Organization X

Organization X Οργάνωσις Χ
Participant in the Dekemvriana
Flag of the Organization X
Active	1941-1946
Ideology	Greek nationalism, royalism, anti-communism, right-wing populism
Leaders	Georgios Grivas
Allies	Greek government-in-exile, EDES, Hellenic Gendarmerie, Cities Police, British Army, Security Battalions (disputed by X)
Opponents	EAM, ELAS, Communist Party of Greece

The Organization X (Greek: Οργάνωσις Χ, commonly referred to simply as X ("Chi" in Greek), and members as Χίτες, Chites) was a paramilitary militia of the extreme right set up during the Axis occupation of Greece, in June 1941. Initially, the group's name was Grivas Military Organization (Greek: Στρατιωτική Οργάνωσις Γρίβα) and in March 1943 it was renamed, adopting George's II royal monogram of two crossed gammas which resembled the Greek alphabet chi (X). X was heavily involved in battles against EAM and its secret police, OPLA, during and after the occupation, and considered communism to be its principal or even sole enemy.

Founder and leader of X was Colonel Georgios Grivas, a Greek Cypriot by birth, who later acquired fame as leader of the underground EOKA movement in Cyprus. Grivas concentrated his efforts in the wealthy districts of Athens and expanded X to between 2,000 and 3,000 men in 1944. He recruited his men and arms from officers who were retained on the active list by the quisling government.

X was pure anti-communist and its resistance action included spying for the Allies, minor anti-German actions and transport to the Middle East. But its relations to the occupying power were ambivalent. The organisation was tolerated and possibly armed by the Germans, and even before the German departure fortified a base near the ancient temple of Thiseion. Towards the end of the Occupation, X received arms from British sources with which its members fought in the Dekemvriana clashes of December 1944.

In the weeks between the departure of the Germans and the events of December 1944 (the Dekemvriana), X played an active part in the campaign of provocation of Athenians orchestrated by the British, according to ELAS' members. This commenced in Athens on 12 October, the day that Athens was celebrating liberation, when a mixed gang of EDES and Chites killed the ELAS member Theodoros Tsilikas. In late October the X of Thiseio, reinforced by Security Battalionists, made an incursion into Petralona and killed 20 locals, including a number of Petralona gypsies.