Napoleon Zervas

Napoleon Zervas. Ναπολέων Ζέρβας
Second from left
Born	May 17, 1891
Died	December 10, 1957 (1957-12-11) (aged 66)
Organization	National Republican Greek League
Political party	Party of Liberals (before the war) National Party of Greece (after the war)

Napoleon Zervas (Greek: Ναπολέων Ζέρβας; May 17, 1891, in Arta – December 10, 1957, in Athens) was a Greek general and resistance leader during World War II. He organized and led the National Republican Greek League (EDES), the second most significant (after EAM), in terms of size and activity, resistance organization against the Axis Occupation of Greece.

Zervas was born in Arta, Epirus, and was of Souliote origin. After finishing high school in 1910, he volunteered for the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Division. During the Balkan Wars, he was promoted to the rank of first sergeant. Later he attended the Hellenic Army NCO School and graduated as sergeant major in 1914.

Zervas was a fanatic Venizelist, and in 1916 he was among the very first to join the venizelist Movement of National Defence in Thessaloniki. He served with distinction in many battles of the Macedonian front during World War I, being eventually promoted to Major. After the defeat of Venizelos' Liberal Party in the elections of 1920, he fled to Constantinople. He only returned to Athens in late 1922, after the Revolution of September 1922, and rejoined the Army.