Operation Pyravlos

Operation Pyravlos
Date	May 5 – late July 1949
Location	Thessaly, central Greece
Result	National Army victory
Belligerents
Provisional Democratic Government Democratic Army;	Kingdom of Greece National Army;
Commanders and leaders
Unknown	General Alexander Papagos

Operation Pyravlos (Greek: Επιχείρηση «Πύραυλος», "Rocket") was a military campaign of the Greek Civil War launched by the National Army of the Athens-based internationally recognized government, under General Alexander Papagos. All communist forces in central Greece were defeated and the only areas that remained under communist control were in the Grammos and Vitsi mountains.^[1]

References

^ Averoff-Tossizza, Evangelos (1978). By fire and axe: the Communist Party and the civil war in Greece, 1944–1949 (1st English language ed.). New Rochelle, N.Y: Caratzas Brothers. pp. 336–338. ISBN 0-89241-078-7. Retrieved 1 March 2026.

[1] Averoff-Tossizza, Evangelos (1978). By fire and axe: the Communist Party and the civil war in Greece, 1944–1949 (1st English language ed.). New Rochelle, N.Y: Caratzas Brothers. pp. 336–338. ISBN 0-89241-078-7. Retrieved 1 March 2026.

[1]

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