Pantelis Papaioannou
Kapetan (Chieftain) Pantelis Papaioannou | |
|---|---|
Republic of North Macedonia | |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/ |  HMC |
| Battles/wars | Macedonian Struggle † |
| Relations | Charalambos Boufidis (cousin) |
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Pantelis Papaioannou or Grekos (
nom de guerre
Kapetan Nikotsaras (Καπετάν Νικοτσάρας).
Early life
Papaioannou was born in the 1880s in
Makedonomachos (Macedonian fighter) Charalambos Boufidis
.
Macedonian Struggle
He initially worked as a secretary of
IMRO towards the Greek population, he travelled to Athens where he received military training.[1][3] He then returned to his homeland joining the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, setting up a small armed group of Greeks from Strumica which initially acted near the Giannitsa Lake against the Bulgarian komitadjis.[4] He cooperated with many chieftains, including Gonos Yiotas and Theocharis Kougas from Gidas.[4] He later acted near his hometown, in the wider Novo Selo area. Papaioannou had been successful in recruiting men from the area, however, one of the recruits had an Exarch
father-in-law by the name of Peche, who immediately notified the Ottomans of their location. Papaioannou and his men were encircled but miraculously managed to escape with only one casualty.
Death
A month later, Peche discovered their whereabouts and once again notified the Ottomans. Papaioannou and the majority of his armed group were
nom de guerre Kapetan Fourtounas join the struggle and avenge his death, acting against the Bulgarian Komitadjis and finally killing Peche who had betrayed Papaioannou.[5]
Pantelis Papaioannou was buried in his home village of Kolešino.
Legacy
His death led to a surge in local Greeks of his home region to join the struggle.
The central street of Kilkis is named "Kapetan Nikotsaras" in his honour.
There is also a bust of him in a park in Kilkis.[6]
The Bulgarians consider him a
References
- ^ a b c d Vakalopoulos, Konstantinos. ΑΝΕΚΔΟΤΟ ΜΗΤΡΩΟ ΤΩΝ ΜΑΧΗΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΟΥ ΑΓΩΝΑ (PDF). ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr. p. 75.
- ^ a b Mazarakess Ainian, Konstantinos (1981). Ho Makedonikos agōnas: me hena chartē tōn scholeiōn tēs Makedonias kai eikones ektos keimenou. Dōdōnē. p. 144.
- ^ "Γιάννης Λάζαρης, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας:Από το μύθο... στην ιστορία" (PDF). 2009. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ a b Ho Makedonikos agōnas: symposio, Thessalonikē, Phlōrina, Kastoria, Edessa, 28 Oktōvriou-2 Noemvriou, 1984. Hidryma Meletōn Chersonēsou tou Haimou, Mouseio Makedonikou Agōna. 1987. p. 83.
- ^ a b Konstantinos Vakalopoulos, "Ο ένοπλος αγώνας στη Μακεδονία 1904-1908", publ. Ηρόδοτος, Thessaloniki, 1999, p. 287, 324
- ^ "Θανάσης Χατζημητάκος : Β' Μνημεία μέσα στην πόλη". www.eidisis.gr. 24 May 2009.