Political Committee of National Liberation Πολιτική Επιτροπή Εθνικής Απελευθέρωσης
1944
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Hymn of Political Committee of National Liberation" (Ýmnos tis PEEA)[1]
Status	National Liberation Front andCommunist Party of Greece dominated government
Capital	Athens (official),Koryschades (Evrytania) (headquarter of PEEA)
Common languages	Greek/Demotic Greek
Demonyms	Greek, Hellene
Government	ProvisionalMarxist–Leninistsocialist republic
Chairman of PEEA
• 10 March 1944 – 18 April 1944[2]	Evripidis Bakirtzis
• 18 April 1944 – 9 October 1944	Alexandros Svolos
Deputy Chairman of PEEA
• 1944	Evripidis Bakirtzis
Legislature	National Council
Historical era	World War II
• Established	10 March 1944
• Disestablished	5 November[3][4]
Currency	Greek drachma (₯)
Preceded by Succeeded by Hellenic State (1941–1944) Provisional Democratic Government

ThePolitical Committee of National Liberation (Greek:Πολιτική Επιτροπή Εθνικής Απελευθέρωσης,Politiki Epitropi Ethnikis Apeleftherosis,PEEA), commonly known as the "Mountain Government" (Greek:Κυβέρνηση του Βουνού,Kivernisi tou Vounou), was aCommunist Party-dominated government established inGreece in 1944 in opposition to both thecollaborationistGerman-controlled government in Athens and to theroyal government-in-exile inCairo who were in support of the collaborationists.

It was integrated with theGreek government-in-exile in anational unity government at theLebanon conference in May 1944.

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The PEEA was established on 10 March 1944 by the leftistNational Liberation Front (EAM)/Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS) movement, which was then in control of much of the country. Its aims, according to its founding charter, were, "to intensify the struggle against the conquerors ... for full national liberation, for the consolidation of the independence and integrity of our country (...) and for the annihilation of domestic fascism and armed traitor formations".

The PEEA's authority was significantly reinforced after the establishment of theNational Council (Greek:Εθνικό Συμβούλιο) in 1944. The National Council was an assembly elected by secret elections organised by the PEEA in late April 1944 in both the liberated parts of Greece and the still-occupied cities, mainly Athens. Between 1.5 and 1.8 million Greeks voted in these elections, which are notable for the fact that for the first time in Greece, women wereallowed to vote. The Council first converged inKoryschades, a mountain village ofEvrytania, from 14 to 27 May 1944. Its main act was voting a resolution, an extract of which is quoted:

"General clauses

The National Council, composed of representatives of the whole of the Greek people, who converged to declare its inexpugnable will to fight to the bitter end for the liberation of the country, the destruction offascism and the restoration of its national unity and popular sovereignty, willing to determine the way all authorities are exercised infree Greece, votes:

• Article 1: It ratifies the charter establishing Political Committee of National Liberation of March 10, 1944.
• Article 2: All powers derive from the people and are exercised by the people. Self-administration and popular judicature are fundamental institutions of the public life of the Greeks.
• Article 3: The National Council is the supreme instrument ofpopular sovereignty. The PEEA possesses all powers determined in this decree.
• Article 4: The People's liberties are sacred and inviolable. The struggling nation will protect them from any threats no matter where they are coming from.
• Article 5: All Greeks, men and women, have equal political and civil rights.
• Article 6: Employment is a fundamental social function and generates rights for the enjoyment of life’s goods.
• Article 7:The People's language is the formal language for all manifestations of public life and for all educational grades."

The PEEA's first president wasEvripidis Bakirtzis, the former leader ofNational and Social Liberation (EKKA). On April 18Alexandros Svolos, a prominent professor of constitutional law of theUniversity of Athens, took his position and Bakirtzis became vice-president. Not only communist leaders but also many progressive bourgeois, who had nothing to do with communist ideas, participated in the PEEA.

ELAS not only resisted German and Italian occupation forces but also re-organised life inFree Greece, the mountainous areas (i.e. the biggest part of Greece) it controlled. EAM, with the co-ordination and organization of the PEEA, helped the local people organise schools, hospitalise refugees from the big cities and protect the crops from German looting. Amateur actors and musicians created travelling theatres and bands, something that most rural communities had never seen or heard before. Another achievement of ELAS (due partially to the progressive ideas and partially to the lack of men) was to promote women's rights. Young girls, who until then were working at home or the fields, had the opportunity to educate and express themselves. There were also improvised telecommunications either by telephone lines or by messengers and systems of re-distribution of food-resources, so that no village would starve.

• Clogg, Richard (2013).A Concise History of Modern Greece (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-1-10761203-7.
• Papastratis, Procopis (2006)."Local Government in Liberated Areas of Occupied Greece". In Bruno De Wever; Herman Van Goethem; Nico Wouters (eds.).Local Government in Occupied Europe (1939–1945). Gent: Academia Press. pp. 205–220.ISBN 9038208928.
• Skalidakis, Yannis (2015)."From Resistance to Counterstate: The Making of Revolutionary Power in the Liberated Zones of Occupied Greece, 1943–1944".Journal of Modern Greek Studies.33 (1):155–184.doi:10.1353/mgs.2015.0000.S2CID 141718083.

• Greece in World War II
• National Liberation Front (Greece)
• Political history of Greece
• Provisional governments
• Former socialist republics
• 1944 establishments in Greece
• 1944 disestablishments in Greece
• Organizations established in 1944
• Organizations disestablished in 1944
• 1940s in Greek politics
• States and territories established in 1944
• States and territories disestablished in 1944

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