It was a few minutes after 5:00 AM on October 28, 1940. The Italian military forces were ordered to launch their first attack in the Greco-Italian War at the Greek-Albanian border in the Pindos Mountains.
Vassilios Tsiavaliaris, a 28-year-old Greek soldier, stands inside the 21st outpost next to the village of Pyrsogianni.
On the eve of the Greco-Italian war, Greeks—who had fought for freedom and independence in the past just 120 years previously—were mentally prepared to fight. They knew it was just a matter of time. More importantly, they were eager to go to battle for freedom and independence once again.
Hence, when Italian Ambassador Emanuele Grazzi knocked on Metaxas’ door at three o’clock in the morning—after a party at the embassy—to deliver the ultimatum from Mussolini, the Greek Prime Minister was prepared.
The ultimatum demanded that Metaxas allow the Italian Army free passage to enter and occupy strategic sites in Greece unopposed. The Greek Prime Minister delivered an unequivocal response in French, the diplomatic language of the day: “Alors, c’est la guerre,” meaning: “Then, it is war.” The citizens of Athens quickly transmuted this into the laconic “OXI” the next morning.
Greek “OXI” and the Greco-Italian War
The Italians attack. Their first target is the outpost Tsiavaliaris is guarding.
In the wake of Greece’s entrance to World War II, Private Tsiavaliaris becomes the first victim of the Axis’ unjustified aggression.
The Italian offensive began after five on the morning of October 28th in the mountains of Epirus, Pindos, and Kalpaki, which form the natural border between Greece and Albania.
The bravery and dedication of the outnumbered Greek Army in the Greco-Italian War was such that, within three weeks, Greece had pushed back the invading forces, much to the surprise of Mussolini and the Italian generals. Then, the Greek Army began a counterattack, driving the Italians deep into Italian-held Albania.
Tsiavaliaris was a father of three children, named Nikos, George, and Alexandra. According to George Papavassiliou, a school counselor in the region of Trikala, where Tsiavaliaris was born, the soldier’s last words before he died were: “My children! My children will be lost…”
Christos Apostolou Gianniou was the second soldier guarding the 21st outpost. According to his words, Tsiavaliaris was hit by Italian mortars. When he died, Gianniou took his body, brought it to the unit’s priest, and asked him to say the final prayers over it.
“I was the first one to cry for Tsiavaliaris,” Gianniou remembered. Tsiavaliaris was the fourth of five children of Giannis and Agoro. He was born in 1912 in the village of Pialia near the city of Trikala.
Raised to love his country, he was a role model for his village, noted for his patience, his willingness to work hard, and his good-hearted manner.
In 2000, the University of Athens built a statue in his honor in the center of his village to commemorate his contribution to Greece’s fight for freedom during the Greco-Italian War.
Vassilios Tsavaliaris, the First Victim of the Greco-Italian War IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2025-10-28 22:43:41 Latest news, world news, country news, most important news, latest news, most important, latest of the day, Justice, Petar Nizamov, Feathers, Petar Nizamov- Feathers, Justice bg, iustitia.bg, iustitia, iusticia, usticia, investigation, Burgas, Bulgaria, news, breaking news, news of the day, news of today, news from today, Bulgaria news, The news from Bulgaria, blitz news, top news, most important, most commented, latest news, Boyko Borisov, news, weather, coronavirus, news, news, weather, facebook, youtube, facebook, instagram, today’s news, last minute news, news today, today’s news, news, bg news, leading news, hot news, bg news, news site, all news, news bg, last hour news, latest, latest news bg, news from today, news today, last hour news, latest news, today, news bg, news, news vesti, 24 hours news, vesti bg novini, world news, bird bg, bivol bg, bivol, trud bg novini, latest news today, novinite bg news, hello bulgaria, political party coat of arms, delyan peevski, scandalous, bulgarian national television, free europe, television, scandal, exclusive, live, live tv right now, tv, tv online, tv program, bg, live now, tv news, online, live tv online, court, burgas court, burgas district court, burgas court, burgas district court, burgas district court, burgas district court, burgas court of appeal, burgas prosecutor, burgas prosecutor’s office, burgas district prosecutor’s office, burgas district prosecutor’s office, chief prosecutor, ivan geshev, prosecutor geshev, tsatsarov, mvr burgas, odmvr burgas, odp burgas, police burgas, district police burgas, prosecutor tsatsarov, sgs cases, court varna, chairman of the Supreme Court of Justice, court decisions in civil cases, decisions in cases, Plovdiv court, court decision, case decisions, Varna court, criminal, cases, district, district court decisions, work in court, Supreme Court of Justice chairman, Supreme Court judges, Sofia court, deputy judges, Plovdiv, Plovdiv court, judges Plovdiv, Supreme Court, Inspectorate of the Supreme Court of Justice, Supreme Judicial Council, Supreme Court, Supreme Judicial Council, lawyer, lawyer criminal cases, lawyer civil cases, lawyer matrimonial cases, lawyer administrative, criminal law, criminal process, civil law, civil process, administrative law, constitutional law,
