism, which firmly was offered to me, even in the form of personalcontact whenever needed. Last but not least,my specialthanks are extended to Ms Alison Peden, the Secretaryof the Department of History, for her personal and secretarialsupport, for finding solution to practical problems and sorting out all kinds of administrativedifficulties. The pleasantduty of unfolding the roll of personal debts begins with my family without whose support the completionof this work would have been much more comp icated and difficult. They all have alwaysbeen generousand reassuringduring the very many trying moments involved in the lonely adventure of developing this thesis. Their belief in me has given me strength to go on. Their understanding and vi encouragementhas made the burden of this study much easier. Thus, it has been my greatpleasure to dedicatethe thesisto them. My grateful thanks go also to my friends in Athens and Glasgow for their support along the way and especially to Eleftheria Daleziou,who has been sharingpart of the difficulties. I owe special thanks to my friends and colleagues at the Glasgow University Library for their support and understandingduring all these years. Being a member of staff my self, working in such a friendly environmenthas often made work an enjoyable break from study and academiccommitments. I thank them for their kindnessand above all for making me feel at home in Glasgow. For warm hospitality as well as unfailing care, special thanks are due to Sir Roddy and Lady Ma&rie MacSween. Their acquaintancehas been greathonour to me. Their generosityexceeded my expectations. For his solid advice and personalinterest in my work, my special thanks also go to Dr Alex Zervoudakis for suggestinglines of enquiry, which have greatly enrichedthe scopeof my research.I am indebtedto Dr Fotini Konstantopoulou,Service of Historical Archive- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who gave me accessto the archive and Ms Efi Pashalidou,who allowed me to consult the documentsof the Greek GeneralStaff FEVAIE-GES/DIS. Although this work has been made possible by the assistanceof thosementioned above, its weaknessesare my own. vii List of Abbreviations and Acronyms AMAG American Mission for Aid to Greece AMFOGE American Mission for ObservingGreek Elections ASEA SupremeNational DefenceCouncil-AvCOTaro luýtpol)kto EOvwýqA[wva; BLO British Liaison Officer BLU British Liaison Units BMM British Military Mission CAB CabinetPapers CIGS Commanderof Imperial GeneralStaff Cos Chiefsof Staff DA Democratic Army- AijýtoKpawc6q Erp=6; EAM National Liberation Front-EOvtlcoAnckcuftpamO MF. T(JD7[0 APICTEP6 EDA United Democratic Left-Evcop-',vjj AijgoicpwrtKý EDES National RepublicanGreek League-EMO; Ail[toicpaTtic6;Milwco; E-Mwgo; ELAS National Popular Liberation Army- EOvtic6qA(xtic6q Anc%ci)OcpcoTtYOq ETpar6q EPE National Political Union-Rvwý flo%tmý Email EPEK National ProgressiveUnion of the Centre-EOvtxý I-Ipooku=i Evcoaq K&rpou FO Foreign Office FRUS Foreign Relations of the United States GES General Staff-FFviK6 E7nTF,?£io 7,TpctTolý GES/DIS General Staff /Directorate of History of the Army- ]Fmico EmTEW'o ITP(ITOi)/At601. wail IGTOPiaqETPaTOI) (GES/DIS in the text stands for the published sources of the General Staff/Directorate of History of the Army. ]FEE/AlE is used in the text to illustrate the primary sources of viii the GeneralStaff/ Directorateof History of the Army) HCDeb House of Commons Debates HQ Headquarters ics Joint Chiefs of Staff JUSMAG Joint United StatesMilitary Advisory Group JUSMAPG Joint United States Military Advisory and Planning Group Greece IDEA Sacred Bond of Greek Officers-Icp6q Acaýt6; EXXývcovAýtcogaTtic& is Internal Security KKE Greek CommunistParty-Koggowtowco Kogga EXX68a; LEK Populist Unity Party- Aatk6 EvarvK6Kogga LOK Commandos Units -A6Xot OpFtv(bvKaT(x8po[L(bv MAD Units of Pursuit Detachments- Mova8eq Anoanaaýtkcov &64ccoq MAY Units of Rural Defence-Movd5c; Acyakciag YnaiOpoi) MEA Units of National Guard Defence-Movd8c; EOvixýq Apwaq MEDO Middle East DefenceOrganisation NA National Army-EOvtic6qITpar6q NEA Office of the Near East and African Affairs NSC National Security Council PDG Provisional Democratic Government-llpo(Ycoptvý AiToicpauldl Kuptpilan PEEA Political Committeeof National Liberation- llo%utký E7nTpo7M'Uvwýq AnckcuOE'pcoaTI; PRO Public Record Office SACME SupremeAllied CommanderMiddle East SACEUR SupremeAllied CommanderEurope SHAPE SupremeHeadquarters Allied PowersEurope SHDM Headquartersof Epirus and WesternMacedonia- E-rpaTilysioHacipoi) Kat Alnwýq Malcc8oviaq ix UNGA United Nations GeneralAssembly UNSC United Nations SecurityCouncil UNSCOB United Nations SpecialCommittee on the Balkans USAGG United StatesAnny Group Greece wo War Office YIA Serviceof Historical Archive (GreekMinistry