Dates 24 Dec 1947 – 15 Jan 1948 | Result Hellenic Army victory | |
Similar Greek Civil War, Hukbalahap Rebellion, Dekemvriana, Congo Crisis | ||
The Battle of Konitsa was an attempt by the Greek communist forces during the Greek Civil War to capture the northwestern Greek town of Konitsa, in order to make it the capital of a communist government rival to the recognized government in Athens.
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Background
In March 1947, one year after the start of the Greek Civil War, the Greek communist forces controlled 100 villages throughout Greece and commanded an army of 13,000 guerrillas with the support of 50,000 more in towns and villages throughout Greece. By mide-1947, this force had grown to 23,000. The communists had the support of Communist governments in Bulgaria, Albania and Yugoslavia. However, they did not control any major cities, and Vafiadis decided to make the town of Konitsa, 8 miles from the Albanian border, the capital of a Greek communist government.
Battle
The townspeople of Konitsa, contrary to Vafiadis' expectations, sided with the Athens government and fortified their town against the communists, fighting alongside the government army. The communists attacked the bridge of Bourazani spanning the Aoos River, to cut off government forces in the regional capital Ioannina from the town. The government flew in troops in DC-3s provided by civilian airliners. Despite the assistance of 105mm artillery provided by Albania, the communists were defeated.
Aftermath
This was a turning point in the Greek Civil War. The government army, totaling 200,000 strong (8 divisions and 3 independent brigades), with artillery, armor, aircraft and Anglo-American assistance, far outnumbered the communists. The communists had poor relations with the population of the villages they controlled, who were generally opposed to them.