The Greek Civil War: A National Army’s Counter-insurgency Triumph

One of the accepted orthodoxies about the Greek Civil War (1946–49) is that the Greek government’s eventual victory was achieved only because of Anglo-American training and equipment. This article argues that the Greek National Army developed its own military strategy, and that advice from British or American advisory teams was often disregarded, especially during the final years of the conflict. The Greek National Army learned while fighting, and devised what would be recognised today as a “clear, hold, build” strategy. The learning curve was steep, against a Communist opponent who was ruthless and well equipped.