As the commander of the Allied Military Mission to the Greek guerrillas in Greece in 1943-4, C.M. Woodhouse must maintain a precarious balance between communist and government sides. Against a backdrop of conflicting communist teachings, shifting foreign alliances, territorial claims, and character differences, the communist struggle for Greece unfolded in three rounds. The first began in 1941 with the German occupation of Greece when the National Liberation Front attempted to reclaim the country and overthrow the monarchy. In the second round, the communists attempted to seize power at the end of the German occupation in December 1944 and were thwarted by the intervention of British forces. The third round (1946-9) was characterized by U.S. intervention, UN accreditation missions, and the transition from guerrilla warfare to conventional warfare. The communists were weakened by internal conflicts and suffered defeat by the American forces. The author bases his research on interviews with participants, documentaries, and his own personal experience. He analyzes the characters, ideologies, and events behind one of the largest and most bitter civil wars of modern times.

Pages: 368, Dimensions: 13.8x13.8cm