The Battle of Kalavryta () took place between 11 and 12 April 1948. It was fought as part of the Greek Civil War, pitting forces of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) led by Stephanos Giouzelis against the government garrison of Kalavryta under Nikolaos Arvanitakis.
In the early morning hours of 11 April, DSE fighters launched an offensive on Kalavryta from multiple directions, while small groups of commandos infiltrated the city center. DSE had seized most of the city by noon, with the last defenders surrendering the following day. Following their victory at Kalavryta, DSE seized large amounts of food and military equipment. However, disagreements among DSE's commanding officers and underdeveloped logistics caused it to narrowly avoid encirclement, losing the spoils of the battle in the process. The Battle of Kalavryta was among DSE's most significant victories in the Peloponnese front.
Background
During the Axis occupation of Greece, the EAM-ELAS resistance movement, led by the Communist Party of Greece, emerged as the dominant movement of the Greek Resistance. At the time of Greece's liberation in October 1944, EAM-ELAS dominated the country except for the major cities, especially Athens, where British forces supported the returned Greek government in exile. The rivalry between the British-backed government and EAM-ELAS resulted in the Dekemvriana clashes in Athens (December 1944 – January 1945). EAM-ELAS was defeated and had to accept its disarmament in the Treaty of Varkiza (February 1945).
With EAM-ELAS neutralized, its members became easy prey for persecution by various right-wing groups in retaliation for the preceding "Red Terror". Former ELAS partisans and leftist sympathizers reacted by establishing self-defense militias, known as Groups of Democratic Armed Persecuted Fighters (ODEKA). The Communist Party of Greece began preparations for an armed confrontation with the Greek government in April 1946. By the end of the year, the communist party had established a rival government known as the Provisional Democratic Government, with the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) acting as its army; while the conflict had escalated into a large-scale insurgency.
At the beginning of 1948,DSE controlled all of Peloponnese's main mountain ranges including Taygetus, Parnon and Mainalo. While DSE held most of the mountainous Kalavryta province, its capital of the same name remained in government hands. Kalavryta held a strategic position in the triangle of Patras, Tripoli and the peninsula's northern coast. DSE saw Kalavryta as an important target due to its relative isolation from other state garrisons, the abundance of food, clothing and military equipment held in its warehouses as well as the potential of openly recruiting the residents of numerous left leaning villages surrounding it. DSE was also hoping to gain a foothold on the Gulf of Corinth in order to open a new supply route from Central Greece. Following two successful ambushes at Vaggos and Tropaia on 3 and 9 March respectively, DSE destroyed four government companies and recruited approximately 95 captured government soldiers. The success of those operations along with the possibility of being sent to the Makronisos prison camp boosted the number of young volunteers to DSE from among Peloponnese's rural population.
Prelude
The chief of staff of the DSE of Peloponnese, Kostas Kanellopoulos and the head of DSE's Argolidocorinthia Command, Manolis Stathakis began planning the assault on Kalavryta on 25 March. DSE's Achaea Command head Kostas Basakidis was not involved in the planning and transferred most of his forces to the border with Ileia in a deliberate maneuver designed to confuse the government. DSE possessed excellent intelligence on the Kalavryta region's geological features as well as the strength and disposition of government troops. Information was drawn from personnel native to the area and underground communist party cells in the city.