Figure 1.--The photo was taken in Distomo. By this time the Germsnms had largely wihdrawn fron Greece, retreating back toward the collapsing Reich. Here we see a group of Greek children posing at a memortial to the victims of a NAZI atrocity -- the Distomo Masacre . in the place of the NAZI Masacree (June 10, 1944). A little memorial was already built. The Massacre ocurred in June, the phoyograpoh herre was probaly taken (October). Greece was desvestated by thge Germans. Greece as devestated by tghe Germans, Here the children are mostly barefoot despite the chilly water.

The Germans occupied Greece for about 3 years (April 1942-October 1944) This was a shorter period than many occupied countries. Even so, they had plenty of time to commit a wide range of war crimes and atrocities that are still at issue today. The single most deadly war crime was sizing the Greek food supply. Greece was not self sufficient in food production. Before the War, the Greeks imported food. After the occupation, this was no longer possible. Food could be used to control the population. The NAZI program of plundering the occupied countries, made the situation in Greece even more difficult for the Greek people. Large quantities of food were shipped from Greece to Germany. The result was a mass famine in Greece. Most of the 0.3 million Greeks that perished during the War died as a result of the ensuing famine. Unlike some countries, killing Greeks was not part of the NAZI war goals, but the NAZI Hunger Plan entailed obtaining food for the German people regardless of the impact on occupied peoples. We have no information on the Lebensborn program in Greece. As Greek children tend to be dark complexioned, the SS may not have perused the program in Greece, but we have no information at this time. Himmler wanted blond, blue eyed children. Camps in Greece were part of the vast NAZI system of concentration camps. At that time, the Germans occupied Greece, there were about 76,000 Jews in the country. Most or about 55,000 were in Salonika in the German occupation zone. There were 6,000 Jews in western Thrace under Bulgaria and 13,000 Jews in the Italian zone. The process of the Holocaust was thus affected by which occupation zone the Jews lived. Unlike many European countries, there was not a strong tradition of anti-semitism. Nor was anti-semitism a major concern with the Italians. It was the German occupation administration, the SS, and the German army that brought deadly ant-semitism to Greece. [Manzower]. The NAZIs completed the extermination of Jews in the German and Bulgarian occupation zones by the summer of 1943. The greatest single atrocity committed by the Germans in Greece was the seizure of food. Greece was not self sufficient in food. Thus seizing substantial quantities of food led to hunger and starvation. Most of the 0.3 million Greeks who died during the War starved to death, most of them children. The other major cause of death was the Holocaust--the murder of Greek Jews. In addition to these terrible actions was a long list of killing actions. The Kalavryta massacre is usually seen as the worst single NAZI action. The Germans massacred some 700 Greek males in the Peloponnesian village of Kalavryta. It was retaliation for the resistance forces executed nearly 80 Nazi soldiers. Of course the resistance fighters did this because the Germans were executing their men. There were some 30 other major such atrocities.

Seizing Food

Greece was not self sufficient in food production. Before the War, the Greeks imported food. After the occupation, this was no longer possible. Food could be used to control the population. The NAZI program of plundering the occupied countries, made the situation in Greece even more difficult for the Greek people. Large quantities of food were shipped from Greece to Germany. The result was a mass famine in Greece. The famine in Greece reached Athens in the winter of 1941. The famine was a man-made event resulting from the German ability to control distribution of food. The Germans viewed Greece and other occupied countries as a source of food and resources that could be used to support the War effort. It should be stressed that not all Germans involved in the occupation behaved crudely. German Occupation officials reported to Berlin that more food was needed for the Greek people. These requests were ignored by NAZI officials in Berlin. NAZI officials in some occupied countries were interested in remaking those societies on the basis of the National Socialist principles implemented in Germany. This seems not to have been a major factor in Greece. The German priorities in Greece were clearly obtaining food, raw material, and laborers to support the German War economy. [Mazower] The Occupation was a very difficult period for the Greek people. Actual starvation claimed the most lives. Thousands of adults and children starved in Greece as a result of famine. This was not planned by the NAZIs in the same way that Jews were starved in the ghettos and concentration camps or that Stalin engineered the Ukrainian famine. The Greek famine was the result of the fact that Greece imported food and after the occupation this was no longer possible. The condition was worsened by shipments of food to Germany to support the NAZI war economy. The Germans engineered the famine, but more out of indifference than malevolence. No exact accounting exists of the death toll, but seems to have exceed 0.3 million people. At that time, the Germans occupied Greece, there were about 76,000 Jews in the country. Most or about 55,000 were in Salonika in the German occupation zone. There were 6,000 Jews in western Thrace under Bulgaria and 13,000 Jews in the Italian zone. The process of the Holocaust was thus affected by which occupation zone the Jews lived. Unlike many European countries, there was not a strong tradition of anti-semitism. Nor was anti-semitism a major concern with the Italians. It was the German occupation administration, the SS, and the German army that brought ant-semitism to Greece. [Manzower]. The NAZIs completed the extermination of Jews in the German and Bulgarian occupation zones by the summer of 1943.

Lebensborn

We have no information on the Lebensborn program in Greece. As Greek children tend to be dark complexioned, the SS may not have pursued the program in Greece, but we have no information at this time. Himmler wanted blond, blue eyed children.

Concentration Camps

While publishing an underground newspaper during the German occupation of Greece, historian Stassinopoulos was arrested and taken first to the Haidari concentration camp in Greece and subsequently to the Neugammen and Beendorf camps in Germany.

The Holocaust

At that time, the Germans occupied Greece, there were about 76,000 Jews in the country. Most or about 55,000 were in Salonika in the German occupation zone. There were 6,000 Jews in western Thrace under Bulgaria and 13,000 Jews in the Italian zone. The process of the Holocaust was thus affected by which occupation zone the Jews lived. Unlike many European countries, there was not a strong tradition of anti-semitism. Nor was anti-semitism a major concern with the Italians. It was the German occupation administration, the SS, and the German army that brought anti-semitism to Greece. [Manzower]. The NAZIs completed the extermination of Jews in the German and Bulgarian occupation zones by the summer of 1943. One estimate indicates that at least 54,533 Greek Jews were sent to Auschwitz, despite the protests of many Greek leaders. Most of these Jews were murdered. In total, the Germans confiscated 280 million drachmas ($1.5 million) in cash from Greek Jews, plus property. Between 60,000 and 65,000 Greek Jews died in the Holocaust, though there were a number of Jewish communities that at least partially survived the war. In 1945, the total Jewish population in Greece was 10,000.

Atrocities

The greatest single atrocity committed by the Germans in Greece was the seizure of food. Greece was not self sufficient in food. Thus seizing substantial quantities of food led to hunger and starvation. Most of the 0.3 million Greeks who died during the War starved to death, most of them children. The other major cause of death was the Holocaust--the murder of Greek Jews. In addition to these terrible actions was a long list of killing actions. The Kalavryta massacre is usually seen as the worst single NAZI action. The Germans massacred some 700 Greek males in the Peloponnesian village of Kalavryta. It was retaliation for the resistance forces executed nearly 80 Nazi soldiers. Of course the resistance fighters did this because the Germans were executing their men. There were some 30 other major such atrocities. The initial such atrocities were the Germans seeking out Jews and shooting them as hostages in in reprisal for reputed attacks on their men. Eventually running out of Jews they began to hold non-Jewish Greeks as hostages and shooting them--men and older boys. Eventually the Germans turned to unbridled savagery, shooting women and children as well as raping women and bayoneting babies. The most horrendous such attack was conducted by the Waffen-SS -- the Distomo massacre (Σφαγή του Διστόμου) (June 1944). A partisan group attacked a convoy of 4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division near Distomo, a small non-discript village near Delphi. There was no evidence that that the people in Distomo had any involvenent with the attack. As it was difficult to track down the partisans, the German practice was to exact revenge againdt ba nearby village. Thus Waffen-SS troops of the 2nd company, I/7 battalion, commanded by 26-year-old SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Lautenbach burst into Distomo (June 10, 1944). For over 2 hours they ravaged the village amd its people., inclkiding men, women, and children of all ages. They went door to door to massacre the population. [Stein, p. 277,] The Germans murdered a total of 228 men, women and children. Some sources report a larger number of victims. Survivors who managed to hide from the Germans describe how the SS soldiers "bayoneted babies in their cribs, stabbed pregnant women, and beheaded the village priest." [BBC] German authorities investigated the attack, somthing that was not all that common after the Polish campaign (September 1939). Hitler made it clear that Grman soldietrs weere not to be punished forbactioins against enmy soldiers and civilianms. After the massacre, a Secret Field Police officer with ther unit was apparently horrified by what had happened. He informed the authorities that Lautenbach had not accuraterly reported the action. He hadc reported that his unit had been fired upon "with mortars, machine-guns and rifles from the direction of Distomo". An official inquiry was convened. Lutenbach admitted that he had gone beyond standing orders in he reprisal action. The tribunal found in his favor. Their jusstification was that he had had not been neglkikgent orv ignorasnt. Rather the tribunal found that he had a justifiable motivation -- a sense of responsibility towards the men in his command. [Mazower, pp. 212-14.]

Sources

BBC. "Greeks lose Nazi massacre claim," (June 26, 2003).

Hionidou, Violetta. Famine and Death in Occupied Greece, 1941-1944 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006).

Laiou-Thomadakis, Angeliki. "The Politics of Hunger: Economic Aid to Greece, 1943-1945." Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora (Vol. 7) (2008)

Paraschos, Kostas. I katoche: photografika tekmiria (Athens: Hermes, 1973).

Paraschos, Kostas. I apeleftherosi (Athens: Hermes, 1983).

Stassinopoulosy, Costas. Modern Greeks (American Hellenic Institute Foundation: Washington).

Mazower, Mark. Inside Hitler's Greece: The Experience of Occupation, 1941-1944 (Yale University Press, 1993), 437p.

Stein, George. The Waffen-SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939–1945 (Cornell University Press, 1984).

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