Dekemvriana

Dekemvriana, also known as the December Events, refers to a period of intense urban fighting in Athens and Piraeus during December 1944, in the final phase of World War II in Greece. The clashes pitted the government and security forces, backed by British troops, against the left-wing National Liberation Front and its military arm, ELAS, which had become the dominant force in much of occupied and liberated Greece under the wartime resistance movement EAM-ELAS. The immediate trigger was the attempt to disarm ELAS and reestablish government authority in the capital after the German departure.

Fighting began in early December as ELAS units attacked police stations, government targets, and secure lines in central Athens. The urban combat spread across neighborhoods such as Omonoia and Exarchia, involving street fighting, shelling, and bombings. The British and Greek security forces conducted operations to restore order, leading to a cycle of clashes, bombardment, and reprisals. The fighting produced significant casualties and destruction and disrupted daily life in the capital, with civilians bearing a substantial portion of the suffering.

The Dekemvriana ended with a fragile stabilization and a shift in political calculations. In the following months, forceful attempts at demobilization and reconciliation culminated in the Varkiza Agreement of February 1945, which called for the disarmament of ELAS and political amnesty, though it did not settle the underlying tensions. The events helped catalyze the subsequent Greek Civil War (1946–1949) and left a lasting imprint on postwar Greek politics, contributing to the deep polarization between left and right in the country.