NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT (MACEDONIA)

'National Liberation Front (NOF)' (, Latinic: ''Narodno Osloboditelen Front (NOF)'') (also known as the 'People's Liberation Front') was a political and military organization created by the ethnic Macedonian minority in Greece. The organization operated in the period 1945-1949, most prominently in the Greek Civil War.

Contents

Background

Occupation of Greece in World War II

SNOF

NOF

Foundation of NOF and first actions

NOF's unification with the Democratic Army

Greek Civil War

Ethnic Macedonians and the Greek Civil War

The defeat of the Democratic Army

Aftermath

The exodus of ethnic Macedonians from Greece

References

See also

External links

Background

Occupation of Greece in World War II

While most of Greece was occupied by Axis Powers in World War II, resistance movements were created by Greeks and the then-prominent ethnic Macedonian population. After Greece was occupied by Italy, Germany and Bulgaria, on the whole territory of Northern Greece, different guerilla bands and movements were formed. Some of them where fought against the occupation (like Napoleon Zervas and EDES, other were collaborationists, but one thing was common, all of them were attacking the unarmed ethnic Macedonians living in Northern Greece, seeing them as a potential threat - as happened during the Metaxas regime. There was also ELAS, a partisan army headed by the Communist party of Greece (KKE). Although ELAS in some cases was conducting force mobilization, the ethnic Macedonians sympathized with ELAS and KKE because of their friendly position towards the ethnic minorities in Greece.
The most notorious armed group that was repressing ethnic Macedonians were the collaborationist Security Battalions (Tágmata Asfalías), which accusing them as autonomists, were literary physically destroying ethnic Macedonians population in western Greek Macedonia with their everyday attacks, raping, shooting.

SNOF

The first ethnic Macedonians armed military organization, the 'Slavic-Macedonian National Liberation Front (SNOF)' (, Latinic: ''Slavjano Мakedonski Narodno Osloboditelen Front (SNOF)'') was established in 1943 by ethnic Macedonian members of the KKE. Before the creation of SNOF, ethnic Macedonian military detachments in Greek Macedonia were participating in the ELAS. The first aim of SNOF was to obtain the entire support of the local population and to mobilize it through SNOF in EAM. Also SNOF was struggling against the Ohrana activity in Western Greek Macedonia. After increasing in numbers, the military detachments of SNOF fought the Axis occupation in Northern Greece and collaborated with the units of the Greek Communist Party.

During this time, ethnic Macedonians in Greece had a legion of rights to publish newspapers in Macedonian language and operate schools. SNOF was dissolved in 1944 by an order of the CC of KKE after the end of the National Liberation War of Greece, and the British intervention. Some of the commanders of SNOF, unsatisfied by the decision of the KKE, headed by Vangel Ajanovski - Oche crossed into Vardar Macedonia and participated in the National Liberation War of Macedonia.

NOF

Foundation of NOF and first actions

After the liberation of Greece, and the signing of the treaty of Varkiza, there was no sign of possible political stabilization of the country. The Democratic leftist forces were isolated from the process, and the British intervention was backing the right wing government formed in Athens. After ELAS was partly disarmed, KKE and the democratic forces held the line of political struggle. But while KKE was negotiating and fighting within the political frame, in Northern Greece, bands of the formal Security Battalions (formal collaborationists) and government forces harassed the ethnic Macedonians accusing them of autonomist activities.
Seeing that the KKE is fighting only politically, the ethnic Macedonians in Edessa, Kastoria and Florina, organized themselves by forming NOF (Narodno Osloboditelen Front). NOF was founded on 23 April 1945 by Paskal Mitrevski, Mihail Keramidzhiev, Georgi Urdov, Atanas Koroveshov, Pavle Rakovski and Mincho Fotev. According to the statute, NOF’s objectives: Fighting the monarchofasist aggressors, fight for democracy and a Greek republic and the physical preservation of the ethnic Macedonian population.
First NOF acted only organizing meetings, protests in streets, factories, publishing illegal papers, but soon they started forming partisan detachments. The ethnic Macedonian KKE members that escaped Greece when the country was liberated, started coming back to their homes and entering the ranks of NOF. In 1945 12 were formed in Kastoria, 7 in Florina, and 11 in Edessa and Gianitsa region. These groups were patrolling the villages and their aim was to defend the population. From mid till the end of 1945 these groups had 30 battles with monarchо-fascist patrols. The biggest one was near Moglena when a convoy carrying political prisoners was attacked by NOF. 14 monarchо-fascist soldiers were killed, 9 captured and all of the prisoners (ethnic Macedonians and Pontians) released.
In some villages of Edessa even Pontians were members of the NOF committees. In Kastoria a lot of Vlachs were also involved in NOF together with the ethnic Macedonians.At first there was a conflict between the KKE and NOF. KKE wanted a [political] struggle, and NOF insisted on an [armed] struggle. NOF knew that the monarcho - fasists will not implement the Varkiza agreement, while Zachariadis still believed that there is a chance to make a decision with the reaction. Until the KKE declared the beginning of the armed struggle in 1946, the NOF was acting independently from KKE by conducting several battles with government forces backed by the British intervention. Thus, NOF stimulated the beginning of an armed insurrection of the democratic left forces against the monarchо-fascist government. NOF and also created regional committees in all areas with compact ethnic Macedonian population (Florina, Eddesa, Meglena-Gianitsa and Kastoria).

NOF's unification with the Democratic Army

When NOF became a powerful factor in Northern Greece, KKE started negotiations with them. The negotiations were conducted by Mihail Keramidzhiev and Paskal Mitrevski from NOF, and Markos Vafiadis from DSE. After nearly 7 months negotiations, they reached the agreement to unite. And in 1946 NOF united with DSE (Greek Democratic Army). All this time, KKE and NOF were holding the minimalist position (equality of all ethnic groups within the borders of Greece), and NOF was against every form of autonomism..Because of the fact that KKE treated ethnic Macedonians equally with the Greeks, a lot of Macedonians enlisted as volunteers for the Democratic Army (60% of the DSE was composed of ethnic Macedonians).

Greek Civil War

Main articles: Greek Civil War

Ethnic Macedonians and the Greek Civil War

Soon after Keramitdzhiev met with KKE officials, it was decided that ethnic Macedonian schools will be open on the free territory. Books written in ethnic Macedonian language were being published, and also ethnic Macedonians theaters, cultural organizations. Also within the NOF, a female organization - AFZH (Antifascist Women's front) and youth organization - ONOM (National Liberation Front of the Youth) were formed.

The ethnic Macedonians were fighting very courageous in the Greek Civil War and gave significant contribution to the initial victories of DSE. But soon, the USSR -Yugoslavian conflict arose, and Yugoslavia (including S.R. Macedonia) closed its border to DSE - because both NOF and DSE were holding the line of the USSR. In the beginning of the war Markos Vafiadis had a very efficient strategy, and controlled territories from Florina till Attica, and there was also free territories in Peloponnese (also didn't last very long). But soon the British started sending tanks, airplanes and ammunition. Vafiadis with his guerrilla tactics managed to inflict great casualties to the monarchоfascists. Free territories were crated in the villages and mountains - while the monarchofasists were stationed only in the cities. But the British intervention and the introduction of heavy machinery, tanks and airplanes in the war, turned the staked around. Also there was the boycott from Yugoslavia.

The defeat of the Democratic Army

The DSE started loosing grounds under the heavy air bombings, artilery barrages and tank attacks - while the DSE fighters were armed with light and only few heavy weapons.But still DSE was fighting hard. Soon Vafiadis was expelled from the position of chief in command of the DSE and on his place came Zachariadis - who changed the whole command cadre with party members with no armed experience. This decision was the beginning of the end of the DSE.
From the unification in 1946, till the end of the war NOF was loyal to Greece, and was fighting for the minimal human rights within the borders of a democratic Greek republic.But Zachariadis, in order to mobilize more ethnic Macedonians in the DSE, declared on 31 January 1949 on the V plainum of the KKE that when the DSE takes power in Greece, there will be a independent Macedonian state, united in its geographical borders. This new line of the KKE had impact on the mobilisation rate (which also earlier was more than high), but could not manage to change the course of the war.At the battles of Vitsi and Grammos under the napalm bombs and artillery barrages, the DSE was expelled from Greece. Because Yugoslavia closed the borders, the evacuation was conducted through Albania.

Aftermath

The exodus of ethnic Macedonians from Greece

The monarchofasists were destroying every village that was on their way, and expelling the civilian population. Some of them by force, some of them by their own will (in order to escape from repression and retaliation), 50 000 people escaped from Greece together with the retreating DSE. All of them were sent to Eastern European countries and in the USSR. Not until the 1970, some of them were allowed to come to Socialist Republic of Macedonia.In the 80's Greece adopted the law of national reconsolidation which allowed DSE members "''of Greek origin''" to come back to the country and were given land. But the ethnic Macedonian fighters even today are denied this right.

References

# "Σαραντα χρονια του ΚΚΕ 1918-1958", Αθηνα, 1958, 549.
# "Ριζοσπαστης", αρ. 89 (7026), 10.06.1934, σ.3.
# "Σαραντα χρονια του ΚΚΕ 1918-1958", Αθηνα, 1958, σ.562.
# "Les Archives de la Macedonine" - (Leter from Fotis Papadimitriou to the CK of the KKE), 28 March 1943.
# "Народно Ослободителниот Фронт и други организации на Македонците од Егејскиот дел на Македонија. (Ристо Кизјазовски)", Скопје, 1985.
# "Славјано Македонски Глас", 15 Јануари 1944 с.1
# "АМ, Збирка: Егејска Македонија во НОБ 1941-1945 - (Повик на СНОФ до Македонците од Костурско 16 Мај 1944)"
# "Народно Ослободителниот Фронт и други организации на Македонците од Егејскиот дел на Македонија. (Ристо Кизјазовски)", Скопје, 1985.
# "Егеjски бури - Револуционерното движење во Воденско и НОФ во Егеjска Македоница. (Вангел Аjановски Оче)", Скопје, 1975.
# "To ΚΚΕ, Episama kimena", t.V, 1940-1945, 1973.
# "Les Archives de la Macedonine" - (The Constitution of NOF).
# "Les Archives de la Macedonine, Fond: Aegean Macedonia in NLW" - (Field report of Mihail Keramidzhiev to the Main Command of NOF), 8 July 1945
# "Les Archives de la Macedonine, Fond: Aegean Macedonia in NLW" - (Report of Elefterios Imsiridis to the CK of KKE about the activity of NOF), 6 September 1945
# "Егејскиот дел на Македонија (1913-1989). Стојан Киселиновски", Скопје, 1990.
# "КПГ и Македонското национално прашање (1918-1940). Ристо Кизјазовски", Скопје, 1985.
# "Prokiriksi, Praksis kai apofasis tou Genikou Arhigiou tou Dimokratikou Stratou tis Elados", 1947.
# "Македонски национални институции во Егејскиот дел на Македонија (Ристо Кизјазовски)", Скопје, 1987.
# "Σαραντα χρονια του ΚΚΕ 1918-1958", Αθηνα, 1958, σ.575.
# "Македонците и односите на КПЈ и КПГ (1945-1949). Ристо Кизјазовски", Скопје, 1995.
# "General Markos: Zašto me Staljin nije streljao. Jovan Popovski", Ljubljana, 1982.
# "Les Archives de la Macedonine" - (Resolution of the V-th Plenary Session of the Communist Party of Greece), 31 January 1949.
# "Македонската политичка емиграција од Егејскиот дел на Македонија во Источна Европа. Ристо Кизјазовски", Скопје, 1989.
# "Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) - Minority rights Report on Greece to the 1998 OSCE Implementation Meeting", 28 October 1998.

See also

★ Ethnic Macedonians

★ Macedonian Question

★ National Liberation War of Macedonia

★ Greek Civil War

★ Uhrana

★ Minorities in Greece

External links

★ [1] Aegean Part of Macedonia after the Balkan Wars