Napoleon Zervas

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Napoleon Zervas surrounded by comrades in arms

Napoleon Zervas ( Greek Ναπολέων Ζέρβας ; * May 17, 1891 near Arta ; † December 10, 1957 in Athens ) was a Greek officer and resistance fighter during the Second World War . Zervas was born in Arta, Epirus and was of souliotic descent. He organized and directed the EDES ( Greek Εθνικός Δημοκρατικός Ελληνικός Σύνδεσμος Ethnikos Dimokratikos Ellinikos Syndesmos , German: National Republican Greek Confederation), a resistance organization against the German occupation of Greece.

Before the First World War, Zervas was at the Athens cadet school, from which he was expelled after two years because of laziness and indiscipline. In 1916 he joined Venizelos and received an officer's license. Between 1916 and 1935 he participated in every army coup. In 1920 he became a major and in 1927, with the rank of colonel, discharged from the army. In 1941 he became its military leader when EDES was founded. He built it up as an alternative to the communist-dominated EAM / ELAS movement. Its activities were largely confined to Epirus . However, he was also involved in the sabotage of the Gorgopotamos Bridge, which seriously obstructed the German support route to Erwin Rommel's Africa Corps .

After the liberation, Zervas was a member of the cabinet of Dimitrios Maximos as minister for public order and in Sophoklis Venizelos cabinet as minister of labor . After his troops were attacked by the communist Andarten , reports of his contacts with the German occupation came to light. As a result, Zervas was forced to give up his political career. He was also accused by left-wing politicians of ethnic cleansing of Çamen Albanians, some of whom were expelled from Epirus to Albania in retaliation for their cooperation with the National Socialists , with many casualties including civilians. After the war, EDES sided with the Allies and carried out operations against the Çamen on their orders. The operations were ordered by the Allies from the headquarters in Alexandria, Egypt. Numerous British officers served as liaison officers to EDES to coordinate operations.

In the village of Neraida there is now a monument to Napoleon Zervas, on which his victory over the German troops in Neraida in 1944 is celebrated every year. A small monument is also in the park at the Platia Evangelikis Scholis in Athens.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alexandros L. Zaouses, Hetaireia Meletes Hellenikes Historias (Athens Greece): Hoi dyo ochthes, 1939-1945: mia prospatheia gia ethnike symphiliose . Ekdoseis Papazese ( google.com [accessed April 13, 2016]).
  2. ^ Heinz A. Richter: Greece 1940-1950. The time of the civil wars. , Ruhpolding 2012. ISBN 978-3-447-06704-1 . P. 86/87

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Zervas, Napoleon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ζέρβας, Ναπολέων (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek politician and resistance fighter
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1891
PLACE OF BIRTH at Arta
DATE OF DEATH December 10, 1957
Place of death Athens