The 1878 Macedonian rebellion ( el, Μακεδονική επανάσταση του 1878) was a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
rebellion launched in opposition to the
Treaty of San Stefano
The 1878 Treaty of San Stefano (russian: Сан-Стефанский мир; Peace of San-Stefano, ; Peace treaty of San-Stefano, or ) was a treaty between the Russian and Ottoman empires at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-187 ...
, according to which the bulk of
Macedonia would be annexed to
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, and in favour of the union of Macedonia with the
Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...
. This followed the brief Greco-Turkish war of 1878 in which Greece had declared war on 2 February against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, only for the Greek forces to return to their bases shortly after crossing the border due to the intervention of the
Great Powers
A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...
and the signature of the Treaty of San Stefano.
It is reported that revolutionary outbreaks in the same year, are located alongside Macedonia in
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
,
Thessaly
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...
and
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, seeking union with the Greek state. In Macedonia there was greater willingness and enthusiasm than in Thessaly. The revolution had two main foci in Macedonia, one was on
Olympus
Olympus or Olympos ( grc, Ὄλυμπος, link=no) may refer to:
Mountains
In antiquity
Greece
* Mount Olympus in Thessaly, northern Greece, the home of the twelve gods of Olympus in Greek mythology
* Mount Olympus (Lesvos), located in Les ...
, and the other in
Vourinos
Vourinos ( el, Βούρινος) is a mountain range covering the eastern Grevena and southern Kozani regional units in Greece. Its highest elevation is . Its length is approximately from northwest to southeast. It is drained by the river Alia ...
.
Events
The revolution of Olympus began in
Litochoro
Litochoro ( el, Λιτόχωρο, ''Litóchoro''; Katharevousa: Λιτόχωρον) is a town and a former municipality in the southern part of the Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the Dio-O ...
on 19 February 1878 led by
Kosmas Doumpiotis Kosmas Doumpiotis () was a Greek politician. He was born in 1826 in Skopelos. His mother came from Nikiti of Chalkidiki. After the death of his natural father, he was adopted by Asterios Doumpiotis, brother Konstantinos Doumpiotis. As captain of th ...
extended to the surrounding areas and drowned in blood by the Ottomans, with its tragic epilogue being the destruction of Litochoro on March 4 of that year. In the revolution of Litochoro, which was the forerunner to the uprisings across Macedonia, participated bodies from all the regions of Western and Central Macedonia, as well as Eastern Macedonia (mainly from
Meleniko).
The uprising began on
Mount Vourinos led by
Anastasios Picheon
Anastasios Pichion ( el, Αναστάσιος Πηχιών) or Picheon (Πηχεών) (1836 – 24 March 1913) was a Greek of Aromanian descent who was an educator and revolutionary of the Macedonian Struggle.
Biography
He was born in Ohrid dur ...
. On 18 February 1878, rebels from different parts of western Macedonia formed, in the
Vourinos
Vourinos ( el, Βούρινος) is a mountain range covering the eastern Grevena and southern Kozani regional units in Greece. Its highest elevation is . Its length is approximately from northwest to southeast. It is drained by the river Alia ...
settlement, the "Provisional Government of Macedonian province of Elimeia" seeking the abolition of the
Treaty of San Stefano
The 1878 Treaty of San Stefano (russian: Сан-Стефанский мир; Peace of San-Stefano, ; Peace treaty of San-Stefano, or ) was a treaty between the Russian and Ottoman empires at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-187 ...
and the Association of Macedonia with Greece. In the summer of 1878, about 15,000 armed men escalated a guerrilla war in the mountains of Western Macedonia from
Kozani
Kozani ( el, Κοζάνη, ) is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani (regional unit), Kozani regional unit and of Western Macedonia. It is located in the western part of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmona ...
to
Monastir. The revolutionaries of Western Macedonia had no help from the Greek state.
In northern Macedonia, rebellions went as far as
Veles, where the chieftain Katrakos was acting with 50 men. After the suppression of the uprising, many Velesians were forced to resort to
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
.
[Georgios Modis, Struggles in Macedonia, Barmpounakis editions, Thessaloniki, 1975, p. 207] The revolt ended in the winter of that year due to bad weather and lack of organization.
Aftermath
The Macedonian Revolution of 1878 did not achieve its purpose, but the opposition of the Greek population of Macedonia to the annexation to a
Greater Bulgaria
Bulgarian irredentism is a term to identify the territory associated with a historical national state and a modern Bulgarian irredentist nationalist movement in the 19th and 20th centuries, which would include most of Macedonia, Thrace and ...
was documented internationally, and also the diplomatic position of Greece and those countries opposed to the Treaty of San Stefano was strengthened. So at the
Treaty of Berlin in June 1878, the Macedonian territories remained Ottoman and were not annexed to Bulgaria. In response to this development, the Bulgarian population of Macedonia
rose similarly in the autumn of 1878 in regions of
Kresna
Kresna ( bg, Кресна ) is a town and the seat of Kresna Municipality in Blagoevgrad Province in Bulgaria.
It is located in the southwestern part of Bulgaria.
Geography
The town of Kresna lies in Sandanski–Petrich Valley at the north en ...
and
Razlog
Razlog ( bg, Разлог ) is a town and ski resort in Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the Razlog Valley and was first mentioned during the reign of Byzantine emperor Basil II.
The municipali ...
, but to no avail.
Notes
References
{{Great Eastern Crisis
1878 in the Ottoman Empire
Macedonia 1878
Macedonia
Macedonia under the Ottoman Empire
Great Eastern Crisis
Macedonian Question
1878 Greek Macedonian rebellion