Operation Peristera

Date	December 19, 1948 - April 1949
Location	central and southern Peloponnese, southern Greece

Belligerents

Provisional Democratic Government (Democratic Army)

Kingdom of Greece (National Army)

v t e Greek Civil War
Prelude 5/42 dissolution Meligalas Kilkis Dekemvriana Thiseio-Makrygianni War Litochoro attack Operation Terminus Operation Limnes Konitsa Thessaloniki bombing) Ierapetra Operation Charavgi Makronisos Kalavryta Operation Koronis Kastoria Operation Peristera Agios Vasileios Karditsa Naousa Karpenisi Florina Operation Pyravlos Metaxades Operation Pyrsos

Operation Peristera (Greek: Επιχείρηση «Περιστερά», "dove" in Greek) was a military campaign for control of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Greek Civil War.

Background

In early 1947, the Peloponnese peninsula was relatively peaceful, but fighting eventually occurred in late 1947. Throughout 1948, communist control of the interior of the peninsula made the central and southern regions inaccessible to government. The communists provided good treatment to the local inhabitants in areas they controlled, and the region suffered less than other parts of Greece.

Campaign

The location of the Peloponnese isolated the communists there from their comrades in northern and central Greece. During the course of the campaign, the communist leadership (operating in northern Greece) suffered a split between those loyal to Markos Vafiadis and the pro-Soviet faction of KKE General-Secretary Nikos Zachariadis, as a result of the Tito–Stalin split. At the same time, relations between the Greek communists and Tito's Yugoslavia were beginning to break down.

Bibliography

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Studies in the History of the Greek Civil War, 1945–1949. Lars Bærentzen, John O. Iatrides, Ole Langwitz Smith. 1987.

v t e Greek Civil War
Background	4th of August Regime Axis occupation of Greece Greek Resistance National Liberation Front Greek People's Liberation Army National Republican Greek League (EDES) Collaborationist governments Security Battalions Greek government-in-exile Red Terror Lebanon Conference Caserta Agreement Battle of Meligalas Battle of Kilkis (1944) Dekemvriana Treaty of Varkiza White Terror 1946 election 1946 referendum
Events (1946-1949)	Litochoro attack Truman Doctrine Battle of Konitsa Thessaloniki bombing Capture of Ierapetra Operation Charavgi Massacre of the First Sapper Battalion Operation Koronis Operation Peristera Operation Pyravlos Tito–Stalin split Operation Pyrsos
Communists	Communist Party of Greece Provisional Democratic Government Democratic Army of Greece Popular Civil Guard National Liberation Front (Macedonia) Nikos Zachariadis Markos Vafiadis Charilaos Florakis Alexandros Rosios Petros Kokkalis
National Government	George II of Greece Paul of Greece Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens Themistoklis Sofoulis Konstantinos Tsaldaris Alexandros Papagos Konstantinos Ventiris Konstantinos Dovas Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos Dimitrios Giatzis James Van Fleet Hellenic Army Royal Hellenic Air Force Greek Gendarmerie Countryside Security Units TEA
Impact and aftermath	Refugees Internal exile Sacred Bond of Greek Officers Centrist Interlude Greek junta Metapolitefsi