Alikianos executions facts for kids
The Alikianos executions were a series of sad events where many people, mostly men, were killed by German paratroopers in Alikianos and nearby villages on the island of Crete, Greece. This happened on May 24, June 2, and August 1, 1941, during World War II. These killings were ordered by General Kurt Student, a German commander. He wanted to punish the people of Crete because they bravely fought against the German invasion during the Battle of Crete.
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Background
The village of Alikianos is in a green, flat area near the north coast of Crete. It's about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southwest of the city of Chania. During the Battle of Crete, German paratroopers were ordered to land in this area. Their goal was to reach the Maleme airstrip, which was a very important target.
A German unit, the 7th Engineer Battalion, landed near Alikianos. They were supposed to check the area. They met Greek soldiers from the 8th Greek Regiment. These Greek soldiers didn't have many weapons or much training. But local people also joined them to fight. Even with simple weapons, the locals attacked the German paratroopers and caused them many losses.
The area around Alikianos saw a very tough battle. It started on May 21 and lasted for seven days. This battle zone became known as Prison Valley because there was a large prison farm there. The brave fight by the Greek soldiers and local people helped Allied soldiers escape safely from the island. This allowed them to be taken away from Sfakia.
The Executions
German leaders were very angry that the local people fought back against their paratroopers. They were also upset about the many German soldiers who were killed. So, a high-ranking German leader named Hermann Göring ordered General Student to punish the local people. These punishments included quick killings without a trial.
May 24, 1941
On May 24, 1941, while the Battle of Crete was still going on, a German patrol arrested six men in Alikianos. When they found a dead German officer, the Germans shot these six men. One of them, Vassilis Drakakis, survived the shooting. He even survived a final shot meant to kill him. But he was arrested again later and killed in the third execution on August 1, 1941.
June 2, 1941
On June 2, 1941, German soldiers surrounded Alikianos. They took 42 men to the churchyard. There, they shot them in groups of ten, right in front of their families. On the same day, in nearby villages, 12 people were killed in Agia and 25 in Kyrtomado.
August 1, 1941
General Alexander Andrae took over from Student as the main commander in Crete. He continued the punishments. Two months after the first killings, the Germans gathered 118 people at a bridge over the Keritis river near Alikianos. They forced these people to dig their own graves, then shot them. Twelve of those killed were from Alikianos. The rest came from nearby villages like Fournes, Skines, Vatolakos, Koufo, Prases, Karanou, Lakkoi, Orthouni, Nea Roumata, and Hosti.
Aftermath
After Germany lost the war, General Student was captured by the British. In 1947, he faced a military court. He was accused of treating prisoners of war badly and killing them in Crete. Greece asked for Student to be sent to them for trial, but this was not allowed. Student was found guilty of some charges and sentenced to five years in prison. However, he was released in 1948 because of health reasons. Student was never tried for crimes against civilians.
General Andrae was also captured by the British. He was sent to Greece to be tried for war crimes he was responsible for in Crete. In 1947, he was sentenced to four life sentences. But after four years in prison, he was released in January 1952.
Memorials
A monument remembering the victims of the first execution stands by the church in Alikianos. Another monument is located near the Keritis bridge.
See also
