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Holocaust of Kedros
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Holocaust of Kedros
The Holocaust of Kedros (Greek: Ολοκαύτωμα του Κέντρους/Κέδρους), also known as the Holocaust of Amari (Greek: Ολοκαύτωμα του Αμαρίου), was the mass murder of the civilian residents of nine villages located in the Amari Valley on the Greek island of Crete during its occupation by the Axis powers in World War II. The massacre was a reprisal operation mounted by Nazi German forces.
The operation was carried out on 22 August 1944 by Wehrmacht infantry and was followed in the coming days by the razing of most villages, looting, pillage of livestock and destruction of harvests. The number of Greek fatalities was 164. The operation was ordered by Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, commander of the garrison of Crete, to intimidate the population and deter local guerrillas from attacking the occupation forces during their imminent retreat to Chania.
The Amari basin is a scenic fertile valley lying five to six hundred meters above sea level in the southeast part of the Rethymno regional unit. It is located between the Ida (Psiloritis) massif in the east and the conical-shaped mount Kedros (Greek: Κέντρος) in the west. In sharp contrast with the barren mountain peaks overlooking it, the valley has plenty of water and vegetation and has been inhabited as early as the Minoan era.
Most of the villages are gathered around the foothills. The valley has long been used for agriculture and numerous olive and fruit trees are grown there. To promote agricultural education, a school called Scholi Asomaton (Greek: Γεωργική Σχολή Ασωμάτων) was established in 1927 in the buildings of a former monastery located in the valley.
The valley is located away from the major urban centers and saw little presence of German forces during the occupation. It provided shelter to several Commonwealth military personnel still hiding on the island. Many more had crossed the valley heading to the south coast for evacuation to Egypt. Later, residents helped transport supplies and equipment for guerrillas opposing German occupation, as well as offering food to them. Amari became an important center of the Cretan resistance.[citation needed]
The support of the locals, combined with the region's beauty, led the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents then serving in Crete to coin the nickname Lotus Land for the Amari valley.[page needed] Among those who sheltered there were Tom Dunbabin, Xan Fielding, and Patrick Leigh Fermor who used various hideouts in the nearby slopes. Furthermore, the abductors of General Kreipe stayed at a sheepfold in Amari for a couple of nights during their march southwards.[page needed][page needed]
At the time of the Kedros operation, it was clear that Germany was losing the war. By late summer 1944, the occupying forces had begun to plan their withdrawal to Chania, where they stayed until their capitulation on 9 May 1945.[page needed]
At dawn on 22 August, several battalions of German infantry (presumably belonging to the 16th regiment of the 22. Luftlande Infanterie-Division) arrived at the Amari valley. They succeeded in surrounding the villages lining the western side of the Amari valley without being noticed by their dwellers. These villages are collectively called the Kedros villages, namely Gerakari, Gourgouthi, Kardaki, Vryses, Smiles, Drygies, Ano Meros, and Chordaki (in Greek: Γερακάρι, Γουργούθοι, Καρδάκι, Βρύσες, Σμιλές, Δρυγιές, Άνω Μέρος, και Χορδάκι). The nearby village of Krya Vrysi (Κρύα Βρύση) was also surrounded. In all villages, the German raids followed roughly the same pattern.[page needed]
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Holocaust of Kedros
The Holocaust of Kedros (Greek: Ολοκαύτωμα του Κέντρους/Κέδρους), also known as the Holocaust of Amari (Greek: Ολοκαύτωμα του Αμαρίου), was the mass murder of the civilian residents of nine villages located in the Amari Valley on the Greek island of Crete during its occupation by the Axis powers in World War II. The massacre was a reprisal operation mounted by Nazi German forces.
The operation was carried out on 22 August 1944 by Wehrmacht infantry and was followed in the coming days by the razing of most villages, looting, pillage of livestock and destruction of harvests. The number of Greek fatalities was 164. The operation was ordered by Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, commander of the garrison of Crete, to intimidate the population and deter local guerrillas from attacking the occupation forces during their imminent retreat to Chania.
The Amari basin is a scenic fertile valley lying five to six hundred meters above sea level in the southeast part of the Rethymno regional unit. It is located between the Ida (Psiloritis) massif in the east and the conical-shaped mount Kedros (Greek: Κέντρος) in the west. In sharp contrast with the barren mountain peaks overlooking it, the valley has plenty of water and vegetation and has been inhabited as early as the Minoan era.
Most of the villages are gathered around the foothills. The valley has long been used for agriculture and numerous olive and fruit trees are grown there. To promote agricultural education, a school called Scholi Asomaton (Greek: Γεωργική Σχολή Ασωμάτων) was established in 1927 in the buildings of a former monastery located in the valley.
The valley is located away from the major urban centers and saw little presence of German forces during the occupation. It provided shelter to several Commonwealth military personnel still hiding on the island. Many more had crossed the valley heading to the south coast for evacuation to Egypt. Later, residents helped transport supplies and equipment for guerrillas opposing German occupation, as well as offering food to them. Amari became an important center of the Cretan resistance.[citation needed]
The support of the locals, combined with the region's beauty, led the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents then serving in Crete to coin the nickname Lotus Land for the Amari valley.[page needed] Among those who sheltered there were Tom Dunbabin, Xan Fielding, and Patrick Leigh Fermor who used various hideouts in the nearby slopes. Furthermore, the abductors of General Kreipe stayed at a sheepfold in Amari for a couple of nights during their march southwards.[page needed][page needed]
At the time of the Kedros operation, it was clear that Germany was losing the war. By late summer 1944, the occupying forces had begun to plan their withdrawal to Chania, where they stayed until their capitulation on 9 May 1945.[page needed]
At dawn on 22 August, several battalions of German infantry (presumably belonging to the 16th regiment of the 22. Luftlande Infanterie-Division) arrived at the Amari valley. They succeeded in surrounding the villages lining the western side of the Amari valley without being noticed by their dwellers. These villages are collectively called the Kedros villages, namely Gerakari, Gourgouthi, Kardaki, Vryses, Smiles, Drygies, Ano Meros, and Chordaki (in Greek: Γερακάρι, Γουργούθοι, Καρδάκι, Βρύσες, Σμιλές, Δρυγιές, Άνω Μέρος, και Χορδάκι). The nearby village of Krya Vrysi (Κρύα Βρύση) was also surrounded. In all villages, the German raids followed roughly the same pattern.[page needed]