The dramatic events of the civil war have been the subject of controversial historical interpretations and intense political debates for decades. The polarized climate of Greek society after 1949, the stereotypes and prejudices of the past were undoubtedly negative factors for the clarification of this critical period in modern Greek history. However, the lack of primary sources has been the most inhibiting factor, as the relevant archives remained inaccessible to researchers for a long time. After the restoration of Democracy in Greece (1974), various documents and memoirs of former members of the Communist Party, who had direct involvement in the civil war, were sporadically published. However, all these publications were mainly characterized by selectivity in the choice of material and subjectivity in the analysis of events. Basically, after the fall of communism, favorable conditions were created for a sober approach to the events of the civil war, given that the polarized climate had significantly eased and the relevant archives became accessible.
In this edition, documents from the archives of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, countries that had direct involvement in the Greek civil war, are published. Some Russian documents are also included as an appendix. The archival research was conducted on-site and an effort was made to select the most important documents among those found. Unfortunately, a part of Tito's archive and the Military-Historical Institute of Belgrade has been destroyed by recent bombings. This collection is the first volume of a series of documents that will be published in the future. The translation from Bulgarian, Serbian, and Russian, as well as the commentary on the documents, where deemed necessary, were undertaken by the scientific collaborator of the I.MXA. and Lecturer of Modern and Contemporary Balkan History at the School of Philosophy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Mr. Spyridon Sfetas.

(from the book's preface)