ELAS (Greek People's Liberation Army)

ELAS (Greek People's Liberation Army) was the military branch of the Greek Resistance during World War II, formed to fight occupying Axis forces, primarily Nazi Germany. Established in 1942 by the Greek Communist Party, it aimed to resist and undermine the occupation through guerrilla warfare. ELAS became the largest and most effective resistance group in Greece, but its activities also led to internal conflicts during the post-war period. It played a key role in Greece’s wartime resistance and influenced post-war politics, eventually evolving into a significant communist movement during Greece’s civil war in the late 1940s.