Colonel Georgios Grivas was one of the important figures of modern Hellenism. A Cypriot by birth, he joined the ranks of the Greek Army and fought both in Asia Minor and Northern Epirus in 1940-41.
After the collapse of the northern continental front, he returned to Athens and, not accepting defeat, founded, as early as June 1941, a small resistance organization, which was joined mainly by officers. This original organization evolved, in 1943, into Organization X.
Much has been written about this organization, mainly by its fanatical opponents, who accuse it of having collaborated with the dosis governments, and even with the German occupation troops. These accusations began to be formulated, mainly, after the participation of X in the battle of Athens, in December 1944, against EAM-ELAS. However, both X as an organization as such, as well as its participation in the Decembrians, is rather overrated.
Around the middle of 1943, Griva's organization received the name X. The core of the organization were Army officers. Its purpose was the expulsion of the conquerors from Greece. The organization claimed that it had no political overtones, however it was known that Grivas was of conservative political beliefs.
Grivas had decided to activate the organization in two years. Initially he intended to proceed with the secret formation and equipping of combat units, and then to launch these units into attacks against the Germans, under the instructions of the Allied Headquarters.
He wanted the fighting units of the organization to be formed according to the guerrilla standards of EDES and EKKA, in areas of vital importance for the Germans, so as to achieve the maximum possible damage to the occupation forces.
The organization made contact with the former archbishop of Athens, the heroic once-metropolitan of Trebizond, Chrysanthos, which was preserved until the liberation and who assured that the organization never had relations with the occupying government.
X was accused of having close ties to the occupation government. X signed a cooperation protocol of seven "national organizations" (Organization X, RAN, National Action, EDES Athens, EDEM, EKO, Triaina) with the English liaison Don Stott and D. Seiragakis, representative of the Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense present. occupying administration government in the framework of the Panhellenic Liberation Coalition (PAS) under the orders of the Middle East Allied headquarters.
Sources of the Left state that many members of the Security Battalions were also members of X, while there was cooperation with the Special Security, which supplied X members with fake service IDs so that they would not be arrested by the German forces. Relations between X and Special Security became known to the Germans at the end of April 1944, but no action was taken
The late Major Ioannis Tsigantes also had personal contacts with Grivas and X, a few days before his heroic death, in a skirmish with the Italians, following a betrayal, for which the EAM was not without responsibility.
Initially, Grivas sought the formation of combat divisions in the north-eastern Peloponnese (regions of Aegeus, Argos and Corinth) and in Phocis. However, these efforts were not successful, since the conquerors, well informed, dismantled the organization's network in the Peloponnese, arresting many members of the organization.
Also, the attempt to form armed groups in the province met the fierce reaction of EAM-ELAS, which wanted to monopolize the resistance struggle, persecuting the other resistance organizations - such as the EKKA for example - regardless of whether they were proven to be fighting against the occupiers.
And as if this were not enough, any organization that did not integrate into the EAM was automatically given the title of "fascist-rational". Even the leader of ELAS, Stefanos Sarafis, before the dissolution of his own organization by ELAS and his "compulsory" membership in it, they were roughly characterized as "Germans", by the same people who later used his name.
Fatefully, therefore, X was limited to Athens and Piraeus. However, its divisions were largely unarmed. Only after the Italian capitulation, in September 1943, was the supply of armaments from the disintegrating Italian units achieved.
An important role was also played by Archbishop Chrysanthos, who collected the necessary money, essentially buying the weapons of the Italians. Thus it was possible to equip 200 fighters, approximately. At the same time, however, the intensive effort to collect information and transmit it to the Middle East Headquarters began.
Grivas also intended to launch a campaign of sabotage against the Germans. On this, however, he was waiting for clear instructions from Cairo, as he did not want to provoke the conquerors' retaliation against innocent Greek hostages.
However, the Germans found out about everything and started looking for Grivas. They initially attempted to arrest him on March 24. The next day, the anniversary of the national rebirth, Grivas participated, with members of the organization, in an event of honor at the monument of the Unknown Soldier.
Nevertheless, the preparation of the organization continued. Gradually, however, the organization gained another opponent, besides the Germans and the EAM. It was the occupation government Ralli. The reason was not the formation of the infamous Security Battalions.
In February 1944, the Ralli government ordered the active officers to enlist, compulsorily, in the Security Battalions. For those who refused to comply, severe penalties were foreseen. Grivas then, after consultation with the officers who staffed the organization, decided that no officer, a member of X, should be listed in the Battalions, since the legitimate Greek government in Cairo had opposed their formation.
The Ralli government personally invited Griva to enlist in the Battalions, with the order of the Ministry of Defense No. OP 18525/10-6-44. When he refused, they first deprived him of his wages and food and then attempted to arrest him.
Grivas was hiding, since March 1943, pursued by the Germans, in Turkovunia. There he was discovered by the Tagmatasfalites, probably after betrayal, but at the last moment, Grivas managed to escape, as he would often do again in the future, when the British would pursue him, this time, in martyred Cyprus.
Another attempt by the organization to set up rebel units in the area of Helikon and Kithairon was attempted, with the help of the "Kodros" organization, which had close contact with the British and the Middle East Headquarters.
The British initially agreed to reinforce X by dropping armaments and supplies into the area, but eventually backed out. At the end of October 1943, the British Captain Don arrived in Athens, who had undertaken the mission to coordinate the action of the Greek resistance organizations X, RAN, EDES, EDEN, EKO, TRIAINA.
Until December
Between May 17 and 20, 1944, the Conference of the same name was held in Lebanon of representatives of Greek parties and organizations, the legitimate government of Cairo and the "government of the mountain".
At the Lebanon conference, the disposition of the EAM faction to torpedo any attempt at reconciliation was evident from the outset, putting forward conditions that could not be accepted in advance.
Indicative of the tension that prevailed was the speech of Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou:"...The cessation of the civil war and the unification of all our national forces against the barbarian invaders for the liberation of the homeland is the reason for our meeting. Hell is the situation of our country today. The Germans are slaughtering, they are slaughtering the security battalions.
"The rebels are also slaughtering. They slaughter and burn. What will remain of this unfortunate Country? The responsibility of the EAM is that it did not only look forward to the liberation struggle, but wanted to prepare its post-war dynamic domination. For this reason, he sought to monopolize the national race. He does not allow anyone else to climb the mountains and fight the conqueror, he prevents the Greeks from fulfilling their patriotic duty with the death penalty. An old example is the current colonel Sarafis. And recently, the absent Colonel Psarros... ».
In the meantime, Grivas, from August 1944, placed the organization under the orders of General Spiliotopoulos, military commander of Athens. By order of the latter, the 1st Infantry Regiment of X was formed, along with parts of the National Action and National Committee organizations. Also by order of General Spiliotopoulos, a detachment of men from X was ordered to go to Porto Rafti, where they would receive armaments, sent by the Middle East Headquarters to equip the Police and the Gendarmerie.
X's team was led by Capt. Artillery Mich. Foreign. Captain Xenos did arrive in the area on September 11, at the head of 100 armed men. Finally the ship carrying the armament arrived at Porto Rafti on the night of September 21-22, 1944.
The armament was unloaded and stored in preparation for its transport to Athens. But then ELAS forces attacked the Foreign detachment, with the aim of taking weapons. The Foreigner's refusal to hand him over was followed by a fight with two ELAS men falling dead. After this, the ELAS forces retreated and Grivas hurried to send reinforcements to Captain Xeno.
The situation was already escalating dangerously. Finally, with the help of reinforcements, the armament was transported to Athens and stored in the area of Thision. A little later the weapons were handed over to the Police, based on the orders that Grivas had from Spiliotopoulos.
On October 8, 1944 strong forces of ELAS attacked the positions of X in Thisio . A fierce battle followed, which finally stopped the next day, October 9, after the intervention of General Spiliotopoulos. Three days later, on October 12, the Germans withdrew from Athens. Grivas, fearing new attacks against his men, ordered the divisions of X to be on the lookout.
Despite this, OPLA (People's Struggle Guard Organization) attacks against members of X were not avoided. Then Grivas ordered the gathering of the main sections of X in the area of Thision, which was the main base of the organization.
On December 1, 1944, ELAS launched the December movement – not in Athens – but with attacks in Epirus against EDES and in Macedonia against the forces of Antonis Fosterides (Tsaos Antons). The facts show that the December movement was pre-decided by the leadership of the KKE, which controlled the EAM, and was not related to the bloody suppression of the EAM demonstration in Athens, on December 3, 1944. The fighting had already begun in northern Greece.
On the morning of December 3, Grivas was called to the office of General Spiliotopoulos. There the general asked him to allocate officers of the organization to man the National Guard battalions formed at the time. Grivas, of course, agreed and immediately ordered 20 of his officers to run. While the two men were talking, the first shots began to be heard. The crisis was coming.
The Battle of Theseus
Spiliotopoulos, upon hearing the shots, ordered Grivas to return to Thisio and be on guard, ready to face the ELAS attack. Indeed Grivas went to Thisium and gathered about 90 fighting men – the 10 officers. Another section with 30-40 men was cut off in the center of Athens - Solonos Street - and fought there.
The ELAS offensive began on December 3. Certainly ELAS did not throw 3,000 men into the battle against X, as some sources state, but in any case its forces were overwhelmingly superior to those of X.
The first attacks took place from the Observatory hill and the areas of Kato Petralona, Plaka and Psirri Square. Despite the ferocity of its forces' attacks, ELAS, on the first day of the battle (December 3), failed to break the resistance of the men of X.
After the fruitless attack, the forces of ELAS were reinforced, on the night of December 3rd to 4th, with the aim of launching a general attack at first light the following day. Grivas managed to inform General Spiliotopoulos about the situation, as well as his division that was fighting in the center of Athens. This section, under Major Pantelis Polyzos, finally managed to slip through the ELAS lines and be rescued.
And the new attacks of ELAS, however, against the fortified men of Griva, failed. However, the collapse of X's small force was only a matter of time. Finally, at 15.00 on December 4, two British armored vehicles appeared in the area. Their leading British general disembarked and conferred with Griva, conveying orders from General Scobie.
Grivas was taken to the 9th Police Department where he was informed of Scobie's order, according to which he had to hand over the weapons. Grivas accepted, but asked for guarantees for the safety of his men and their families, in the area of Thisiou. Although the guarantees were given, they were not kept.
Nevertheless, with the mediation of the British, the battle of Thisios was ended and the fire ceased in the area. Grivas and his men retreated to the 9th Police Department and ELAS forces entered Thisio, unfortunately, committing acts of violence against civilians and the wounded of X.
Eventually Grivas and the rest of his men were taken to the Old Palace. There, in effect, the dissolution of the organization took place and the integration of its men into the newly formed divisions of the National Guard and the Army.
X's losses in the battle of Thision were heavy - about 40 dead and wounded, out of a regular force of 100 men. The losses of ELAS were also heavy, but they certainly did not amount to 700 dead and wounded, as stated by some sources.
The battle of Theseus was the most serious conflict in which X participated and unfortunately it was a fratricidal battle, regardless of who was responsible for causing it.