Review by Choice Review
The Greek Civil War (1944-49), a controversial subject, was the opening conflict of the Cold War. Britain supported a conservative Greek government, aiming to maintain suzerainty over the Middle East, while the US entered the war to check the spread of communism. Greek histories of the conflict have a left-wing perspective, while works in English are somewhat deficient in primary material. In a highly readable but very scholarly narrative, Gerolymatos provides an objective account of both political and military developments, deploying a wide range of Greek sources. Although the circumstances for the outbreak of the war in Athens (December 1, 1944) are unclear, Gerolymatos attributes the first atrocities to the communists. In 1946, Zachariadis, general secretary of the Greek communist party, defied Stalin's strategy to participate in elections, unleashing the most destructive round of the war. Zachariadis made many political and military mistakes but was not entirely responsible for the conflict. At the end of WW II, the Greek government incorporated collaborators into the armed forces, polarizing society. Gerolymatos argues there was no military figure above politics of the stature of de Gaulle to punish collaborators and restore stability. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Anthony J. Papalas, East Carolina University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
