assumed that the Greek government was aware that Diamandi was an undercover Romanian agent who was trying to incite the Aromanians against the Greek state. During Ioannis Metaxas's regime, Diamandi was served with an expulsion order, but he managed to avoid being forced out and continued his activities. World War II When the Greco-Italian War started, at the end of October 1940, Diamandi was already in Konitsa on the Albanian-Greek border. The invading Italians offered him the rank of Commendatore, and he served as translator and assistant to the Italian Chief of Staff General Alfredo Guzzoni. After Italy's initial defeat, Diamandi was forced to seek refuge in Tirana (at that time under Italian rule) and re-entered Greece with the Italian armies five months later in the spring of 1941. This time he discussed a so-called "Autonomous State of the Pindus" (Αυτόνομον Κράτος της Πίνδου) or "Autonomous Vlach State" (Αυτόνομον Βλαχικόν Κράτος) in the territory of Epirus, Thessaly and parts of Macedonia, which was supposed to constitute a homeland for the Aromanians. This planned state or canton is sometimes called "Principality of Pindus" (the name used to mainly refer to the events in Pindus in August 1917). Diamandi's deputy and right-hand was the Larissa-based lawyer Nicolaos Matussis, while the third in the hierarchy of the nascent state was Vassilis Rapotikas. In June 1941, Diamandi found himself in Grevena and then he went to Metsovo, where he founded the "Party of the Kοutso-Vlach Community" (Κόμμα Κοινότητας Κουτσοβλάχων) which was part of the "Union of Romanian Communities" (Ένωσις Ρουμανικών Κοινοτήτων). An Aromanian parliament was summoned in Trikala, but no laws were adopted—since the meeting was mostly for show; the Italians were not keen on sharing power in the region. An Aromanian manifesto in occupied Greece On 1 March 1942 Diamandi issued an ample Manifesto which was published in the local press and republished by Stavros Anthemides in 1997 (in his book on the Vlachs of Greece; see bibliography). The Manifesto was co-signed by leading Aromanians intellectuals such as: the lawyer Nicolaos Matussis Prof. Dimas Tioutras the lawyer Vasilakis Georgios the physician Dr. Frangkos Georgios the teacher A. Beca the businessman Gachi Papas the physician Dr. Nikos Mitsibouna Prof. Dim. Hatzigogou the lawyer A. Kalometros the engineer Niko Teleionis Vasilis Tsiotzios Prof. Kosta Nicoleskou Prof. Toli Pasta Dim. Tahas Prof. Stefanos Kotsios Prof. G. Kontoinani Dr. Kaloera Prof. Toli Hatzi Giovani Mertzios Pericli Papas