Mace Don Ian Question

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Origins of Macedonian Question 31/03/2011 04:13:00

Following split by Bulgarian church in 1870, Russia pressed for its

authority to be extended into parts of Macedonia

Russia wanted to extend her influence in the Balkans through a

Slavic nation

Chose Bulgaria because she was not yet independent of the

Ottoman empire, more docile compared to Serbia

o This angered the Greeks and Serbians who did not want to

see Schismatic Bulgarian influence extend

Four Wolves

Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia all fighting for power in Macedonia

(Albania joins later)

Difficult to understand where the state boundaries of Macedonia are There have been no kings of Macedonia since the 4th century

o As such there are claims from Serbian and Greek historians

that certain parts belong to them

i.e. North Macedonia is actually Serbian

Key strategic importance as well as the fact this it was rich in

resources such as wheat and timber.

Controls the main north/south route from central Europe to

Salonika and the Aegeano East/West route also runs through Macedonia as well

If former Yugoslav Macedonia is taken together with Bulgarian Macedonia,

¾ of the population are Slavs.

This national identity is in dispute.

Nature of Macedonian Slavs

They have a grammar similar to Bulgaria

Phonetics similar to Serbia

Serbian tradition of the Slava

Many seemed to have linked themselves more strongly with

Bulgaria than Serbia

o Only Northerners saw themselves as Serbian (in Skopje)

Bulgarians have fluctuated between claiming all Slav Macedonians were

Bulgarians and that the Macedonian Slavs were a separate people all

together.



The official Serbian (or Yugoslav) policy up until 1941 was to argue that

all Slav Macedonians were Serbians – Yugoslav Macedonia was called

„South Serbia‟

The Greeks commonly called the Macedonian Slavs „Bulgarians‟, but in

official rhetoric referred to them as „Slavophone Greeks‟

Although in modern times there is roughly a 50% population of

Greeks, these were largely Slavs at one point.



History of Macedonia to WWI 31/03/2011 04:13:00

Until 1870 the Greek patriarchate had control of the Orthodox church in

Macedonia

Following this the Bulgarian exarchate took control

Macedonians at this point had developed a more nationalist character,

witnessing the national awakenings of the Greeks, Serbians and

Bulgarians.

Macedonians took part in the national awakening of Bulgarians

specifically

Following the exarchate, Bulgarians sent emphatically nationalist priests

throughout Macedonia to set up churches and schools

Greeks and Serbians responded in the same wayo Serbia was hampered by war with Turkey in 1876

The Treaty of San Stefano in 1878 awarded Bulgaria nearly all of Slav

Macedonia from Russia in its peace settlement with the Ottomans

However, the great powers convinced Russia to abandon San

Stefano and the Treaty of Berlin (1878) re-awarded Macedonia

to Turkey once again

o We can see here that the transfer of borders may haveincreased nationalism throughout Macedonia

o In 1895 refugees in Sofia founded a Supreme Committee

for the liberation of Macedonia

In practice this mean that the annexation to Bulgaria

However, the creation of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation

(IMRO) was more properly nationalist minded

Two wings, one which worked with the Supreme Committee and

ended up with Right Wing tendencies

Other worked towards genuine autonomy away from Bulgaria

o After WWI many became „federalists‟ advocating an

autonomous Macedonia in a South Slav Federation

Came to a head in 1903 in the „Ilinden uprising‟

Some argue this was provoked by Bulgarians acting on behalf of

the Russians – ruthlessly crushed by the Ottomans

o However, did mean that Russia and Austria-Hungary

agreed in 1903 for reforms in Macedonia



o Meant that great powers (except for Germany) took control

of the Gendarmerie zones in Macedonia

1908 Austria-Hungary grant full independence to Bulgaria and also to the

fury of Serbia, Austria annexes Bosnia-Herzegovina

this impelled both Serbia and Bulgaria into the arms of Russia

o HOWEVER in 1912 Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria lay aside

their differences over Macedonia, formed an alliance and

drove the Turks out of Macedonia

Russia had reconciled Bulgaria and Serbia and

Greece had had a forward thinking government

None of the Balkan powers had any inclination that

Macedonia should be autonomous following thisthough.

Following the First Balkan War Bulgaria was badly defeated and lost large

parts of Macedonia whereas Serbia kept all the territory that she had

occupied

It was clear that Bulgaria would join any party in WWI who

would offer her the most of Macedonia

As such during WWI Bulgaria occupied the whole of Serbian Macedoniaand even the Eastern section of Greek Macedonia

Bulgarian authorities set to work „Bularising‟ the Slavs of

Macedonia

However, this was again reversed in 1919 after the defeat of the Central

Powers in 1918

As such after WWI Bulgaria had a tiny part of Macedonia,

Yugoslavia had just over 2/5, Greece had about ½



Macedonian Nationalism 31/03/2011 04:13:00

In one sense Macedonia was very similar to Serbia, Greece or Bulgaria in

the 19th century: under a Millet system trying to keep some form of

independence in the face of the Ottoman empire

However, unlike those other states, Macedonia did not have a

clear majority in any cultural sense.

o Turks, Greeks, Jews, Vlachs, Gypsies etc all living beside

each other

o Although there have been substantial changes since then,

the population has not become more homogenous, losing

only the Jewish community through Nazi persecution,

Gypsies and Vlachs.

Indicate a consistent and unresolved problem

Following WWI a largely urban elite rules over a country in which they

have almost no presence whatsoever

At the turn of the century Macedonians were nothing more than

illiterate peasants, nationalism was forced onto them by Bulgaria,

Serbia and Greece

Greece:

Before early 1990s, „Macedonia‟ was purely a geographic term that

referred to a particular part of the Balkans, not a nation state‟

i.e. Serbian-Macedonians, Bulgarian-Macedonians etc

Argue that the true border lies pretty much where the modern day border

between Greece and the former Yugoslavia Ancient Macedonians were

Greek and as such only Greece has “true” claims over Macedonia

Argue it is a false nation, or an invention of Tito

Because the ancient language was Greek, the Macedonian language

cannot be called Macedonian

Greeks feel the use of the name is „hijacking‟ a Greek insititution

The last rulers of Macedonia were Byzantine Greeks under Basil the

Bulgar Slayer (Basil II)

Also had control of them through the Greek patriarchate in

Ottoman times



The existence of Macedonia as part of Greece is fundamental to the Greek

psyche.

Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic period has a great hold

on popular imagination.

o The Hellensim of the Ancient Macedonians – Dascalakis

One must understand that the Greek views are augmented by their

traditional fear of invasion from the North: generally speaking all

invasions, from the Dark Ages to the motorised divisions of WWII have

come from the North.

Slavic (Bulgarian)

Slavs normally counter-argue that there are passages in Plutarch of

struggles between Alexander‟s successors where troops „shout in

Macedonian‟

would surely suggest a defined culture and language already

present before Alexander

Bulgarian nationalism has had to unfold and expand because they have

never had a completely homogenous society: Bulgarians have always hadto coexist with another society

As such non-ethnic group are attempted to be assimilated

The language is largely based around other Slavic languages not on

Greece, would serve to show a Balkan presence in Macedonia before

Greek

Only after Bulgarians attempted to Bulgarise Macedonia did a genuine

drive for the creation of the Macedonian language come to fruition

1892 Macedonian the main language taught in schools, Greek and

Bulgarian eliminated but the Greek bishop refused this.

Macedonian language never properly codified until 1944

Whether or not a family was associated with a Greek or Bulgarian

patriarchate led to their nationalist sentiments.



Argued that the „Greek‟ population was concentrated in the Urban areas

whilst the „Bulgarian‟ population was in more rural areas

Descriptions of villages where they spoke Bulgarian but were

part of the Greek Orthodox party and as such took no part in

Bulgarian movements

Rival myths that Alexander was in fact Bulgarian

Invention of “Macedonianism” by Tito

By recognising the existence of a separate Yugoslav nation, Tito‟s

Communist party was able to gain control of the Serbian (Yugoslav) part

of Macedonia Eliminated the sense of Bulgarian identity

Established the language of Macedonia in 1944

Following this, the Bulgarian people‟s party also recognised

Macedonian independence, with the hope that it might once

again come back into Bulgarian control one day.

The economic weakness of Macedonia following WWII meant that Serbia

particularly envisioned it returning to the Yugoslaiva

Macedonian language was properly articulated in the second half on the

19th century and shows a clear separation between Macedonians and

Bulgarians or Serbs

Greece



3/31/2011 4:13:00 AM

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