George Grivis

1898- 1974

Greek Cypriot Soldier

George Grivas headed a Greek army division during Greece's war with Albania from 1940-41. During the World War II German occupation of Greece, he headed a secret underground called "X."

After World War II, he was one of the leaders of a nationalist movement against the Communists and in 1953, he founded a terrorist group called EOKA, which fought for Cypriot independence from Britain.

After the Cyprus settlement of 1959, Grivas was regarded as a Greek national hero and promoted to the rank of General.