| National Organization of Crete Εθνική Οργάνωση Κρήτης Ethnikí Orgánosi Krítis | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Andreas Papadakis Nikolaos Skoulas |
| Dates of operation | 1943-1944 |
| Headquarters | Chania |
| Active regions | Crete |
| Ideology | Greek nationalism Venizelism Antifascism |
| Allies | EDES EKKA PEAN SOE Greek government in exile |
| Opponents | German Army Greek collaborationist government Security Battalions EAM-ELAS |
TheNational Organization of Crete (Greek:Εθνική Οργάνωση Κρήτης,Ethnikí Orgánosi Krítis (EOK)) was a resistance organization established in the island ofCrete with the cooperation and encouragement ofBritish Intelligence during theAxis occupation of Greece inWorld War II.
EOK was established in June 1943 with the aid ofTom Dunbabin, thenSOE Field Commander on Crete. PredominantlyVenizelist in sympathy and with members ranging fromcentre-left toright-wing, EOK was meant to act as a counterweight to the pro-communistEAMresistance organization.[1] EOK evolved from the secret organization AEAK (Greek:Ανώτατη Επιτροπή Αγώνα Κρήτης, "Supreme Committee of Cretan Struggle"), that was established inChania on June 15, 1941.[2] AEAK was founded a mere two weeks after the end of theBattle of Crete by patriots Andreas Papadakis, Ioannis Paizis,Andreas Polentas, Titos Georgiadis and Ioannis Ioannidis.[3] It was the first armed resistance group inGreece, intending to organize an intelligence network and perform sabotage against German occupation forces. During the first months following its establishment, AEAK was based atColonel Papadakis' houseinVourvoures, nearKallikratis.[4] EOK was initially headed byNikolaos Skoulas, Charidimos Polychronidis, Iosif Voloudakis, Emmanouil Basias and Markos Spanoudakis.Skoulas had joined AEAK shortly after its formation and had closely collaborated with the SOE, supplying it with fake documents while also acting as the German appointed mayor of Chania.[5]
Despite their ideological differences, EAM and EOK agreed to signnon-aggression pacts during the meetings ofTheriso (7/11/1943) and Tromarissa (15/9/1944). These agreements were generally respected and allowed Crete to remain largely unaffected by thecivil war between leftists and rightists that broke out in mainland Greece after the withdrawal of German occupation forces.[6]
