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The Cretan resistance (Greek: ''Κρητική Αντίσταση'') was a resistance movement against the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and Italy by the residents of the Greek island of Crete during World War II. Part of the larger Greek Resistance, it lasted from May 20, 1941, when the German ''Wehrmacht'' invaded the island in the Battle of Crete, until the autumn of 1945 when they surrendered to the British. For the first time during World War II, attacking German forces faced in Crete a substantial resistance from the local population. Cretan civilians picked off paratroopers or attacked them with knives, axes, scythes or even bare hands. As a result, many casualties were inflicted upon the invading German paratroopers during the battle. ==Development== The Cretan resistance movement was formed very quickly after the Battle of Crete, with an initial planning meeting on 31 May 1941. It brought together a number of different groups and leaders and was initially termed the PMK (Πατριωτικó Μέτωπο Κρήτης – Patriotic Front of Crete), but later changed the name to EAM (Εθνικó Απελευθερωτικó Μέτωπο – National Liberation Front) like the principal communist-led resistance movement on the mainland. The primary objective of the movement on the one hand was to support the Cretan people under occupation by boosting morale, providing information, and distributing of food at a time of great deprivation (due to confiscations by the Germans and Italians), and on the other hand to undertake certain operations against the Germans, including a number of sabotage operations. A notable success was the battle to prevent the destruction of Kastelli airport by the Germans as they were leaving eastern Crete.〔Described in detail in Michalis Kokolakis, ''Ανατολική Κρήτη. Κατοχή, αντίσταση, εμφύλιος'' (Athens, Alfeios, 1990).〕 Communication by boat with Egypt was established as a means of evacuating Allied soldiers who had been trapped on the Island and for bringing in supplies and men to liaise with Cretan resistance fighters. Leading figures in the EAM resistance movement included Yiannis Podias,〔 Miltiades Porfirogenis, Manolis Pitikakis, Nikos Samaritis, Nikos Raiinos, Emmanuel Manousakis, Rousos Koundouros and Mitsos Pappas. The non-communist pole was formed under the name National Organization of Crete (EOK) (with Andreas Papadakis as leader). Other resistance figures included Georgios Petrakis who had close ties with EOK and SOE. Communication between EOK and EAM was poor, with open hostility breaking out between EOK and ELAS, a sub group of EAM, in January 1945 at the siege of Retimo.〔 As Cretan fighters became better armed and more aggressive in 1944, the German troops pulled out of the country areas, having destroyed a number of Kedros villages, killing the inhabitants, to frighten the Cretans.〔 Grouping their forces around Canea, the Germans remained trapped until the end of the war, refusing to surrender to the Greek army, for fear of retaliation, they eventually surrendered to the British on 23 May 1945.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cretan resistance」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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