Author: (Deputy Ministry of [Greek] Press); Scobie, Lieutenant-General Ronald MacKenzie.
Title: Rare Greek Informational Broadside Issued at the Start of the 37-Day Battle of Athens (Dekemvriana) and the Greek CIVIL War.
Description: Athens, Greece: Deputy Ministry of Press and Information, December 5, 1944. 1944. - Folio, a 12-3/4 inch high by 9-1/2 inch wide broadside printed on newsprint. A two-line banner title centered at the top is followed by two columns of text with the contents justified left below centered headings. The publication info and the date are printed above the second column. The broadside is toned and folded both vertically and horizontally with minor pinprick holes. Very good.

The text is in Greek and our translations may be subject to some corrections.

During the late hours of December 4, 1944 and the early hours of December 5 Lieut.-General Scobie, GOC British Forces in Greece, proclaimed martial law in Athens and in Piraeus, the port of Athens, following violence on December 3rd and the declaration of a general strike. The broadside publishes Winston Churchill's statement supporting his General. "The Prime Minister wishes to make known that the announcement of the 1st December by General Scobie to the Greek people, stressing the need for unity and expressing our full support for the current Greek Government, was made with the knowledge and full approval of the Government of her Majesty."

Following this is a statement concerning order: "..General Scobie has taken all recommended measures to fully reestablish order..English troops guard Public Facilities and simultaneously the reclamation of Police Departments has begun. The Greek people should be certain that order will be completely enforced."

There is a statement that "In yesterday's first court day of the Special Collaborators' Court the S.S. associate and member of the 'BUND', the infamous Giannopoulos was sentenced to death." The BUND organization and its leader Aginor Giannopoulos trained a battalion of Greek volunteers who fought in SS and Brandenburgers units. According to the broadside 200 members of ELAS in the suburb of Nea Ionia were disarmed as were 1200 near Psychiko.

There is a brief report on the events leading up to martial law: "In the march on the day before yesterday, organized by the Communist Party, protesters threw a grenade and shot at the house of the Prime Minister [George Papandreou] on Kifisias street. The leader of the protesters, officer of ELAS and known communist ( ?Architect Provellegios) was arrested."

Finally, there is a statement on food shortages. "..due to the three-day labor strike the steamboats full of food meant to be distributed to the Greek People, anchored in Piraeus harbor, remains unloaded."

RARE. Very good .

Keywords: HISTORY; GREEK CIVIL WAR; RARE GREEK INFORMATIONAL BROADSIDE ISSUED AT THE START OF THE 37-DAY BATTLE OF ATHENS (DEKEMVRIANA) AND THE GREEK CIVIL WAR; DEPUTY MINISTER OF PRESS AND INFORMATION; LIEUTENANT-GENERAL RONALD MACKENZIE SCOBIE; BROADSIDE; BRITISH

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