In today's podcast we talk with the historian Polymeris Voglis for the Decembriana and the Civil War. Mr. Voglis is a professor of Social History at the Department of History, Archeology and Social Anthropology of the University of Thessaly. Among other things, he has written the book "The Impossible Revolution (The Social Dynamics of the Civil War)" .
Today, 77 years after the beginning of December, which shaped the modern history of Greece, we can discuss the tragic events of the civil conflict, with the sobriety that time allows and the analytical depth that historical research provides.
The discussion with Polymeris Voglis was structured around 4 major questions:
- Is December an attempt by the KKE to seize power or a conflict caused by the bourgeoisie, having secured victory?
- To what extent was December and the Civil War sparked by the attitude of Great Britain and the Soviet Union?
- Is the second round then the inevitable final act of December's drama, or could events unfold differently?
- What is the human toll of the civil conflict?
Finally, we discussed with Mr. Voglis about how Greek society today manages the memory of events.
The highlights of the discussion
1:27:Neither side expected such a large-scale conflict.
3:10:During the Occupation, a very deep rift opened in Greek society.
4:10:Both sides expect their opponents to stage a coup.
6:00:The KKE considered that the armed attack on the EAM rally was an attempted coup.
8:05:From one point on the dynamics of the conflict sets the tone.
9:08:The Soviet Union was not involved in the December
10:30:The Greek political forces were not aware of the world sharing agreement between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin.
12:00:The matter of the return of the king was of the utmost importance for Great Britain.
13:30:The second round of the Civil War was not inevitable.
14:10:The responsibility for not returning to normality lies with the Right.
16:40:Zachariadis was trapped in the logic of the conflict.
18:03:The victims of the Decemberists:the dead, the executed, the hostages.
21:34:The tens of thousands dead of the Civil War.
22:58:The weight of the Civil War in the formation of collective identities has noticeably decreased.