Contrary to what the Greek left has been arguing for decades, the Greek civil war did not start in 1946 with the attack on Litochoro. It had started much earlier, when the country was still under foreign occupation. The incidents with the dissolution of EKKA and the murder of Dimitrios Psarros and many of his men by ELAS are well known.
But the following document gives another dimension. It is dated 1943 and in it the captain of ELAS and hero, for some, Aris Velouchiotis, essentially asks for the assistance of the Albanians against the "traitor" Zervas. We quote it without comment, simply noting that it comes from the official "Archives of National Resistance" published by the GES, volume 3. The photo shows EDES fighters.
“ELAS
GENERAL STRATEGY
EPIRUS SCALE – WESTERN CONTINENT
P o s
Mr. JIOTZIA member of the Staff of the Albanian People's Liberation Army (A.L.A.S. representative at the Panthessal Conference of Rebels, which met in KASTANIA).
WHERE
Dear Comrade
First, I send you my warmest revolutionary greetings and congratulations for the development and action of your fraternal People's Army.
Then I inform the following:
a/ We are in a tough war against E.D.E.S. (of the traitor N. Zerva), as before time our fellow Serbs to the traitor Mihailovic. They attacked us first and in close cooperation with the Germans and with the absolute help in information, war material and money of the English.
b/ Our effort against everyone is progressing favorably. We dealt with the Germans without much damage.
We almost broke up Zervas, who is now withdrawn, cooperating openly with the Germans, in the Lakka - Souli area, with his remaining minimal forces.
c/ Our section of the Grabala – Kalama area (15th Regiment YIII Division) is now facing the full weight of the remnants of Zerva. We cannot continue our effort if we do not make sure of the final intentions and purposes of the Germans IOANNINE - ARTIS. So we want you to help us with the following:
a) To have a close connection with our divisions and to facilitate them as much as you can in case of their collapse due to pressure towards your lines as ordered.
b) Reinforce them as much as you can in ammunition and food, charging us, because at the moment it is absolutely impossible for technical reasons for us to reinforce them from here. With the same link, please send me as much information as you can about your movement and the movements of the Germans in your area, as I am now personally active in Epirus.
S.D. 26.XI.1943
With comradely love
(T.S.Y.)
ARIS BELOUCHIOTIS
Notification
YIII Division
15th Regiment”