 In August 1942, with his political advisor and second-in-command of EDES, Komninos Pyromaglou, he went to the mountains of Epirus, where he founded the military branch of EDES, the EOEA ("Ethnikes Omades Ellinon Antarton", National Groups of Greek Guerrillas).Upon taking to the mountains of his native Epirus, Zervas relied primarily upon familial connections to recruit "andartes".Zervas was very much a traditional guerrilla leader whose status as an "archigos" (leader) was based upon his charisma, and his political platform was notably vague beyond its call to restore the republic.