Risto Stefov - Articles, Translations & Collaborations

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  • Onur
    Senior Member
    • Apr 2010
    • 2389

    Originally posted by Risto the Great View Post
    Onur, I do not believe you fully understand the second economy that existed within Macedonia at the time. The Macedonians ran it. Your suggestion that Serbia/Bulgaria/Greece were already drawing maps is no different to maps being drawn today. The difference is that there was more to fight for then and less chance of Macedonians losing. I would say the Macedonians are far more vulnerable in a number of ways right now than they were at the peak of their revolution in the early 1900's.
    Yes, some idiot neo-nazi Serbs, Greeks and Bulgars still draws maps today but in 1900s, their governments was drawing maps under the supervision of western powers and Russians. So, the situation is kinda different right now. For example Greeks, Armenians, Kurds and some others draws new maps of Turkey for ages too and even the western powers supports them but we don't care much about this since neither of them doesn't have power to realize it.

    I also believe neither the poor Serbs, Bulgars nor the bankrupt Greeks cannot do serious harm to ROM today, ofc unless the people of ROM decides to self destruct themselves in some way(same equals for Turkish people too). I mean, none of your foreign neighbors doesn't have the ability nor power to harm your country at 2010 but if you talk about internal problems of your country while you say "far more vulnerable", then i cant really comment for that since i don't know much about it.
    Last edited by Onur; 08-11-2010, 07:33 PM.

    Comment

    • Homer MakeDonski
      Member
      • Jan 2010
      • 103

      stotuki objaveno
      Sajt so knigite na Risto Stefov

      Comment

      • George S.
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2009
        • 10116

        How to End the “Name Game”

        How to End the “Name Game”



        By Risto Stefov

        [email protected]

        August 15, 2010



        Almost two decades have passed and there is still no sign of a resolution being reached in the so-called “name negotiations” between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia.



        In this article I will attempt to define what Greece is asking for and the compromises that the Republic of Macedonia has already made.



        Greece’s opposition to international recognition of the Republic of Macedonia is based on the following;



        1. The name “Macedonia” is, was and will always be Greek.



        2. The 16 ray sunburst, symbol of the Macedonian royal family, is also Greek on account of “Macedonia” being Greek.



        3. Possessing the name “Macedonia” and the 16 ray sunburst constitutes reason that “Skopje” harbours irredentist claims on Greek territory. As evidence of this Greek governments have cited passages from the 1944 ASNOM resolution calling for the “unification of the entire Macedonian nation” which was to be achieved by “the liberation of Greek and Bulgarian occupied Macedonia”.



        4. International recognition of the Republic of Macedonia would lead to destabilization of the Balkans.



        5. Article 3 of the Macedonian constitution which stated “the borders of the Republic of Macedonia may be changed only in accordance with the constitution” Greece interprets as legitimizing efforts to “break off and annex Greek territories”.



        6. Article 49 of the Macedonian constitution which stated that the Republic of Macedonia “cares for the status and rights of Macedonians living in neighbouring countries”, Greece interprets as legitimizing efforts to “liberate enslaved Macedonians living in Greece”.



        7. Greek governments deny the existence of Macedonians living in Greece.



        8. Using the name “Macedonia” by the Republic of Macedonia may cause confusion internationally because Greece’s “northern province” is also called “Macedonia”, therefore the Republic of Macedonia cannot use the name “Macedonia”.



        Now let us have a look at what the Republic of Macedonia has done to alleviate Greek concerns;



        a. In response to a European Commission request made on December 16, 1991 by the Council of EC Ministers, the Macedonian parliament, on January 6, 1992, adopted two amendments to the Macedonian constitution. Amendment 1 stated that the Republic of Macedonia had no territorial claims against its neighbouring state and that the boundaries of the Republic of Macedonia could be changed only in accordance with “generally accepted international norms”. Amendment 2 stated that the Republic of Macedonia would not interfere in the internal affairs of other states.



        b. The Republic of Macedonia, on many occasions, offered to sign a bilateral agreement with Greece affirming the permanence of the borders between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia.



        c. The Republic of Macedonia changed its flag and removed the 16 ray sunburst from circulation.



        d. An EC arbitration commission, after its investigation, ruled that the use of the name “Macedonia” did not imply territorial claims towards any of the Republic of Macedonia’s neighbouring states.



        At this point the Republic of Macedonia made it clear that bargaining over the name of a state as a condition of its recognition was contrary to the principles of international law, citing that such precedence does not exist.



        Now let us review what has been done and what, if any, remains to be done to address Greek concerns.



        Item 1 of the so-called “Greek concerns” can be removed from the list because (1) Modern Greece has nothing to do with Ancient Macedonia, its territory, or symbols and (2) the Republic of Macedonia, being located inside geographic and historic Macedonian territory, has the right to that name and the territory it currently occupies.



        Item 2 is no longer a concern for Greece since the Republic of Macedonia abandoned that symbol when it changed its flag as per item “c” above.



        Item 3 is no longer a concern because the Republic of Macedonia amended its constitution as shown in parts “a” and “b” above. Also as stated in “d” above, the EC arbitration commission, after its investigation, ruled that the use of the name “Macedonia” did not imply territorial claims towards Greece.



        Item 4 above should not be a concern for Greece because the Republic of Macedonia has over the years (1) proven to be a peaceful state and (2) does not have the economic or military resources to be a threat to any of its more powerful neighbours.



        Items 5 and 6 above have been taken care of with the Republic of Macedonia’s constitutional amendments mentioned in item “a” above and should not be of concern to Greece.



        Item 7 above is an internal Greek problem which Greece has to deal with on its own. It has nothing to do with the Republic of Macedonia. This item is also covered by the second constitutional amendment in part (a) above; Amendment 2 stated that the Republic of Macedonia would not interfere in the internal affairs of other states. This includes Greece.



        Item 8 above can be addressed by Greece using the name “Province of Macedonia” for its northern province while the Republic of Macedonia uses “Republic of Macedonia” to denote the Macedonian state. A state always takes precedence over a province or territory. Clearly, anyone can tell the difference between “Province of Macedonia” and “Republic of Macedonia”. Even if they can’t, what harm will it do?



        In reality all of Greece’s concerns, as stated up to this point, have been addressed by the Republic of Macedonia.



        Since the Republic of Macedonia has made no demands of its own from Greece, the so-called “name negotiations” are now and have been for the last decade a non-issue.



        If Greece, however, continues to make further demands of the Republic of Macedonia to “change” its name without producing “legitimate” reasons as to why, then either Greece has not made it “perfectly clear” as to what it wants from the Republic of Macedonia, or Greece has secretly widened its original scope.



        If that is the case then this opens the door for the Republic of Macedonia to (1) withdraw the compromises it has already made, (2) walk away from the talks, and (3) make demands of its own. For example, the Republic of Macedonia can make a case for examining history and determining the legitimacy of Greece’s historic claims to Macedonian territories. The Republic of Macedonia can also sue Greece for compensation for the damages that the unfair February 1994 Greek imposed embargo caused to the Republic of Macedonia’s economy.



        It is now time for Greece to come to its senses and recognize the Republic of Macedonia by its constitutional name. I believe this is Greece’s last chance where conditions are most favourable for Greece to end the “name negotiations” and Recognize the Republic of Macedonia. This is the time where Greece has most to gain by exiting the negotiations. Putting more demands, using blackmail and delay tactics clearly show that Greece is not interested in a “fair resolution” and therefore is working under a hidden agenda, which in time will become obvious to everyone who will then side with the Republic of Macedonia.



        Other articles by Risto Stefov:









        Free electronic books by Risto Stefov available at:



        "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
        GOTSE DELCEV

        Comment

        • George S.
          Senior Member
          • Aug 2009
          • 10116

          Greek plans to secure Macedonia

          Greek plans to secure Macedonia



          By Risto Stefov

          [email protected]

          August 22, 2010



          In the past I have given my readers hints of Greek plans to secure Macedonia but I have yet to elaborate on them. By “securing” Macedonia I am talking about Greece striving to maintain ownership of the 51% of Macedonia it annexed in 1913 and having aspirations to annex more in the future.



          As we have seen in the past Modern Greece in the early 1800’s was a small country, but as it anchored itself in the Morea (which it later renamed to Peloponnesus) it developed a bigger plan called the “Megali Idea”, which in time helped it expand. Less than a century later Greece more than tripled its land mass, swallowing up Epirus, Thessaly, Crete, 51% of Macedonia, part of Thrace and about half of Cyprus, not to mention its acquisition of the various islands in the Aegean and Adriatic Seas.



          Every time there was a major disturbance or a major war in the region, Greece gained more territory. So despite Greek claims that Greece “no longer” has expansionist aspirations, Greece’s “Megali Idea”, although on hold for the moment, is still alive and well. This is well demonstrated by Greece’s stranglehold on Cyprus. In other words Greece is not going to give up Cyprus willingly and will fight tooth and nail to not only hang on to what it already has but to drive the Turks out and take all of Cyprus for itself.



          Greece has also not given up on acquiring all of Macedonia, parts of Albania, Thrace including Istanbul and Asia Minor. It is just waiting for the right opportunity.



          But as fate may have it the winds of fortune could change for Greece for better or for worse and Greece may gain more territory or even loose some. Greece, however, one way or another is prepared with multiple contingencies to deal with it.



          In this article I want to focus on Greece’s contingency to protect against losing Macedonia. But before I get into it let me say that Greece has never given up on its aspirations to annex more Macedonian territories, even all of Macedonia. And now that the Republic of Macedonia is no longer under the protection of the Yugoslav federation, Greece believes its chances of annexing more Macedonian territories have dramatically increased. Therefore I would not discount the possibility of Greece making another bid to grab more Macedonian territories in the future! The Greeks can deny this as much as they want but their plans, unfortunately, were made public in the 1990’s by Mitsotakis, the then Greek Prime Minister.



          In addition to looking ahead for a chance to grab more Macedonian territory, Greece, like a good commander with sound strategies, has implemented defensive processes to secure what it already has, i.e. the Macedonian territories it annexed in 1913.



          Greece’s first line of defense is what we are publicly witnessing today which, in addition to being prepared to defend its share of Macedonia militarily, includes every possible effort to deny that it holds Macedonian territories which do not belong to it. By denying the existence of a Macedonian identity and a Macedonian people, Greece deflects all criticisms that it is occupying Macedonian territories. It further reinforces its hold on Macedonia by falsely claiming that Macedonia is Greek under the pretense that the ancient Macedonians of 2,500 years ago were Greek.



          Greece can go on making these outrageous claims as long as it wants. But it know that the Macedonian people, some day, will discover the truth and will challenge Greece’s claims.



          To challenge Greek claims the Macedonian people will only have to prove;



          1. The Modern Greeks are not at all related to the so-called ancient Greeks and there is great doubt that the ancient Macedonians were anywhere near “Greek”.



          2. There are dozens of Uprisings, including the Macedonian National Uprising in 1903, which testify to the fact that Macedonians not only exist but have made bids to liberate themselves and to create their own Macedonian country. They did this many times and succeeded in 1991 when the Republic of Macedonia became a sovereign and independent Macedonian state.



          3. In spite of the Macedonian bid in 1903 to liberate Macedonia and to create a Macedonian state, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria invaded, occupied and partitioned Macedonia in 1912, 1913, anyway and illegally and forcefully took Macedonia from the hands of the Macedonian people.



          Greece knows that all this someday will come out and that Greece’s hold on Macedonia will be challenged. That is why its second line of defense is to re-populate its occupied part of Macedonia with foreign colonists and settlers and through incentives instill in them a Greek national consciousness so that they will offer internal opposition to the indigenous Macedonians and give proof to the world that Greeks live in Greek occupied Macedonia.



          To hide the fact that Macedonians lived in Macedonia, Greece implemented a number of assimilatory policies to have all Macedonian personal and place names replaced with Greek sounding ones. Greece had the Macedonian language abolished and by law forbidden from being spoken. Greece had all Macedonian books, church icons, relics, monuments and gravestones destroyed so that everything Macedonian past and present would be erased.



          Greece was careful not to publish statistics or any other information in which the words “Macedonia”, Macedonian” and “Macedonians” were included. When challenged however Greece would admit to the existence of “Slavophone Greeks” in its occupied part of Macedonia and when challenged under extreme duress, it would admit that “Slavo-Macedonians” existed in Greek occupied Macedonia.



          By calling the Macedonians “Slavo-Macedonians” Greece implies that there are other “unnamed types” of “Macedonians” living in Greece and that the “Slavo-Macedonians” are not at all Macedonians but some sort of “foreign entity” which Greece can discriminate against. Greece to this day uses this label to deny the Macedonian people their human rights!



          Greece knows that this too will be challenged one day and that is why it has implemented what I refer to as “steam valves”. Greece has strategically placed people and organizations that sound and behave like they are Macedonian but are not. A good example of this is the “Pan Macedonian Organization” in North America which pretends to be Macedonian but works entirely for the benefit of Greece and against the Macedonian people. Pretending to address the Macedonian peoples’ problems, these organizations relieve the build up of pressure and stop the Macedonians from forming their own organizations, which could be harmful to Greece.



          Greece has employed many such organizations to achieve two goals; (1) fool the world that they are the legitimate representative of the Macedonian people and (2) their mandate is to divide, weaken and destroy the Macedonian consciousness by any means possible.



          Greece knows that this tactic too has its limitations, so its next level of defense is the placement or infiltration of “trusted” people in legitimate Macedonian organizations where for the most part they observe and report. These “planted” people for all practical purposes behave like true patriotic Macedonians and carry on with their duty as officers of Macedonian organizations with diligence, that is, until the organization becomes dangerous to Greece. At this point they intervene and with their arguments and voting power try to steer the organization in a different or softer direction. People such as these will try to take a “milder and softer approach” in dealing with Greece and may even offer “convincing arguments” that it is good for Macedonia to go in this direction, or arguments such as “it is good to maintain the name negotiations” with Greece! Or they will offer arguments that there is no harm for Macedonia to change its name to “Northern Republic of Macedonia”, or something to that effect, because that would imply that there is a “Southern Republic of Macedonia” for which the Macedonian people could make a bid for in the future! These again are “distractions” and “stall” tactics which are good for Greece and bad for the Macedonian people. Tactics such as these also bring disputes and conflict among the Macedonians, which breaks up their unity and further weakens their power to pursue their interests.



          But Greece is aware that these tactics too some day will be discovered and overcome so the problem is what to do next. At this stage Greece knows that it will have to enter into serious negotiations with the Macedonian people who will demand “concessions” from Greece; concessions like the return of citizenship, the return of property, recognition of a the Macedonians living in Greece, compensation for personal damages, compensation for illegal jailing, compensation for destruction of property, apologies for wrong doing and ultimately the return of the entire Macedonian territory to the Macedonian people.



          Knowing full well that the Macedonian people themselves do not have the power or resources to achieve any of the above, Greeks believe that if the Macedonians complain loud and long enough someone out there who has the power and clout will come to their rescue. But once the Macedonians enter into negotiations with Greece it will mean that the Macedonians themselves will have to do the negotiating and will have to settle for whatever Greece gives them. This is why Greece has made sure to place its own agents in strategic positions, so that when the time comes they will be in a good position to undermine the Macedonians yet again! To accomplish this Greece has again imbedded its own people to convince the Macedonians to ask for as little as possible.



          Here are some examples of what has been done to minimize the impact on Greece;



          1. Macedonians have been convinced to call Greek occupied Macedonia, Aegean Macedonia.



          2. Without a single census ever taken or demographic report published, the Greeks have convinced the Macedonians to call the Macedonians living in Greece a “minority”. How do we know they are a “minority” if no one has bothered to count them?



          3. Every time outsiders, be it academics or human rights activists, show interest in Macedonian affairs, someone pretending to be Macedonian has come out and given them information about the Macedonians, which is usually mild and soft in comparison to reality. This is another Greek defense tactic to minimize and make light of the situation and steer the foreigners in the direction most beneficial to Greece. These are people who will NOT tell it the way it is and instead “sugar coat” the information to be more palatable and “politically correct”. When reports come out we then blame the writers for not doing their job!



          Let me take the opportunity here to clarify a few things. There are true Macedonian patriots out there who honestly and sincerely work on the front lines for the Macedonian cause. They should be commended for this and I don’t want to paint them with the same brush as some sold out traitors who pretend to be patriots. Not every Macedonian who runs out there to greet outsiders is a “false” Macedonian but experience has taught me that most patriotic Macedonians are cautions, especially about what they reveal. And what they do reveal they make sure is in the interest of Macedonia and the Macedonian people!



          Besides being cautious and afraid that harm will come to both them personally and to the Macedonian cause, true Macedonian patriots will not criticize or rout out other Macedonians. A true Macedonian knows it is not in the interest of the Macedonian cause to put other Macedonians in harms way just because they suspect them of having done something wrong but not proven! What if they themselves are wrong? How will it serve the Macedonian cause to wrongly accuse a fellow Macedonian of something they have not done? A “false” patriot on the other hand will not hesitate and will be quick to accuse a Macedonian of wrong doing even if the accusation is based on rumours!



          Because of the position we are in, our enemies still speak for us and that is why our country is still occupied, our existence denied, we are mistreated and have yet to achieve our human rights as Macedonians in Greece and in Bulgaria.



          But as any good negotiator knows, you ask for the world first and you only settle for whatever you rightfully deserve! So when the time comes to negotiate with Greece, we need to remember to ignore the little voices whispering in our ears and reaffirm our position that “Macedonia belongs to the Macedonian people” and not to Greece!



          We must reaffirm our position that we are the true Macedonians and by our 1903 Macedonian National Uprising we have proven to the world that we want to be free and we demand our own country, which belongs to us but was illegally taken away from us by force, to be given back to us. When the time comes we will settle for nothing less than having our Macedonia restored to us! This is not negotiable.



          What is negotiable, however, are the damages Greece has done to us and will have to pay for. Damages such as the deaths, suffering and pain inflicted on our people. Greece will have to pay for the loss of property it confiscated from us over the years.



          If Greece wants to negotiate with the Macedonians then let’s sit down and negotiate the compensation for our losses! Macedonia, all of Macedonia, on the other hand, belongs to the Macedonian people and it, along with its name, are not negotiable!
          "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
          GOTSE DELCEV

          Comment

          • George S.
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2009
            • 10116

            This is another reason to stop the name negotiations as greece has territorial aspirations on macedonia.
            "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
            GOTSE DELCEV

            Comment

            • George S.
              Senior Member
              • Aug 2009
              • 10116

              Macedonian Struggle for Independence

              Macedonian Struggle for Independence



              Part 33 – The First Balkan War



              By Risto Stefov

              [email protected]

              September 2010



              After the various alliances between Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro were made the Balkan countries began preparations for war. Then on September 20th, 1912 the allies sent an ultimatum to the Ottoman authorities asking them to reform the administration and establish local assemblies, local police, free schools, etc. The Ottoman response came on September 23rd, 1912 with the mobilization of part of the Ottoman military forces in the European part of the Ottoman Empire. The allied response to that was a general mobilization which took place on September 30th, 1912. A day later the Ottomans also ordered a general mobilization prompting Serbia to do the same on October 17th and Greece on October 19th, 1912 and thus initiating the First Balkan War.



              The Ottoman mobilization, which lasted almost a month, did not go as well as expected because the Macedonians and other Christians refused to join the Ottoman army thus allowing it to recruit only half of the planned forces.



              The very low turnout on the Christian part was mainly due to the escalation of anti-Ottoman propaganda conducted by the Allies leading the populations to believe that liberation was imminent. Many Macedonian emigrants in Bulgaria anticipated this war with great hope. During its preparations for war, Bulgaria used propaganda to fool the Macedonians that because of the Bulgarian-Serbian Treaty, Bulgaria was committing to giving up the San Stefano Treaty and to recognizing Macedonian autonomy. Knowing nothing about the “secret agreements” to “partition” Macedonia, the people in Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria considered Macedonia to be just another ally. Only Yane Sandanski was suspicious of the Serbian-Bulgarian Treaty and believed it to be an agreement to divide Macedonia. As soon as Sandanski found out about the Serbian-Bulgarian Treaty he was sure and made his opinion clear to his followers, that no such agreement was possible if it would not result in the division of Macedonia. Sandanski was a believer of Gotse Delchev’s philosophy that it was better for Macedonia to remain under Ottoman rule than to be partitioned and annexed by its neighbours. Sandanski was against the Balkan Wars unless of course they led to the creation of a Balkan Federation where Macedonia was to be an autonomous country. Sandanski always believed that “those who will come to liberate us will occupy us”. Sandanski and others supported regional autonomy for Macedonia within a democratic Ottoman Federation, or, a liberated and independent Macedonia within a democratic community of Balkan nations.



              On August 15th, 1912, just before the First Balkan War started, a number of Macedonians in Bitola sent a letter to Russia warning the Russian leadership that the Balkan Alliance was not created to liberate Macedonia but to divide it among Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. “Those nations do not recognize a Macedonian national identity and all this time have tried to turn Macedonians into Serbians, Bulgarians and Greeks, so why would they now want to liberate Macedonia if not to divide it among themselves. Only Russia could save Macedonia by giving it its support and forcing Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria to cease their propaganda activities in Macedonia. Russia can help Macedonia by supporting the Macedonian people to restore their church independence and self rule and allow the natural course of the Macedonian national consciousness to take its place in a single undivided Macedonia. Russia can help by assisting the Macedonian people to open Macedonian schools and teach in the Macedonian language.”



              The letter was concluded with the words “Macedonia reeks of death! We place our hopes on Russian interference to give us our independence not as a ‘Slavic alliance’ against the Ottoman Empire, but as moral support and some pressure on the Ottomans to grant us these rights. If Russia continues to support the Balkan alliance, there will be a Balkan War and Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria will divide Macedonia.”



              On March 23rd, 1913 the Bulgarians attacked Odrin. By the early morning hours of March 25th Odrin was occupied by the 4th Bulgarian Army and by Macedonian units which were inducted into the Bulgarian army. After that the Macedonians were sent to the Gallipoli front where a severe battle against newly arrived Ottoman force from Anatolia was taking place during which the Macedonians showed great courage and combat readiness. They pursued the Ottoman forces all the way to the Marmora Sea.



              When the First Balkan War was finished the Macedonian units fighting in the Bulgarian army were sent to Kratovo, Macedonia to fight against Serbian forces. Serbia, having also recruited Macedonians in its army, such as the Osogovo Detachment, also had Macedonians fighting on the Serbian side. So here we have Macedonians fighting Macedonians for Serbian and Bulgarian interests.



              Outside of the Macedonian Partisan Chetas that fought under Bulgarian command, there were also 34 other Macedonian Chetas and village militia units organized by the Macedonian population which also fought against the Ottomans and liberated their own cities and villages. But after the war was over these independent Macedonian Chetas were disarmed and disbanded by the Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian armies. Some surrendered but many fled to the mountains. According to estimates, more than 13,000 Macedonians in total were engaged in the Balkan Wars.



              Besides the help the Macedonians offered the Allies towards the liberation of Macedonia there were also independent actions taking place. The Strumeshnitsa River valley population, for example, formed their own village Cheta numbering 700 fighters who on October 19th, 1912 fought the Ottomans and liberated the villages Ilovitsa and Sushitsa.



              The following day Lefterov and Smolarski arrived with their Chetas and, together with the Strumeshnitsa River valley Cheta, subdued a local Ottoman detachment. In Prilep Region, meanwhile, Krsto Germov with his “Prilep Flying Detachment” joined forces with Vojvoda Milan Gjurlukov’s Cheta giving incentive for others to join the fight. Vojvodas Mirche and Argir mobilized more than 1,000 fighters and fought and won a battle against an Ottoman cavalry detachment.



              Macedonian independent Chetas from Prilep also coordinated their activities with the Serbian armed forces. They, for example, helped the Serbian army breach Ottoman positions near Prisad, gaining Prince Alexander’s personal gratitude for their assistance. But despite the Princely gratitude received, it did not take the Serbian authorities too long before they labeled the very Macedonian Chetas who assisted them, Bulgarian, and arrested Vojvoda Gjurlukov for allegedly working against Serbian interests.



              Even before the First Balkan War began, a number of “all Macedonian” volunteer village and Macedonian Revolutionary Organization Chetas had assembled at Plachkovitsa Mountain. Among the Vojvodas leading these Chetas were Gorgi Pop Hristov, Marko Ivanov, Pavel Hristov, Vasil Chakalarov, Ivan Popov and Hristo Siljanov. During the war they too took independent actions in Tikvesh, Gevgelija and Kostur Regions where they were joined by the local population and liberated many villages.



              On October 20th, 1912 Macedonian Chetas liberated the City Voden and gave the local population their support in establishing local authority. Vojvodas Vasil Chakalarov, Ivan Popov and Hristo Siljanov, who were known from the Ilinden Uprising and carried some authority, attracted the population and encouraged many to join the fight. As a result they succeeded in liberating large territories in Kostur, Lerin and Voden Regions in a relatively short time.



              In November 1912 the Ottoman army carried out a counter-offensive against the Macedonian liberated territory but the Macedonians, in a joint operation with the allied Serbian and Greek forces, repulsed the Ottomans. Unfortunately when the First Balkan War was over, on December 12, 1912, the local Macedonian Chetas were disbanded and their leaders arrested by the Greek and Serbian authorities who at the time were negotiating Macedonia’s division.



              Kumanovo was another Region of significance during the First Balkan War where almost every village had its own Cheta. Numbering several thousand fighters in total, the Kumanovo Region militias were on the move, constantly attacking Ottoman positions. On October 10th and 11th, 1912 they attacked an Ottoman military installation near the village Orashets and captured a number of heavy artillery pieces and other weapons.



              In Skopje Region Chetas cooperated with the village militias and coordinated their activities with the Serbian army.



              There were also independent Chetas operating in Shtip and Kochani Regions led by Vojvodas Efrem Chuchkov, Simeon Gjorgjiev, Orovchanov and others. The largest independent Cheta was that of Solun Region led by Vojvoda Ichko Dimitrov.



              The best actions however, to illustrate events during the First Balkan War in Macedonia, were those that took place in Krushevo. Led by Vojvodas Vancho Delev-Dzhoneto, Vancho Beluvcheto and Metodi Stojchev, the Krushevo Chetas, along with the Serbian army, fought in the battles of Obednik, Oblakovo, Snegovo and Bitola. Then on October 24th, 1912, the village militia occupied Krushevo and immediately established authority by applying the principles of the Ilinden Krushevo Republic. Prominent citizens such as Todor Spasev, Velko Kjurchijata and others were appointed to administer the local government, which lasted twenty days before it was disbanded by the Serbians.



              Upon establishing authority, the people of Krushevo were the first to provide the Serbian army with food and other supplies and to welcome the Serbians as liberators and heroes. But as more and more Serbian units arrived in the city, Serbian authority was established and the Macedonian Chetas were ordered to surrender their weapons. As for the fighters themselves, they were told that they could stay in Krushevo or leave for Bulgaria. Given the situation, Vancho Dzhoneto and his Cheta delivered their weapons while Stavre Dimitrovski, Vancho Beluvcheto and their Chetas refused and fled to the mountains. The Serbian army went after them and after several days of pursuit Beluvcheto was killed. The Serbians then cut off his head and paraded it in the city streets to frighten the people, which showed their real intent towards the Macedonian population. This act, in the eyes of the Macedonian people, certainly unmasked the role of the so-called Serbian liberators.



              After this the Krushevo Revolutionary Organization met and decided that everything that could be done had been done and there was nothing more to do. “We established a Republic and have gone from one slavery to another. Now there is nothing to do except wait for the war to end and hope that peace will bring something better”. Borjar, the cherry tree gun craftsman, went on to say “So we now had the first and the last meeting under our new occupation and have walked away with our heads down, as if we were about to face death”. After this the Krushevo Revolutionary Organization, even though it had led the Macedonian people in the fight for their liberation for more than a decade, ceased to exist.



              In Bitola Region meanwhile, local Chetas, believing the Serbians were there to liberate Macedonia, combined forces with the Serbian Chetas in the region and carried out joint missions to oust the Ottoman army. The Macedonians interacted superbly with the Serbians in the liberation battles of Gopesh and Gjavato. Local Chetas also supported the battles in Pribiltsi, Smilevo and especially in Bitola. But after the Serbian army gained control of Bitola all local Chetas were disbanded and Serbian authority established.



              In Ohrid Region, Petar Chaulev’s Cheta joined forces with Dejan Dimitrov and Stefan Atanasov’s Cheti and together fought the Ottomans in Debartsa, Kichevo, Malesija and Demir Hisar Regions. On October 14th, 1912 Macedonian local Chetas captured 300 Ottoman soldiers near the village Slivovo and on October 15th, 1912 Atanasov's Cheta ambushed and captured 250 Ottoman soldiers.



              Then on October 23rd, 1912 Chaulev discovered from the Serbians that there was a “disputed zone in Macedonia” and a “secret treaty” between the Serbian and Bulgarian governments which was of enormous significance for the Macedonian people. But, despite his disappointment, Chaulev continued to fight the Ottomans.



              On November 4th and 5th, 1912 Chaulev attacked Pribiltsi and Brezhani and captured 600 Ottoman soldiers. The following day his Chetas fought Xhavit Pasha near Bukovik and captured another 300 Ottomans.



              On November 10th, 1912 Chaulev captured Ohrid and established a short lived local authority, which three days later was abolished by the Serbian army.



              Of all the Ilinden Revolutionary Districts that fought in the 1903 Macedonian National Uprising however, the Seres group, with Yane Sandanski as the top leader, remained active.



              Given the current situation, the Seres group held a meeting in Solun in June 1912 and decided to participate in the war. If having no other choice Sandanski believed that Macedonians should help Bulgaria annex all of Macedonia in order to prevent it from being dismembered.



              By end of September 1912 all preparations and logistics were in place and a second consultation meeting took place in Melnik where rules of engagement and other military matters were discussed. It was decided that Melnik would be the Military District’s new headquarters and Sandanski would lead the group with Gjorgi Kazepov as his assistant.



              A number of people in the villages were mobilized and assigned to acquire weapons, equipment, food and other supplies. Armed units were trained to carry out intelligence and reconnaissance activities, conduct ambushes, cut telephone and telegraph poles, destroy bridges and railroads and attack the enemy, causing as much damage as possible.



              Sandanski was well respected by the Macedonian people because he was a principled man and because he refused to cooperate with those who had interests outside of the Macedonian cause. He and his Chetas were considered to be the protectors of the Macedonian people. But as war was inevitable, Sandanski had no choice but to cooperate even with those he considered his enemies. Before the Balkan War began, Sandanski had managed to mobilize about 2,000 Macedonian fighters and on October 5th, 1912, 13 days before the allies had declared war on Ottomans, he began a campaign to oust the occupier. Sandanski’s forces fought in Pirin Region near Nevrokop (today’s Gotse Delchev), in Drama Region, in Melnik Region and in St. Vrach (today’s Sandanski).



              Sandanski’s forces, consisting of about 2,700 fighters in total, were organized in a number of Chetas that included his own detachment as well as a number of village militias and other independently created Chetas. Even though these forces were independently led by Macedonians, they were all subordinated to Bulgarian Command because the Bulgarians had agreed to support the Macedonians and contribute to the future of the Macedonian cause.



              Sandanski’s units initially were responsible for providing the Bulgarians with logistics support on Ottoman positions and strength. There were reports that Sandanski’s people also provided the Bulgarian army with 5,000 loaves of bread, food and medical care for wounded Bulgarian soldiers. Later Sandanski’s armed units carried out diversionary missions against the Ottoman army’s rear and on October 14th, 1912 liberated the city Melnik and established local authority.



              During its retreat the Ottoman army killed 26 Macedonians, prompting the Macedonian civilian population to rebel and forcing Sandanski to deploy his forces to protect the Ottoman civilian population.



              With the situation in Melnik calmed down, Sandanski’s forces went on to liberate surrounding villages including Tsrvishte, where the Ottoman garrison that guarded the Rupel Gorge was stationed. With the Ottoman garrison destroyed the entire Struma Valley from Melnik to the Rupel Gorge was also liberated.



              After establishing local control in the region Sandanski took 300 of his best Macedonian fighters and began his trek towards Solun, acting as the advance guard for the Bulgarian army. On his way there other Macedonian units joined in, including those led by Vojvodas Stoju Hadzhiev, Dimitar Arnaudov, Gjorgi Kazepov, Krsto Chaprashikov, Ivan Chontev and A. Bujnov.



              Sandanski’s 300 Macedonians, along with a Bulgarian Cavalry group, were the first to enter Solun on October 28th, 1912. Following immediately after them was a Greek column led by Constantine, the Greek King.



              Bulgarian princes Boris and Cyril arrived with the main Bulgarian force for whom the Macedonians provided security.



              Sandanski, because of his reputation acquired during the Young Turk Uprising for his struggle for liberty and equality, was well known in Solun and was greeted with honours when he arrived. He was also respected by the Bulgarian army because of the assistance he provided to the Bulgarian troops.



              All that being said, however, when General Georgi Todorov, Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian 7th Rila Division, proposed a toast on the occasion of “liberating” Macedonia and annexing it to Bulgaria, Sandanski stood up and said “I will drink to a free and autonomous Macedonia, for which the united Balkan nations fought and suffered so much”. Sandanski’s toast infuriated and shocked the Bulgarian officers who stormed him, cursing and threatening, ready to cut him into small pieces with their swords.



              Sandanski remained calm during the brawl as he walked away fully convinced now that he had been right all along that ousting the Ottomans out of Macedonian did not mean the liberation of Macedonia but quite the contrary, it meant that the Macedonian people were deceived and an occupation and partition of Macedonia would follow. Therefore he concluded that the Macedonian peoples’ struggle for liberation and independence had to continue.



              At the conclusion of the First Balkan War a Russian journalist, V. Vodovozov, came to Macedonia to investigate the situation and learn more about the Macedonian Question. Late in July 1913 he attended a meeting in Sofia where Macedonia was the main subject of discussion. In attendance also were Macedonians including Nejchev, Ljapchev, Todorov, Kiril Popov and others who voiced their opinions. But only Petko Todorov spoke of autonomy for Macedonia and called the Treaty of March 13th, 1912, offensive. The others also spoke of autonomy but as a last resort and even asked the foreign journalist to prepare the ground work for it. Sandanski too was in attendance and when Vodovozov asked him why he did not speak in favour of an independent Macedonia, Sandanski said “You can see how these gentlemen treat the issue of autonomy; it would be distasteful to speak of independence for Macedonia in their presence in such circumstances. When the 'liberators' declared war on the Ottomans, not many Macedonians had realized that the destiny of their fatherland had already been decided without their knowledge or consent. Macedonians assumed the war would be fought to liberate and create an independent Macedonian state. It was forbidden to speak and write about Macedonia in Bulgaria, especially about its independence and today's situation is a result of such politics. When Albania became independent and began to establish its statehood, Macedonia was condemned to be divided and destroyed which of course is beginning to happen.”



              Sandanski’s idea to continue the Macedonian peoples’ struggle for liberation and independence was too late for at least a couple of reasons. For one, the neighbouring countries had already invaded and occupied Macedonia and had driven out the Ottomans so they were not about to leave Macedonia and give up what they had gained. Also the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO), which managed the preparations and led the Macedonian National Uprising in 1903, was now in shambles and there was not a single political body to lead a renewed Macedonian struggle.



              To be continued.
              "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
              GOTSE DELCEV

              Comment

              • fyrOM
                Banned
                • Feb 2010
                • 2180

                I don’t think that Greece can make a land grab for RoM in anyway that they have in the past for Macedonian land. This was evident when RoM broke off from Yugoslavia and Greece amassed her forces on the border on the pretence they were fearful for their safety from their northern neighbour who no one truly believed and Turkey warned their jets would be flying the instant Greece put a foot over the border into RoM.

                The Greeks cannot do anything without causing a wider conflict and the West will not condone this hence Greece cannot pursue any such plan. In fact it is to Greece’s advantage to leave RoM on her own so long as she can be pressure to change her name which is where the real game is as can be seen by current events where all the pressure is levied against RoM in the negotiations. This change of name is the prize because it cements Greece’s position that the people calling themselves Macedonians are imports who settled on Macedonian land at some point in time and adopted the name Macedonia to justify their occupation. With a change in name would be tantamount to admission this is the case and will be touted as such by the Greeks. Further the Greeks will try to show themselves as humanitarians and gracious enough to allow these foreigners to form a country and hence a place to live in the world. This is evident by their claim that they are willing to give a concession in the negotiation for these foreigners to use the word Macedonia in their name so long as it has a prefix qualifier to identify that they are a kind of Macedonian for having lived on this land for a very long time but are not the ORIGINAL Macedonians and have no legitimate claim to Macedonian history culture and any further land.

                This outcome would be disastrous for all Macedonians world wide but even more so for those Macedonians in the occupied parts because it instantly negates any of the claims to land citizenship or compensation. Wars happened in the past. Having establish via the negotiations that Macedonia is Greek then it legitimises their claim that Greece did not invade Macedonia but instead attacked the occupying Ottomans to liberate Greek territory from the oppressors. Some for argument sake Slav Macedonians may have been swept up in the to and fro of war while others tried to mount their own attacks against the Greeks to keep their ill-gotten land from the Greek state. Those who remained were given Greek citizenship and over time anyone who tried to mount any insurrection was merely a terrorism including those who became communists in ww2 and the following Greek civil war. No one can expect terrorist who tried to overthrow the legitimate Greek government to now be compensated for failing in there terrorist action by reinstating their citizenship where they are still alive or extending citizenship to their decedents or any rights to land which was abandoned by said terrorist as the fled in defeat let alone be also given financial compensation. It just doesn’t work like that. It immediately ends any claims by the Egej Macedonians currently being pursued or any future claims. This also applies to so called Slav Macedonians in any other occupied part. It is a total loss.

                Some might argue it is not a total loss and by coming to our senses and acknowledging our kind of Macedonian position we will be able to enter NATO and the EU in this borderless utopia where the brightest will be able to live and work in other parts of Europe and allsorts of promised gains are supposed to happen.

                One thing must be said of the Greeks is their persistency to legitimise their claims and in doing so annihilate the Macedonians so why would we think having forced the Macedonians to change their name it should be enough and everyone can get on with their lives. After all didn’t the Greeks give the concession that RoM could use the word Macedonia with a prefix and didn’t we just say at the beginning of this post that any forceful land grab would not be tolerated by the West. Take note of the number of Macedonian companies hotels and shops and banks are partially or wholly owned by Greeks to see their future plans.

                Even if Macedonians are employed in these Greek owned businesses no one believes the wealth produced will all go on wages and into Macedonian hands. So what could happen to this wealth. Recently Greece purchased a further 20 percent stake in Macedonia’s Stopanska Banka and it is the way of the future. Colonisation by war cant happen but colonisation by economics can and will be there ultimate goal. At this time this may not sound as a threat as it is merely international business as happens around the globe doesn’t it. Today Greeks have stores cafes and bars in Macedonia. If they hate our culture so much who in their right mind would own and live in RoM just to run a business. It stops looking crazy if you look at it from a different perspective. Start buying up or establishing businesses and use the profits which will always give you more money then wages the Macedonians are getting and use these profits to buy more businesses. When RoM enters the EU with a different name from time to time land will become available and cashed up Greeky will outbid any Macedonian. In case you haven’t heard the worlds population is growing and food and food production will be at a premium and the good Greek patriots who move to RoM like their forefathers before them in Egej will be completing the colonisation of Macedonia. As Macedonians will find it difficult to live well on their low wages some will seek a better life elsewhere. Many farms are run by old Macedonians and fewer of the young want to carry on the farm preferring careers in the city or abroad. Eventually these farms will become available for sale and so goes on the process. The future is near. The sooner a name change happens the sooner the future will arrive. Like I said the Greeks are persistent and achieving their goal is more important than the time it takes to do it.

                Comment

                • George S.
                  Senior Member
                  • Aug 2009
                  • 10116

                  Look if it happens we''l soon know about it.But greece is out to destroy the fact that there is another macedonia or people.Allready people are saying that the think they are entitled to the paeonian region.They feel that it's theirs.I think it's not if but when.All greece need to do is monopolise everything macedonian & it will get it.Look at what they did to us on the flag,.then the name?then they can take us over.
                  "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                  GOTSE DELCEV

                  Comment

                  • julie
                    Senior Member
                    • May 2009
                    • 3869

                    Originally posted by George S. View Post
                    Look if it happens we''l soon know about it.But greece is out to destroy the fact that there is another macedonia or people.Allready people are saying that the think they are entitled to the paeonian region.They feel that it's theirs.I think it's not if but when.All greece need to do is monopolise everything macedonian & it will get it.Look at what they did to us on the flag,.then the name?then they can take us over.
                    George, eden narod sme Makedonski. Edna zemja e Makedonia
                    "The moral revolution - the revolution of the mind, heart and soul of an enslaved people, is our greatest task."__________________Gotse Delchev

                    Comment

                    • Daskalot
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2008
                      • 4345

                      George there is only one Macedonia and one Macedonian people..... no more or no less.

                      Do not be misled by the artificial Greekness of the part of Macedonia that was annexed by Greece in 1913.
                      Macedonian Truth Organisation

                      Comment

                      • George S.
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2009
                        • 10116

                        from my point i know there is one macedonia & your point as well but the greeks are in denial about it & are spreading propaganda.Because they hold the majority of macedonia, we seem to be in a weaker position.Having to bargain our way with the flag& now with the name.Nie znaime deka nema druga makedonia ama grcia go ne veruva toa so nivni lagite.
                        Last edited by George S.; 08-23-2010, 12:14 AM.
                        "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                        GOTSE DELCEV

                        Comment

                        • Lügendetektor
                          Junior Member
                          • Jan 2010
                          • 35

                          Originally posted by George S. View Post
                          from my point i know there is one macedonia & your point as well but the greeks are in denial about it & are spreading propaganda.Because they hold the majority of macedonia, we seem to be in a weaker position.Having to bargain our way with the flag& now with the name.Nie znaime deka nema druga makedonia ama grcia go ne veruva toa so nivni lagite.
                          Lies, do all ways have short legs...

                          it is a question of time:

                          "Im April 2010 sah es so aus, als könne der Streit beendet werden. Der griechische Vizeaußenminister Dimitris Droutsas schlug vor, Makedonien in „Nord-Makedonien“ umzubenennen. Das war unter allen Lösungen die am wenigsten schlechteste, denn zum einen enthielt sie den geographischen Namen „Makedonien“ (wo Athen früher Benennungen wie „Republik Skopje“ bevorzugte), zum zweiten verwies sie indirekt auf ein „Süd-Makedonien“, also die 34.411 Quadratkilometer makedonischen Territoriums, die sich Griechenland 1913 im Bukarester Frieden aneignete. Selbstentlarvung von Landräubern – auch nicht schlecht! "

                          САМОТКРИВАЊЕ НА ЗЕМЈОКРАДЦИ

                          use google translate, awesome Text:

                          Comment

                          • Prolet
                            Senior Member
                            • Sep 2009
                            • 5241

                            Spolaj Ti Eddie_Rebel
                            МАКЕДОНЕЦ си кога кавал ќе ти ја распара душата,зурла ќе ти го раскине срцето,кога секое влакно од кожата ќе ти се наежи кога ќе видиш шеснаесеткрако сонце,кога до коска ќе те заболи кога ќе слушнеш ПЈРМ,кога немаш ни за леб,а полн си во душата затоа што ја сакаш МАКЕДОНИЈА. МАКЕДОНИЈА во срце те носиме.

                            Comment

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