Macedonia_in_the_Balkan_Wars.2C_World_War_I_and_II Macedonia_(region)

1 macedonia in balkan wars, world war , ii

1.1 balkan wars
1.2 world war i
1.3 world war ii
1.4 post–world war ii

macedonia in balkan wars, world war , ii
the balkan wars

the imminent collapse of ottoman empire welcomed balkan states, promised restore european territory. young turk revolution of 1908 proved nationalistic movement thwarting peoples expectations of empire s modernization , hastened end of ottoman occupation of balkans. end, alliance struck among balkan states in spring 1913. first balkan war, lasted 6 weeks, commenced in august 1912, when montenegro declared war on ottoman empire, forces engaged 4 different wars in thrace, macedonia, northern , southern albania , kosovo. macedonian campaign fought in atrocious conditions. retreat of ottoman army macedonia succeeded desperate effort of greek , bulgarian forces reach city of thessalonica, single prize of first balkan war status no prior agreements done. in case possession equal acquisition. greek forces entered city first liberating officially, progress positive them. glenny says: greeks war .

the first balkan war managed liberate balkans turks , settled major issues except macedonia. in spring 1913 serbs , greeks begun serbianization , hellenization of parts in macedonia controlled, while bulgarians faced difficulties against jews , turkish populations. moreover, possession of thessalonica living dream bulgarians preparing new war. this, bulgarian troops had secret order in june 1913 launch surprise attacks on serbs. greece , serbia signed previous bilateral defensive agreement (may 1913). consequently, bulgaria decided attack greece , serbia. after initial gains bulgarians forced retreat bulgaria proper , lose of land had conquered during first war.

the treaty of bucharest (august 1913) took off of bulgarian conquests of previous years. large part of macedonia became southern serbia, including territory of today republic of macedonia , aegean macedonia became northern greece. greece doubled territory , population size , northern frontiers remain today, more or less same since balkan wars. however, when serbia acquired vardarska banovina (the present-day republic of macedonia), launched having expansionist views aiming descend aegean, thessalonica highest ambition. however, greece after population exchange bulgaria, after victory in balkan wars, managed give national homogeneity in aegean , remaining slavic-speakers absorbed.

many volunteers macedonia joined bulgarian army , participated in battles against bulgarian enemies in these wars—on strength of macedonian-adrianopolitan volunteer corps , other units.

world war i

after world war macedonian campaign status quo of macedonia remained same. establishment of kingdom of serbians, croats , slovenes in 1918, in 1929 renamed yugoslavia (south slavia) predicted no special regime skopje neither recognized macedonian national identity. in fact, claims macedonian identity remained silent @ propaganda level because, eventually, north macedonia had been serbian conquest.

the situation in serbian macedonia changed after communist revolution in russia (1918–1919). according sfetas, comintern handling macedonia matter of tactics, depending on political circumstances. in 1920s supported position single , independent macedonia in balkan soviet democracy. actually, soviets desired common front of bulgarian communist agriculturists , bulgarian-macedonian societies destabilize balkan peninsula. internal macedonian revolutionary organization (imro), under protection of comintern, promoted idea of independent macedonia in federation of balkan states, unifying macedonians. however, possible participation of bulgaria in new war, on axis side, ended soviet support years later.

world war ii

bulgaria joined axis powers in 1941, when german troops prepared invade greece romania reached bulgarian borders , demanded permission pass through bulgarian territory. threatened direct military confrontation, tsar boris iii had no choice join fascist block, officially happened on 1 march 1941. there little popular opposition, since soviet union in non-aggression pact germany.

on 6 april 1941, despite having officially joined axis powers, bulgarian government maintained course of military passivity during initial stages of invasion of yugoslavia , battle of greece. german, italian, , hungarian troops crushed yugoslavia , greece, bulgarians remained on sidelines. yugoslav government surrendered on 17 april. greek government hold out until 30 april. on 20 april, period of bulgarian passivity ended. bulgarian army entered aegean region. goal gain aegean sea outlet in thrace , eastern macedonia , of eastern serbia. so-called vardar banovina divided between bulgaria , italians occupied west macedonia. bulgarian occupation of macedonia viewed oppressive inhabitants of region, further distancing previous affiliations between macedonian , bulgarians.

during german occupation of greece (1941–1944) greek communist party-kke main resistance factor military branch eam-elas (national liberation front). although many members of eam slavic-speaking, had either bulgarian, greek or distinct macedonian conscience. take advantage of situation kke established snof cooperation of yugoslav leader tito, ambitious enough make plans greek macedonia. established anti-fascistic assembly national liberation of macedonia (asnom) giving actual liberating character whole region of macedonia. besides, kke positive option of greater macedonia, including greek region, since realized victory in greek civil war utopic. later eam , snof disagreed in issues of policy , crashed , latter expelled greece (1944).

post–world war ii

the end of war did not bring peace greece , strenuous civil war between government forces , eam broke out 50,000 casualties both sides. defeat of communists in 1949 forced slav-speaking members either leave greece or adopt greek language , surnames. slav minorities discriminated against, , not recognised minority. since 1923 internationally recognized minority in greece muslims in western thrace.

yugoslav macedonia region yugoslav communist leader josip broz tito had not developed partisan movement because of bulgarian occupation of large part of area. improve situation, in 1943 communist party of macedonia established in tetovo prospect support resistance against axis. in meantime, bulgarians violent repression led loss of moral support civilian population. end of war macedonia national consciousness hardly existed beyond general conviction, gained bitter experience, rule sofia unpalatable belgrade. if there no macedonian nation there communist party of macedonia, around people s republic of macedonia built .

tito separated yugoslav macedonia serbia after war. became republic of new federal yugoslavia (as socialist republic of macedonia) in 1946, capital @ skopje. tito promoted concept of separate macedonian nation, means of severing ties of slav population of yugoslav macedonia bulgaria. although macedonian language close bulgarian, differences deliberately emphasized , region s historical figures promoted being uniquely macedonian (rather serbian or bulgarian). separate macedonian orthodox church established, splitting off serbian orthodox church, has not been recognized other orthodox church, including ecumenical patriarchate of constantinople. communist party sought deter pro-bulgarian sentiment, punished severely; convictions still being handed down late 1991.

tito had number of reasons doing this. first, ethnic croat, wanted reduce serbia s dominance in yugoslavia; establishing territory formerly considered serbian equal serbia within yugoslavia achieved effect. secondly, wanted sever ties of macedonian slav population bulgaria because recognition of population bulgarian have undermined unity of yugoslav federation. third of all, tito sought justify future yugoslav claims towards rest of macedonia (pirin , aegean), in name of liberation of region. potential macedonian state remain constituent republic within yugoslavia, , yugoslavia manage access aegean sea.

tito s designs on macedonia asserted august 1944, when in proclamation claimed goal reunify parts of macedonia, divided in 1912 , 1913 balkan imperialists . end, opened negotiations bulgaria new federal state, have included albania, , supported greek communists in greek civil war. idea of reunification of of macedonia under communist rule abandoned late 1949 when greek communists lost , tito fell out soviet union , pro-soviet bulgaria.

across border in greece, slavophones seen potentially disloyal fifth column within greek state both , greece, , existence minority officially denied. greeks resettled in region many of whom emigrated (especially australia) along many greek-speaking natives, because of hard economic conditions after second world war , greek civil war. although there liberalization between 1959 , 1967, greek military dictatorship re-imposed harsh restrictions. situation gradually eased after greece s return democracy, although 1990s greece has been criticised international human rights activists harassing macedonian slav political activists, who, nonetheless, free maintain own political party (rainbow). elsewhere in greek macedonia, economic development after war brisk , area rapidly became prosperous part of region. coast heavily developed tourism, particularly on halkidiki peninsula.

under georgi dimitrov, soviet loyalist , head of comintern, bulgaria accepted existence of distinctive macedonian identity. had been agreed pirin macedonia join yugoslav macedonia , reason population declared macedonian in 1946 census. caused resentment , many people imprisoned or interned in rural areas outside macedonia. after tito s split soviet bloc position abandoned , existence of macedonian nation or language denied.

attempts of macedonian historians after 1940s claim number of prominent figures of 19th century bulgarian cultural revival , armed resistance movement macedonians has caused ever since bitter resentment in sofia. bulgaria has repeatedly accused republic of macedonia of appropriating bulgarian national heroes , symbols , of editing works of literature , historical documents prove existence of macedonian slav consciousness before 1940s. publication in republic of macedonia of folk song collections bulgarian folk songs miladinov brothers , songs of macedonian bulgarians serbian archaeologist verkovic under politically correct titles collection , macedonian folk songs of examples quoted bulgarians. issue has soured relations of bulgaria former yugoslavia , later republic of macedonia decades.