Pandelis Pouliopoulos, Greek lawyer and politician (d. 1943)

Pandelis Pouliopoulos (Greek: Παντελής Πουλιόπουλος), born on March 10, 1900, in Thebes, Greece, was a prominent figure in the Greek communist and later, Trotskyist movements. A committed internationalist and revolutionary, his life was marked by fervent political activism, intellectual contributions, imprisonment, and ultimately, a tragic execution in 1943 near Larissa. He is widely recognized as one of the principal founders of the Trotskyist movement in Greece.

The Early Years and Political Awakening

Pouliopoulos’s journey into political activism began early. In 1919, while enrolling at Athens University to pursue a law degree, he simultaneously joined the Socialist Labour Party of Greece (SEKE). This party would soon evolve into the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), a crucial political force in the nation's turbulent 20th century. His student years and early political involvement coincided with a period of intense social and political upheaval in Greece.

Military Service and Anti-War Stance

The early 1920s saw Pouliopoulos facing the harsh realities of war. Conscripted in 1920, he was compelled to fight in the devastating Greek-Turkish War of 1919-1922. However, his strong anti-war convictions led to his arrest in 1922 for pacifist activities. Fortunately, he was released with the cessation of hostilities later that year, allowing him to return to his burgeoning political career.

Ascension and Expulsion from the KKE

Following his release, Pouliopoulos quickly became a leading voice in the war veterans' movement, advocating for their rights and interests. His dedication led to his election as president of the Panhellenic Federation of Veterans in 1924. This period marked a rapid rise within the KKE. In the same year, he served as a party delegate at the Fifth Congress of the Comintern (Communist International), a significant international body coordinating communist parties worldwide. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed General Secretary of the KKE, a testament to his influence and intellectual prowess.

The "Autonomist" Trial and Exile

His leadership, however, was immediately met with political persecution. On August 24, 1925, Pouliopoulos, alongside 23 other communists, faced trial in Athens. The charges were serious: promoting the autonomy of Macedonia and Thrace, an issue that stirred significant nationalist sentiment. Displaying his formidable oratorical skills, he delivered a five-hour speech in his own defense, leading to an adjournment of the trial. When the trial of the "autonomists" resumed on February 22, 1926, the specific charges were dropped. Yet, freedom remained elusive; instead of being released, Pouliopoulos and his comrades were exiled to the remote Aegean islands of Folegandros, Anafi, and Amorgos. Pouliopoulos himself was sent to Folegandros.

Reinstatement and Final Break

His exile was relatively short-lived. With the fall of the Pangalos dictatorship later in 1926, Pouliopoulos regained his freedom. Despite his brief period of leadership being blamed for the party's perceived poor performance, he was reinstated by the powerful Comintern. However, his tenure within the KKE was drawing to a close. At the party's congress in March 1927, Pouliopoulos and Pastias Giatsopoulos were removed from the Central Committee. Their final break came later that year when they were formally expelled after publishing and circulating a critical pamphlet titled "New Beginning" (Greek: Neo Ksekinima). This act cemented their position as an internal opposition.

Championing the Trotskyist Movement

Following his expulsion, Pouliopoulos, alongside Giatsopoulos, formed an opposition group that aligned itself with the International Left Opposition, the global network of followers of Leon Trotsky. From December 1928, they began publishing their own journal, Spartacus. Notably, they deliberately chose not to join the Archeiomarxists, another splinter group from the KKE, viewing them as excessively sectarian. This decision, however, complicated their position within the nascent Trotskyist movement in Greece. When the Archeiomarxists were recognized as the official representatives of the International Left Opposition in Greece, Leon Trotsky himself condemned Pouliopoulos's group, leading to their exclusion from the main Trotskyist current for a time.

Unification and the Fourth International

Despite these early schisms, the drive for unity among Greek Trotskyists eventually prevailed. In 1934, Pouliopoulos's group joined forces with another faction to establish the Organisation of Internationalist Communists of Greece (OKDE). For a period, he maintained connections with other international opposition groups, notably those around Landau and Molinier, and initially opposed the movement to create a new International. However, his commitment to a unified revolutionary front eventually led him to take the initiative in 1938, bringing together various Greek Trotskyist factions to form the Unified Organisation of Communist Internationalists of Greece (EOKDE). This newly unified group played a significant role, representing Greece at the founding of the Fourth International in Paris in September 1938, a testament to Pouliopoulos’s enduring influence and organizational skill.

Final Years, Imprisonment, and Execution

As the political climate in Greece darkened under the Metaxas dictatorship, Pouliopoulos was forced into hiding. Despite his efforts, he was eventually arrested and imprisoned in the notorious Acronauplia fortress, where he continued his intellectual and political work even behind bars. His life tragically ended on June 6, 1943. Along with over a hundred other militants, he was executed by Italian occupation forces in Nezero, near Larissa. This brutal act was carried out in retaliation for partisans' destruction of the Kournovo tunnel, a significant act of resistance. A powerful postwar account claims that Pouliopoulos, undaunted, spoke in Italian to his firing squad, urging them not to commit such a crime against anti-fascist resistance fighters and opponents of the war. When the soldiers allegedly refused to carry out the execution, Carabinieri officers are said to have stepped in to complete the grim task.

An Enduring Intellectual Legacy

Beyond his political activism, Pandelis Pouliopoulos left an important intellectual legacy through his extensive translations of foundational Marxist and socialist texts into Greek. His significant contributions include translating Karl Marx’s seminal works, Das Kapital and Critique of Political Economy, Leon Trotsky’s influential The Revolution Betrayed, Karl Kautsky’s Economic Theories of Karl Marx and Kant, and Nikolai Bukharin’s History of Historical Materialism. These translations were crucial for disseminating complex theoretical ideas within the Greek left, significantly shaping intellectual discourse for generations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who was Pandelis Pouliopoulos?

Pandelis Pouliopoulos was a prominent Greek communist leader and a key founder of the Trotskyist movement in Greece. He was an influential intellectual, orator, and translator of Marxist texts.

What was his role in the Communist Party of Greece (KKE)?

He joined the Socialist Labour Party of Greece (forerunner to the KKE) in 1919 and served as the General Secretary of the KKE in 1924. However, he was later expelled from the party in 1927 due to ideological differences.

How did he become involved in the Trotskyist movement?

After his expulsion from the KKE, he formed an opposition group that aligned with the International Left Opposition, advocating for Trotskyist principles. He was instrumental in unifying various Greek Trotskyist factions to form the Unified Organisation of Communist Internationalists of Greece (EOKDE) in 1938, which was present at the founding of the Fourth International.

What were his major contributions?

Beyond his political leadership, Pouliopoulos is renowned for his extensive translations of major Marxist works into Greek, including Marx's Das Kapital and Trotsky's The Revolution Betrayed, which significantly impacted Greek intellectual and political discourse.

How did Pandelis Pouliopoulos die?

He was executed by Italian occupation forces in Nezero, near Larissa, on June 6, 1943, as an act of retaliation against partisan resistance during World War II. He was imprisoned by the Metaxas dictatorship prior to this.