Buildings with bullet holes

In the area of Kaisariani today, visitors encounter several buildings which retain on their exterior walls bullet holes from the events of 1944, which went down in history as “Dekemvriana”. The events of Dekemvriana began in early December 1944 and lasted until February 12th, 1945, with the signing of the Varkiza Agreement formally signalling their end. They are often referred to as the “Battle of Athens”, as they were a series of armed clashes between the National Liberation Front and the Greek People's Liberation Army (EAM/ELAS) on the one front and the Greek-British government forces on the other. The confrontation began because a power vacuum emerged after the German Occupation Forces withdrew from Greece, which was claimed by the communist resistance forces on the one hand and the National Army with the assistance of the British allies on the other. The events have left their mark on several buildings in Athens. Vrioulon and Fokeas streets in Kaisariani are typical examples, with the facades of the buildings covered with bullet holes from the gunfire of both sides of the Civil War.