Napoleon Zervas

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Napoleon Zervas

Napoleon Zervas was a Greek military and political figure.

Zervas was born in Arta, Epirus, on May 17, 1891. He joined the Greek Army as a volunteer in 1910 and served with distinction in the Balkan Wars, WW I and the Greco-Turkish war of 1922.

Zervas is best remembered for organising the EDES resistance movement, in September 1941, during the German occupation. Originally a Venizelist, Zervas incorporated royalists into his movement who saw EDES as the only acceptable alternative to EAM, the Communist-dominated resistance movement. His activities were largely confined to Epirus, though he took part in the sabotage of Gorgopotamos bridge, which seriously hampered the German supply route to Rommel's Afrika Korps.

After the war, Zervas formed the National Party of Greece and took part in the 1946 elections. He was elected to the Hellenic Parliament and participated in Dimitrios Maximos' cabinet as Minister of Public Order and in Sophocles Venizelos' cabinet as Minister of Works.

He died on December 10, 1957 in Athens.