Panhellenic Liberation Organization

Panhellenic Liberation Organization
Panhellenic Liberation Organization
Leaders	Spyros Spiridis
Dates of operation	1941–1944
Headquarters	Thessaloniki
Active regions	Macedonia and Western Thrace
Ideology	Anti-communism; Greek nationalism
Size	Several hundred (1944)
Part of	Greek Resistance (1941–1943) ; Hellenic State (1944)
Allies	Greek government-in-exile, Special Operations Executive (1941–1943) ; Wehrmacht, Security Battalions (1944)
Opponents	Bulgaria ; EAM-ELAS; Wehrmacht (1941–1943)

The Panhellenic Liberation Organization (Greek: Πανελλήνιος Απελευθερωτική Οργάνωσις (ΠΑΟ), Panellinios Apeleftherotiki Organosis (PAO)), was a Greek resistance organization against the Axis occupation of Greece. It was founded in 1941 by a group of Greek army officers, under the name Defenders of Northern Greece (Υπερασπισταί Βορείου Ελλάδος, YBE; Yperaspistai Voreiou Ellados, YVE), employing methods of non violent resistance. In 1943, YVE was renamed as the Panhellenic Liberation Organization (PAO), shifting its focus towards armed struggle. In the August of the same year it came into conflict with Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS), a communist-led resistance organization. PAO was defeated in the ensuing civil war and its remnants turned towards collaboration with the Germans.