Towards consensus (The Caserta Agreement)

What was exactly discussed in that meeting is not known. However, within a few days after the talks, the EAM leadership had decided to change policy and become more conciliatory. In total contradiction to the previous conditions which EAM had demanded after the Lebanon conference, now the leadership announced that they would respect the agreement, place ELAS under the control of the new Greek government, and participate in the government of national unity abandoning its previous demands for specific ministries. The government was formed in 15 August 1944 with the participation of six members from EAM. In the following weeks, with the gradual withdrawal of the German occupying forces from Greece, there was widespread alarm, both in Papandreou government and in the British side, at the dominant role of ELAS in the liberated areas.

Again, though, the EAM leadership displayed a spirit of compromise. In the end of September, an agreement was signed at the Italian city of Caserta by the British forces in the Middle East, the Greek government, the leaders of ELAS Sarafis and of EDES Zervas. The two recognised the government of national unity as the sole legal political power in Greece and agreed to grant control of their organisation to it in order to safeguard the smooth transition of the country from occupation to liberation and to postwar reconstruction. On the other hand, Prime Minister, George Papandreou agreed to transfer the control to the leader of the British powers in Greece, General Scobie, who would remain (with his troops) in the country for a short period after the liberation.