An unknown battle in Thessaloniki
On October 22, 1944, an almost all-day battle took place in Thessaloniki, on Menelaou Street, between unruly Elasites and EDES fighters who were inside the house of the Bakatselos family. Georgios Bakatselos – later a minister – was the political representative of EDES in Thessaloniki. There is a false impression that ELAS was an army with hierarchy and discipline. Hierarchy may have existed, but discipline did not exist, and that is why Nikos Zachariadis himself, at the 12th Plenary Session of the KKE (June 1945), spoke of a “Katsapliadic” mentality.
It was known at the headquarters of ELAS in Thessaloniki that EDES, with the Caserta agreement (September 26, 1944), was, like ELAS, part of the allied army. Therefore, the attack on the EDES headquarters in Thessaloniki could not have been known to the ELAS leadership. And at other times local warlords decided on the actions of the Elasites. One such case was that of Athanasios Chrysochou. He surrendered to the Militia (27/10/1944) after vouching for the safety of doctor Haritantis, a high-ranking official of the EAM, who was accepted by urban Thessaloniki. And yet in the evening, the group of Elastites attacked the municipal hospital, where he was being held, to carry out. They were repelled by militia groups guarding the highest prisoner.
The attack by the mischievous Elashites against the political administration of EDES on 22/10/1944, while the Germans still occupied the city.
The battle on Menelaou Street ended in the late afternoon of October 22, 1944 when the leadership of ELAS intervened, as they realized the consequences of the attack of the unruly Elashites against the political administration of EDES. A tragic incident took place on the sidelines of this conflict. Seven students, members of EDES, when they were informed of what was happening on Menelaus Street, ran to help their comrades. Three of them were captured by the Elasites and four managed to escape. They were all twenty-year-old children, children of well-known urban families of the city. The three arrested materialized the same evening in the Upper Town. The survivors recounted what happened.
It was an unknown battle, while the Germans had not yet left Thessaloniki.