Yannis Hotzeas facts for kids

Yannis Hotzeas (Γιάννης Χοντζέας) was a Greek communist and a deep thinker. He helped start a special political movement in Greece called the Marxist-Leninist movement. He was born in 1930 and passed away on October 24, 1994.

His Early Life

Yannis Hotzeas was born in a town called Koroni in Greece. His family was not rich. In 1941, when he was just 11 years old, his older brothers joined a group called EPON. This was a youth organization that was part of the National Liberation Front (EAM). They were fighting against the Nazi forces who had taken over Greece during World War II.

By 1943, Yannis became a very active member of EPON in Athens. He was very dedicated to their cause. The next year, even though he was very young, the leaders of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) made a special decision. They allowed Yannis to become a member of their party.

Facing Challenges

Starting in 1944, Yannis Hotzeas took part in battles. He fought against the Nazi forces and people who helped them. After Greece was freed in December 1944, new fights started. The British Army arrived in Athens. They were against the National Liberation Front, which was led by communists.

For the next two years, Yannis was arrested many times. He faced harsh treatment from the local police and the British. In 1947, during the Greek Civil War, Yannis was arrested again. He was sent away to islands like Makronisos. Even though he suffered greatly, he refused to change his beliefs. Because of this, he was kept away from home until 1958.

Different Ideas

Even while he was sent away, Yannis became a leader among many communists. They disagreed with a "new way of thinking" that came from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. This new way was forced upon the Communist Party of Greece. It led to many members being removed or treated unfairly. When Yannis returned from being sent away, he became a main voice against these new, milder policies. He stood up against the new leaders of the Greek Left.

Building a New Movement

In the early 1960s, Yannis Hotzeas started to translate important documents. These documents were part of a big debate between the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. This disagreement was known as the Sino-Soviet split.

In 1964, he led the creation of a magazine called Renaissance (Αναγέννηση – Anagenisi). After that, he helped create and grow the Organisation of Marxists-Leninists of Greece (OMLE). This group aimed to follow the original ideas of Marxism-Leninism.

During the Military Rule

On April 21, 1967, a military group took control of Greece. This was known as the Greek military junta. Yannis Hotzeas went into hiding right away. He continued to lead the OMLE in secret. Two years later, he was arrested again. He started another period of being sent away. This was briefly stopped in 1973 when the military government became a little more open.

However, Yannis was arrested and sent away once more. This happened after he took part in a big protest against the military rulers. This protest was the Athens Polytechnic uprising on November 17, 1973. He finally became free when the military government fell in July 1974.