Massacres of Mousiotitsa

Under the command of Generalleutnant Walter Stettner, the Division was tasked with countering partisan activity and was given explicit orders to act with extreme brutality.

[1][3] Since partisans relied upon civilians for food and intelligence,[3] the Wehrmacht systematically used mass reprisals to terrorize local communities, labeling their population as "bandits".

[3][1] Mousiotitsa was the first victim of a series of mop-up operations that in the coming months would result in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and the destruction of their property in villages such as Kommeno and Lingiades.

By the summer of 1943, villagers from Mousiotitsa had joined the armed bands of the EDES partisan organization which harassed the German occupation forces.

Soon after the arrival in the region of the 1st Mountain Division, reports of the presence of partisans west of the Arta - Ioannina road reached its headquarters.

[2] On 18 July, a force commanded by Oberst Josef Salminger [de] advanced south towards Arta and clashed with partisans near Kopani, leaving behind 9 dead Germans.

This engagement prompted Salminger to request an even harsher stance in dealing with the locals, which was ultimately approved by Stettner and hence Mousiotitsa was targeted.

The hostages were mustered in Spithari (Greek: Σπιθάρι), a plateau above the village that had served as a refuge for locals during the era of Ottoman rule.