1944

Liberated Athenians greet British soldiers in Athens

Events

April 5: 270 Greeks are executed in the village of Kleisoura (Kastoria), by the German occupation forces, in retaliation for the killing of two German soldiers in the area.
April 18: Alexandros Svolos replaces Evripidis Bakirtzis as head of the Political Committee of National Liberation (the government of the mountains).
April 24: 318 Greeks are killed by German occupation troops in Pyrgos, Kozani prefecture. 180 of them were burned alive.

May 1: 200 Greek patriots are executed by the Nazis at Kaisariani.
May 4: The village of Saktouria in Rethymno prefecture, Crete, is totally destroyed by German occupation troops.
May 9: 10 Greeks are hanged by the German occupation forces at Psila Alonia, Achaea prefecture. Several were members of the resistance group EAM.

June 10: German occupation troops execute 218 Greeks in Distomo, Boeotia prefecture.

September 15: ELAS Guerrilas attack and capture Meligala, Messinia. Atrocities follow.

October 12: The WWII German occupying forces move out of Athens.
October 17: The Greek government-in-exile boards the Battleship Georgios Averof for the return trip to Athens.
October 18: The Greek Government in exile, under Georgios Papandreou, arrives in Piraeus.
October 28: German soldiers, while on retreat, sabotage and destroy the bridge of Papadia, and the tunnel and bridge of Brallos.
October 30: Thessaloniki is liberated from the German World War II occupying forces

December 4: Communist organisation ELAS and nationalist Organisation X battle at Theseum for control of Athens.
December 24: Sir Winston Churchill arrives in Athens in an attempt to resolve the political crisis between EAM and the re-instated Greek government of Georgios Papandreou.
December 27: PM Georgios Papandreou submits his resignation in the midst of the post-World War II December crisis ("Δεκεμβριανά"). Winston Churchill leaves Athens for London.