Vasilis Kontodimas
Professor Hernandez-Ojeda
HONS 2011J, Section 01
8 Dec. 2020
Nicholas Ioannou Demas’ fight “to stop the barbarians”
Personal Statement:
Before I selected Nicholas Ioannou Demas as the one Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer to research, I knew how treacherous the life for the Greek population had been in the early twentieth century. My grandparents had personally served and lived through WWII and the ensuing Greek civil war. So, I wanted to see what could motivate a Greek man, together with his brother, to risk their lives for Spain when Greece still faced myriad issues. I started with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and discovered that my subject was a Cypriot Greek born before WWI. Then, I re-examined my understanding of the Cypriot issues at the time and contacted my relatives who lived in Cyprus to see if there is a memorial of sort for the Cypriots who supported the Spanish Republic. I got access to a talk by Paul Philippou. Unfortunately, I never obtained his book Spanish Thermopylae. However, I was able to reach Demas’ daughters and I interviewed them on November 16, 2020. This interview was momentous because they shared their father’s letter, written on January 20, 1938. Demas’ words displayed his character and the formative forces that created his character. British colonization, military aggression, immigration to Egypt and US, and workers’ economic disparity were central in making a man willing to stand against barbarous and cruel inequalities, that impacted the world.
Demas’ contribution
The Spanish military uprising against the constitutionally-elected Republican government on July 17, 1936 plunged the country to chaos. The civil war began, and the Republican government found few allies. Only the Soviet Union supported the government and through its control of the Comintern[1] thousands of international volunteers were reached for the defense of the Spanish democracy. Around the world, many young men and women signed up to defend Spain from militant fascism, forming the International Brigades. Although most of these volunteers identified with left ideologies, the essence of their willingness to personally assist the Spanish people stemmed from their desire to create a better world for everyone. From the United States, over three thousand volunteers, many first- or second-generation immigrants, were organized as the racially integrated Abraham Lincoln Brigade. One of those volunteers was Nicholas John Demas, who risked his life for what he believed was the greater good.
Nicholas Demas was born in Cyprus, the eastern most island of the Mediterranean Sea, on August 29, 1910. He was called Nicholas Ioannou, meaning that he was Nicholas the son of Ioannis.[2] His father, Jannis, and his mother, Cleo, lived in the hillside village of Lazanias, close to Lefkosia.[3] They sent Nicholas and his brother, James, to Alexandria, Egypt in 1923 to an uncle to study; however, the boys ended up working in factories under hazardous condition. Cyprus’ political situation in the beginning of the twentieth century showcased the expanding problems of imperialism and those problems dictated how the Demas[4] brothers tried to make a living. As the Ottoman Empire weaken, the United Kingdom received Cyprus as its protectorate in 1878. The island’s population, who at its majority was Greek, hoped to be united with mainland Greece. However, British imperial policy kept the natives under enormous taxation and without any representation. On November 9, 1914, Great Britain annexed Cyprus when the Ottoman Empire declared war against the Triple Entente. Cyprus became a colony and Egypt became a British Protectorate. Although the United Kingdom declared Egypt as an independent nation in 1922, British subjects moved freely into the expanding Egyptian economy from other parts of the colonial empire. The Demas brothers followed the same route for economic prosperity. However, Egypt’s prosperity was short-lived and Demas brothers moved briefly to France before finally arriving in the United States in 1929.
The United States was in the worst economic depression when Nicholas[5] and his brother, James Ioannou Demas, had to find jobs in the New York City’s urban landscape. Nick worked as a mechanic and electrician and found support in the established Greek-American community of Manhattan. Nick had joined the Pankypriaki or Pancyprian Brotherhood, a Greek-American Athletic Club, that was the main Cypriot cultural organization in the USA at the time. Most young Cypriots were members of the club and remained interconnected with the sociopolitical issues of Greece and their native island. By 1925, Cyprus was a crown colony with marginal, local representation. A Legislative Council was established in 1926, but the British abolished it in 1931. This resulted in a local uprising and burning of the Government House in the island’s capital. Following this short 1931 Cypriot Revolt, the British repressed more the island under the governorship of Richmond Palmer. This regime, known to Cypriots as Palmerokratia, limited Greek schools, prohibited trade unions and local cultural associations. Cypriots of the Diaspora[6] were opposed to all types of repressive, colonial governments and supported liberal administrations.
Naturally, the political ideologies in Pankypriaki were dominated by left ideology and many of its leadership were also active in the U.S. Communist Party, which appeared to them as the opposite of imperialism and colonialism. Many of the Cypriot-Greek American volunteers for Spain were part of the Pankypriaki leadership. Georgios Pantazis, Antonis Thomas[7], Jacovos Koumoullos, Jimis Joannou, Panayiotis Katsaronas, Vasilis Pattikis and Christos Christodoulou were prominent members of Pankypriaki and notable volunteers (Philippou). Many Cypriots were sympathizers of liberal and democratic causes and felt a close relationship between all the Pankypriaki members. As the economic downturn and turbulent political climate of the time escalated[8], it is understandable that the two Demas brothers volunteered to join the rest of their Cypriot friends in Spain. They wished to react to the oppression and to be able to contribute indirectly to Cyprus’ path for political freedom and national independence.
Unemployment and economic austerity were not the main motivations for Nicholas Demas to go to Spain. Like most of the sixty Cypriots volunteers, Nick joined to offer real resistance to Fascism, imperialism, and colonialism. As another Cypriot volunteer, Michael Economides, from London wrote in 1938: “The Cypriots…have known the life of degradation and slavery in colonial country. It is their firm determination to continue the fight and defeat fascism, so that Spain will never become a colony. The men here represent the expression of the will and aspirations of the colonial peoples throughout the world – a victory for democracy in Spain” (Economides). Nick had become a naturalized citizen, after working for five years in the United States. His letter, written on January 20, 1938, reveals why Nick chose to fight to preserve the Spanish democracy:
I was born on the island of Cyprus, which is a British colony. My parents were peasants and their living conditions were terrible and although the island is very rich, I, as well as many others, had to leave the country and try to make a living in foreign lands – I have lived many years in Egypt then I came to the US. Always trying to make good but the odds were always against me – though I was an able electrical mechanic, I could not succeeed – I was getting conscious of the labour struggle every day more and more, and when the Spanish militarists and traitors tried to take away from the Spanish people their hard won liberties. I considered my duty as a conscious worker of democratic background and leanings to go there and do as much as I could to help stop the barbarians.[9]
He closed his letter declaring his commitment “to stop the barbarians,” a common Greek concept of always aligning with the civilized forces against the eternal struggles of barbaric and inhumane conditions.[10] He applied for US passport, which he received on February 17, 1937. He had big plans. He planned to change the world and, in the process, help Cyprus. Three days later, he sailed on February 20, 1937 aboard the Ile de France (ALBA).
Nick arrived in Spain on March 18, 1937. The first sad news he learned was that his friend Panayiotis Katsaronas was killed on February 13, 1937 on Jarama.[11] Katsaronas was a veteran from the Greco-Turkish war and died defending his fellow soldiers with a machine gun (Economides). Nick even more determined to honor his dead friend’s memory officially enrolled in the International Brigades on April 2, 1937. First, he served as an interpreter stationed at Madrigueras, a municipality in Albacete, Castille-La Mancha, Spain. This was the location of the International Brigades headquarters. Nick was fluent in English and Greek, but also spoke French and Arabic. His language skills were an asset since the volunteers spoke many different languages and communication between them was a real challenge. Initially, he joined the Dimitrov Battalion, named after Georgi Dimitrov, the Bulgarian General Secretary of the Comintern at the time.[12] This battalion was comprised of volunteers from the Balkans, including the Greeks. The Dimitrov became part of the XV International Brigade on January 31, 1937. It was joined by the British Battalion and Lincoln Battalion.[13] Nick served vigorously where he was assigned and reached the rank of acting Sergeant.
Later, Nick was transferred to XV International Brigade’s anti-tank unit that was under the command of the British Battalion. He continued to serve full of determination. Nick also kept close with the other Cypriots and Greeks. One of his friends from London, Nicos Vasiliou, who was originally from Lefkosia, was wounded at Brunete[14](Economides). His skills as a mechanic and an electrician were needed, so he was transferred to the Transportation Unit. His responsibility was to maintain the battered vehicles of the Republican army without relying on new spare parts. Stationed there, he met Jack Yellin, who also became a life-long friend.[15] His innovation and capability to keep vehicles on the road earned him the rank of Sergeant. The war proceeded poorly, but he continued with his duties. He remained steadfast on his mission to help defeat Francoist fascism. By September 1937, Nick learned about his friends Georgis Pantazis, one of the founders of Pankypriaki, and Christos Christodoulou that they were killed as their unit advanced on Saragossa.[16] The loss of his friends fueled further his determination to combat injustice. However, the Republican government of Juan Negrin decided to disband the International Brigades in hopes of the removal of Italo-German fascist troops and airplanes.
Nicholas Demas marched along with his brigade through Barcelona on October 28, 1938. He heard Dolores Ibarruri, known as “La Pasionaria” emotional goodbye. He felt the moment’s significance and understood the meaning of sacrifice. He had wished to help Spain become a more just country, but now he had to leave his Spanish friends behind. As an American citizen, he did not face a problem returning to New York. However, he knew his London-based, Cypriot friends faced numerous challenges. For example, his wounded friend, Nicos Vasiliou, required the intervention by the International Brigades Commission in Paris to be allowed to return to Britain as the British Consul in Spain wanted him to be shipped to Cyprus (Philippou). Demas, full of war memories, returned to New York on December 20, 1938 aboard the Ausonia. One year and ten months to the day he had left New York City, he returned to his home and Greek-American community.
The struggle against fascism Nick fought in Spain spilled over soon to the rest of the world. On April 12, 1940, the Cyprus Regiment was founded by the British Empire to combat fascism and many thousands of Cypriot men joined. Later, Nick heard about Metaxas’ “Ohi” on October 28, 1940[17] and followed the news of the Greek army fighting in the Albanian front. For Nick, October 28 was already symbolic of the loss of Spain to fascism and this additional historical event made him aware that fascism was threatening to destroy all humankind. The Greek army’s success against the Italian fascists gave hope to all anti-fascists and especially the Greek Diaspora. Nazi Germany had to intervene and invaded Greece on April 6, 1941. It took the combined forces of Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria to subdue the whole of Greece with the fall of Crete[18] in June 1941. The United States remained a reluctant observer until Pearl Harbor and only declared war to Nazi Germany on December 11, 1941.
Nicholas Demas decided to enlist in the US army in September 1942. He served under 1043 Signal Company and received the rank of Private First Class. As a US soldier, he became friends with Pete Seeger. Nick Demas and Pete Seeger[19] were both stationed in Biloxi, Mississippi. Nick’s friendship must have convinced Seeger to record Songs of the Lincoln Brigade in 1944 for Moe Asch’s label with Tom Glaze, Bess Lomax, and Baldwin Hawes (Faber). Although Nick spoke six languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, English, and Greek) that would be useful in the European front, he was sent to the Burma Campaign, the South-East Asian theater of WWII. He fought in India and Burma and sympathized with the terrible poverty and famine he witnessed there.[20]
The US political climate was becoming slowly more anti-Communist. All Abraham Lincoln Brigade veterans, including Nick, were facing harassment after the end of WWII. Leftist ideology was considered suspect. News from Greece were also bitter. December 3, 1944 marked the beginning of a harsh civil war that lasted until the end of 1949. The Greek Communist forces, abandoned by Stalin, were destroyed with the combined effort of British and US governments behind the Greek Nationalist coalition. Despite the problems, Nick was able to get married to Mary Hagicostas[21], a Greek American raised in Akron, Ohio to Pantelis and Anna Hagicostas (“Peter Hagicostas”). The couple had three children: Jo-Ann, Penelope, and Philip. Nick remained an active union member and he and his wife attended the Greek-American furrier dances, to support the International Fur and Leather Workers Union. He continued being good friends with the people he had served in Spain. When the Korean war erupted in 1950, he was against it.[22] However, he was sympathetic to the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, believing in racial equality.
The Cold War rhetoric spilled over in the domestic arena as American children had to practice and prepare for nuclear attack in their schools during the 1950s. Nicholas Demas did not fall for the political theatrics and he indicated his preference to keep his children in school instead of asking the school to send them home in case of a nuclear attack. He chose to keep them at school because he did not want to participate in US propaganda about hypothetical nuclear attacks. Also, he threw away the dog tags given to his children by the school that were supposed to serve as an identification in case of nuclear attack.[23] During the summers, he let his daughters attend Camp Kinderland, to learn how to cooperate with others.[24] Yet, in 1956, he was named by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. This added to the family’s stress since both Nick and Mary were naturalized US citizens and there was fear of US revoking citizenship for communist sympathizers. [25]
His homeland, Cyprus, remained under Britain’s control. Nick supported an independent Cyprus, and he was a strong anti-imperialist. He wanted to end the British colonialism and he was sympathetic to the Indian cause for national independence, as some recently published letters from WWII revealed. Nicholas’s father also had anti-colonialism feelings and supported the Irish movement for independence.[26] After 1955, the active resistance to end British colonialism intensified in Cyprus. Nick’s village of Lazanias became international news when British forces surrounded the village and the nearby Machairas Monastery on March 3, 1957, burning alive the Greek Cypriot anti-colonialism fighter, Grigoris Afxentiou.[27] Finally, the Conference on Cyprus resulted in removing the colonial status of Cyprus. The Treaty of Guarantee between the Republic of Cyprus and Greece, the United Kingdom, and Turkey was signed on February 19, 1959.[28] This was a happy development for any fighter of democratic beliefs. Unfortunately, Nick died early on August 15, 1960.[29]
Nick Demas left behind the 13-year-old and 9-year-old daughters and one-year-old son. His death was unexpected, and his young family had cope with his untimely loss. He was laid to rest at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York. His wife explained to the children their father’s involvement in Spain and that it was something to be proud of and to always honor his participation in making the world a better place. [30] His children, being orphaned at a young age and financially poor, relied on their father’s decency and heroic stance to retain their identity and self-worth. They realized that it was his character and empathy for fellow humans that motivated him to fight the just cause in Spain and that his involvement reinforced his character.
All the children were inspired by their father’s actions and character. His deeds are still their guiding principle and his legacy is what they hold onto as the face challenging times.[31] His children support of progressive causes was shown immediately.[32] It was followed by membership in the DuBois Clubs,[33] anti-war movements, equal right activities and democratic political campaigns. Nick’s legacy continues to this day as his daughters remain active in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade activities, fundraisings, and preservation of historical facts. His fight “to stop the barbarians” led him to dedicate his life to stop fascism, in every form, with all his strength and has served as a continued inspiration to his children. My choice to select Nicholas Ioannou, who joined along with his brother, James, the International Brigades was well founded, because Nick Demas personifies the person for whom the poet Constantine Cavafy could have written Thermopylae.
Honor is due to those who are keeping watch,
Sentinels guarding their own Thermopylae;
Never distracted from what is right to do,
And right to be; in all things virtuous,
But never so hardened by virtue as not to be
Compassionate, available to pity;
Generous if they’re rich, but generous too,
Doing whatever they can, if they are poor;
Always true to the truth, no matter what,
But never scornful of those who have to lie.
Even more honor is due when, keeping watch,
They see that the time will come when Ephialtes
Will tell the secret to the Medes and they
Will know the way to get in through the goat-path.[34]
Works Cited
Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. Nicholas John Demas . https://alba-valb.org/volunteers/nicholas-john-de-mas/ Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.
Faber, Sebastian. “Pete and the Feds: Seeger’s FBI File Reveals Lincoln Connections.” The Volunteer(Founded by the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade), 2 Jan. 2016 . https://albavolunteer.org/2016/01/pete-and-the-feds-seegers-fbi-file-reveals-lincoln-connections/ Accessed 9 Oct. 2020.
“Peter Hagicostas.” Obituary. The Transylvania Times, online edition, 3 Mar. 2015. https://www.transylvaniatimes.com/story/2015/03/19/obituaries/peter-hagicostas/22021.html. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
Economides, Michael. “Contribution of Cyprus to the Cause of Spanish Democracy.” The Volunteer for Liberty, vol. 2, no. 2, 1938, p 2. https://albavolunteer.org/2019? Contribution -of-cyprus-to-the-cause-of-spanish-democracy-by-michael-economides/ . Accessed 5 Oct. 2020.
Philippou, Paul. “Spanish Thermopylae: the Cypriot Contribution to the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War.” Talk in the University of Cyprus, 19-20 Feb. 2015. www.international-brigades.org.uk/content/cypriots-international-brigades Accessed 20 Sept. 2020.
[1] The Comintern was the common name for the Third International or Communist International, which was the association of all national communist parties. This organization was founded in 1919 and its stated purpose was to promote world revolution.
[2] Ioannis is the baptismal Greek name for John. Ioannou is the possessive form of Ioannis and it denotes usually that a person’s father is named Ioannis. The common, everyday use of Ioannis is Yannis or Jannis.
[3] The village of Lazanias is Nicholas actual birthplace according to Nicholas Demas’ daughters interviewed on November 16, 2020. Lefkosia is the capital city of Cyprus, under the British rule it was called Nicosia. It is the only remaining divided capital in the world, since 1974.
[4] Demas was chosen as a last name from the grandfather’s name, Demetris, when the brothers arrived in US, according to Nicholas Demas’ daughters interviewed on November 16, 2020.
[5] Nicholas was called Nick by most of his American friends and acquaintances.
[6] Greek Diaspora or Omogenia refers to Greeks living outside mainland Greece either in centers established from antiquity or during the Byzantine Empire or through recent migration of Greeks, as an example the Greek-American community flourishing in New York City in the twentieth century.
[7] Antonis Thomas remained a lifelong friend and later he was chosen to serve as the godfather for Demas’ eldest daughter, JoAnn.
[8] Mussolini controlled Italy since 1926 and he invaded Ethiopia in 1936. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and Greece’s King George III appointed in 1936 General Metaxas as Prime Minister. Fascism was threatening all of Europe.
[9] This personal letter was shared by Nicholas Demas’ daughters when they were interviewed on November 16, 2020
[10] The Alexandrian-born Greek poet Constantine Cavafy was a notable figure in the Greek community of Alexandria during the time the Demas brothers resided in the city as well. Cavafy had published in 1904 the poem “Waiting for the barbarians ” and later “Thermopylae.” The Greek literary atmosphere in Alexandria was conducive to thinking universal human values were worthy causes to devote one’s life.
[11] The Battle of Jarama, a river east of Madrid, took place between February 6 an d27, 1937. It was a strategic Republican victory, but there were heavy casualties.
[12] Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov became famous when he was arrested in Berlin in 1933 for the Reichstag Fire. He defended himself and his Communist ideology and was acquitted. Stalin chose him to head the Comintern in 1934 and Dimitrov supported the coalition of different leftish and centrist groups called the Popular Front strategy against fascism.
[13] The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was interchangeably referred to as the Lincoln Battalion as well.
[14] The Battle of Brunete took place between July 6-25, 1937 about 15 miles west of Madrid. The Republican army was trying to give a reprieve to Madrid, but instead it was forced to retreat with heavy casualties.
[15] Jack Yellin’s and Demas’ friendship was mentioned during Nicholas Demas’ daughters’ interview on November 16, 2020.
[16] The Saragossa or Zaragoza Offensive took place between August 24 and September 7, 1937. The Republic’s goal was to occupy the regional capital Saragossa in Aragon. It was a strategic defeat for the Republic.
[17] After Italy’s annexation on April 4, 1939 of Albania, Greece was aware of the potential conflict with Mussolini. The Italian ambassador Grazzi visited on the night of October 28, 1940 Greek dictator’s, Ioannis Metaxas’, private home and demanded occupation sites and Metaxas refused. “Ohi” means “No” in Greek.
[18] Crete is a major Greek island in the Aegean Sea, north of Egypt. The Battle of Crete was very costly to Nazis.
[19] Pete Seeger, who was blacklisted during the McCarthy Era, was an American singer and social activist.
[20] According to Nicholas Demas’ daughters interviewed on November 16, 2020, their uncle James had also enlisted in the US army and he formally complaint to the army for being stationed away from the European front.
[21] Mary Hagicostas was born in Greece and came as an infant to the US, according to Nicholas Demas’ daughters interviewed on November 16, 2020.
[22] When American television and radio promoted the adoption of Korean orphans, Mary Demas used to comment that “first we kill them (the parents) and then we adopt them (their orphan babies), as related by the Nicholas Demas’ daughters during the November 16, 2020 interview.
[23] These memories were fondly recalled by JoAnn Demas during the November 16, 2020 interview.
[24] Camp Kinderland was founded in 1923 by Jewish activists as a summer retreat for their children living in New York City’s constricted tenements.
[25] Nick remained committed to social justice, although his activities were driven probably underground. A mimeograph was hidden in the family’s basement, according to his daughters.
[26] Grandfather Jannis’ death in Cyprus was a motorcycle accident but might have been politically motivated, stated on November 16, 2020 interview.
[27] The National Organization of Cypriot Fighters, Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA), was founded in 1955 to drive the British out. Afxentiou was EOKA’s second in command and when the British asked him to surrender, he responded μολὼν λαβέ “Molon Lave,” Leonidas’s famous saying at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
[28] EOKA stopped its resistance movement official on March 9, 1959.
[29] Cyprus was declared an independent state on August 16, 1960.
[30] Nicholas Demas never gave up on the US, despite US’s foreign policy, according to Nicholas Demas’ daughters interviewed on November 16, 2020.
[31] Nicholas Demas’ daughters’ interview on November 16, 2020.
[32] JoAnn Demas refused to participate in her high school’s war drive during the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis.
[33] The DuBois Clubs of America were sponsored by the communist Party, USA in June 1964. They were named in honor of the African-American civil rights activist and educator, W.E.B. DuBois, who had announced his conversion to Communism in December 1961 and who had passed way on August 7, 1963.
[34] Translated into English by David Ferry.