This book follows the paths of people from the Interwar years to the end of the Occupation. It records the consequences of the Occupation, such as the collapse of the economy, the terror of the occupiers, the famine, and the impact these had on their lives. Through their testimonies, it delves into the reasons why they decided to join the Resistance.

The study focuses on the EAM resistance movement in Athens, particularly in the refugee neighborhoods, and explains why the refugees of Kaisariani and Vyronas, with the assistance of their comrades from Pangrati, Gouva, and Ymittos, turned their neighborhoods into strongholds of EAM. It observes how, through street battles, the distribution of illegal press, or participation in demonstrations, the resistance experience forms a new political identity and a new collective subject.

On this basis, the research follows the process of radicalization of entire social groups (students, public servants, workers), which contributed to transforming the struggle for survival into a resistance struggle. It investigates the reasons for the escalation of political confrontation between EAM, the German occupation authorities, and the governments appointed by them.
It examines the role violence played in transforming politics into armed conflict and the practices each side used to achieve their goals.

The blockades by the Security Battalions, the tortures and executions by the Special Security, the raids by the "X" organization, the battles of ELAS, and the assassinations by OPLA, composed the multifaceted violence that divided Athenian society.

Through the lens of social history, the book places people and their experiences at the center and highlights occupied Athens as one of the most characteristic examples of how a society reacts in times of crisis.