When Life Magazine Prominently Featured a World War II Greek Massacre in its Pages

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Gregory Pappas

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When Life Magazine Prominently Featured a World War II Greek Massacre in its Pages

The iconic American magazine LIFE, once read by million of readers carried a photo essay about the Nazi massacre of the Greek village of Distomo, which took place in June of 1944.

The magazine carried a series of photos and commentary about the events that transpired in its November 24th 1944 edition, several months after the incident.

According to survivor testimony, Nazi SS troops went door to door and massacred 218 Greek civilians. Survivors said that the Nazis bayoneted babies in their cribs and stabbed pregnant women and beheaded the village priest. It was a two-hour killing spree ordered by the Germans in retaliation for rebel activity in the area.

The news of this massacre spread throughout the world, including an iconic photo essay in Life Magazine’s November 24th 1944 edition which carried the headline “What the Nazis Did to Greece”.

Vintage copies of this original magazine are available for sale on The Pappas Post Market in the vintage section. Click here to purchase a copy.

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