The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатрешна Македонска Револуционерна Организација, translit=Vnatrešna Makedonska Revolucionerna Organizacija), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the
Ottoman territories in Europe
Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a histo ...
, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Founded in 1893 in
Salonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
,
initially, it aimed to gain autonomy for
Macedonia and
Adrianople
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...
regions in 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) ...
, however, later it became an agent serving
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
interests in Balkan politics. IMRO group modeled itself after the
Internal Revolutionary Organization
The Internal Revolutionary Organisation ( bg, Вътрешна революционна организация) or IRO was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded and built up by Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski in the period between 18 ...
of
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski ( bg, Васил Левски, spelled in old Bulgarian orthography as , ), born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev (; 18 July 1837 – 18 February 1873), was a Bulgarian revolutionary who is, today, a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed th ...
and accepted its motto "Freedom or Death" (
Свобода или смърть
''Svoboda ili smart'' ( bg, Свобода или смърт, lit=Freedom or Death), written in pre-1945 Bulgarian orthography: "Свобода или смърть" and before 1899: "Свобода или смъртъ", was a revolutionary sl ...
). Starting in 1896 it fought the Ottomans using guerrilla tactics, and in this they were successful, even establishing a state within a state in some regions, including their tax collectors. This effort escalated in 1903 into the
Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising
The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising, or simply the Ilinden Uprising of August–October 1903 ( bg, Илинденско-Преображенско въстание, Ilindensko-Preobrazhensko vastanie; mk, Илинденско востание, ...
. The fighting involved about 15,000 IMRO irregulars and 40,000 Ottoman soldiers. After the uprising failed, and the Ottomans destroyed some 100 villages, the IMRO resorted to more systematic forms of terrorism targeting civilians.
During the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
and the First World War, the organization supported the Bulgarian army and joined Bulgarian war-time authorities when they temporarily took control over parts of Thrace and Macedonia. In this period autonomism as a political tactic was abandoned and annexationist positions were supported, aiming eventual incorporation of occupied areas into Bulgaria.
After the First World War the combined
Macedonian
Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia.
Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to:
People Modern
* Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North M ...
-
Thracian
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...
revolutionary movement separated into two detached organizations, IMRO and
ITRO. After this moment the IMRO earned a reputation as an ultimate
terror network, seeking to change state frontiers in the Macedonian regions of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
(later
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
). They contested the partitioning of Macedonia and launched raids from their
Petrich
Petrich ( bg, Петрич ) is a town in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria, located in Sandanski–Petrich Valley at the foot of the Belasica Mountains in the Strumeshnitsa Valley. According to the 2021 census, the town has 26,778 ...
stronghold into Greek and Yugoslav territory. Their base of operation in Bulgaria was jeopardized by the
Treaty of Niš, and the IMRO reacted by assassinating Bulgarian prime minister
Aleksandar Stamboliyski
Aleksandar Stoimenov Stamboliyski ( bg, Александър Стоименов Стамболийски; 1 March 1879 – 14 June 1923) was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923.
Stamboliyski was a member of the Agrarian Union, ...
in 1923, with the cooperation of other Bulgarian elements opposed to him.
In 1925 the Greek army
launched a cross-border operation to reduce the IMRO base area, but it was ultimately stopped by the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
, and IMRO attacks resumed. In the interwar period the IMRO also cooperated with the Croatian
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...
, and their ultimate victim was
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...
, assassinated in France in 1934.
After the
Bulgarian coup d'état of 1934
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
, their Petrich stronghold was subjected to military crackdown by the Bulgarian army,
and the IMRO was reduced to a marginal phenomenon.
The organization changed its name on several occasions. After the fall of communism in the region, numerous parties claimed the IMRO name and lineage to legitimize themselves.
Among them, in
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 ...
a right-wing party carrying the prefix "
VMRO
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
" was established in the 1990s, while in the
Republic of Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
a right-wing party was established under the name "
VMRO-DPMNE
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity ( mk, Внатрешна македонска револуционерна организација – Демократска партија за ...
".
Ottoman era
Origins and goals
The organization was founded in 1893 in Ottoman
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 ...
by a small band of anti-Ottoman
Macedono-Bulgarian revolutionaries,
who considered Macedonia an indivisible territory and claimed all of its inhabitants ''"Macedonians"'', no matter their religion or ethnicity. In practice, IMRO was established by Bulgarians and most of their followers were Bulgarians. The organization was a secret revolutionary society operating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the goal of
autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ow ...
Macedonia and
Adrianople
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...
regions. Initially, they were against the aspirations of neighboring states in the area and saw the future autonomous Macedonia and Southern Thrace as a multi-ethnic entity. It appears likely that at the early stages of the struggle, a desired outcome of the autonomy was unification with Bulgaria. This aim was changed later with the idea of transforming the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
into a federal state, in which Macedonia and Thrace would enter as equal members. The idea of autonomy was strictly political and did not imply a secession from Bulgarian ethnicity. Even those, who advocated for independent Macedonia and Thrace, never doubted the predominantly Bulgarian character of the Slavic population in both areas. The organization was founded by
Hristo Tatarchev
Hristo Tatarchev ( Macedonian and ; December 16, 1869 – January 5, 1952) was a Bulgarian doctor and revolutionary, the first leader of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia and Adrianople Thrace. He wrote a memoirs called ''The First Cent ...
,
Dame Gruev
Damyan Yovanov Gruev (,The first names can also be transliterated as ''Damjan Jovanov'', after Bulgarian Дамян Йованов Груев and Macedonian Дамјан Јованов Груев. The last name is also sometimes rendered as ''Gr ...
,
Petar Pop-Arsov
Petar Pop-Arsov ( bg, Петър Попарсов, mk, Петар Поп Арсов) originally spelled in older Bulgarian orthography: ''Петъръ попъ Арсовъ''; (14 August 1868 – 1 January 1941) was a Bulgarian educator and ...
,
Andon Dimitrov
Andon Dimitrov - (January 1867 – 13 March 1933) ( bg, Андон Димитров) was a Bulgarian revolutionary. He was among the founders of the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees.People in World History, , Susan K. Kinn ...
,
Hristo Batandzhiev
Hristo Batandzhiev ( bg, Христо Батанджиев, mk, Христо Батанџиев) (Gyumendzhe, Ottoman Empire, present day Goumenissa, Greece – 1913, Aegean Sea) was a Bulgarian revolutionary,Freedom Or Death: The Life of Gots ...
and
Ivan Hadzhinikolov
Ivan Hadzhinikolov ( bg, Иван Хаджиниколов; (December 24, 1869, Kilkis, Ottoman Empire – July 9, 1934, Sofia, Bulgaria) was a Bulgarian revolutionary, leader of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia, Eastern and Western Thrace ...
.
Most of them (with the exception of Ivan Hadzhinikolov) were closely connected with the
Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki
The Sts. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki ( bg, Солунска българска мъжка гимназия „Св. св. Кирил и Методий“, ''Solunska balgarska mazhka gimnazia „Sv. sv. Kiril i ...
. According to Hristo Tatarchev's "Memoirs", IMRO was first called simply the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO). Ivan Hadzhinikolov in his memoirs lists the five basic principles of the MRO's foundation:
![Hristo Tatarčev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Hristo_Tatar%C4%8Dev.jpg)
According to Dr.
Hristo Tatarchev
Hristo Tatarchev ( Macedonian and ; December 16, 1869 – January 5, 1952) was a Bulgarian doctor and revolutionary, the first leader of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia and Adrianople Thrace. He wrote a memoirs called ''The First Cent ...
:
In
Dame Gruev
Damyan Yovanov Gruev (,The first names can also be transliterated as ''Damjan Jovanov'', after Bulgarian Дамян Йованов Груев and Macedonian Дамјан Јованов Груев. The last name is also sometimes rendered as ''Gr ...
's memoirs, the MRO's goals are stated as follows:
![Dame Gruev Portrait](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Dame_Gruev_Portrait.jpeg)
The ''Adrianople Region'' was the general name given by the Organization to those areas of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
which, like Macedonia, had been left under Turkish rule i.e. most of it, where the
Bulgarian element predominated in the mixed population, too. The organized revolutionary movement in Thrace dates from 1895, when
Dame Gruev
Damyan Yovanov Gruev (,The first names can also be transliterated as ''Damjan Jovanov'', after Bulgarian Дамян Йованов Груев and Macedonian Дамјан Јованов Груев. The last name is also sometimes rendered as ''Gr ...
recruited
Hristo Kotsev
Hristo ( bg, Христо, also spelled Khristo) is a Bulgarian masculine given name, ultimately derived from "Christ". Notable people with the name include:
* Hristo Arangelov (born 1978), Bulgarian footballer
* Hristo Batandzhiev (died 1913), ...
, born in
Shtip, who was then a teacher in the
Bulgarian Men's High School of Adrianople
The Dr. Petar Beron Bulgarian Men's High School of Addrianople ( bg, Одринска българска мъжка гимназия „Д-р Петър Берон“, ''Odrinska Balgarska Maszka Gimnaziya „Dr. Petar Beron“'') was the first ...
. Acting in the name of the Central Committee, Kotsev set up a regional committee in
Adrianople
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...
, and gradually committees were established in a large area.
Based on historical evidences, it is believed by Bulgarian, Western and Russian historians that in 1896 or 1897 this first and probably unofficial name was changed to Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees (BMARC); and the organisation existed under this name until 1902, when it was changed to Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (SMARO). While part of the Macedonian historians also acknowledge the existence of the name "ВMARC" in the very early period of the Organisation (1894–1896), in the
Republic of Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
it is generally assumed that in the 1896–1902 period the name of the organization was "SMARO". Both sides lack conclusive documentary evidence, as neither of these names appears in the IMRO documents but is known from undated printed or handwritten statutes. However, Macedonian historians point to the fact that a copy of the "SMARO" statute is kept in London under the year of 1898. It is not disputed that the organization changed its name to Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) in 1905 and it is under this name referred to in Bulgarian historiography. After disbanding itself during the first Bulgarian annexation of Macedonia (1915–1918), the organization was revived in 1920 under the name Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), under which it is generally known today.
![G Delchev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/G_Delchev.jpg)
The stated goal of the original Committee was to unite all elements dissatisfied with the
Ottoman oppression in
Macedonia and the
Adrianople Vilayet
The Vilayet of Adrianople or Vilayet of Edirne ( ota, ولايت ادرنه; ''Vilâyet-i Edirne'') was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire.
This vilayet was split between Turkey and Greece in 1923, culminating i ...
, eventually obtaining political autonomy for the two regions. In this task, the organisation hoped to enlist the support of the local
Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Alba ...
and
Megleno-Romanians
The Megleno-Romanians, also known as Meglenites ( ruq, Miglinits), Moglenite Vlachs or simply Vlachs ( ruq, Vlaș), are a small Eastern Romance people, originally inhabiting seven villages in the Moglena region spanning the Pella and Kilkis reg ...
,
Greeks
The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
and even
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
. Efforts were concentrated on moral propaganda and the prospect of rebellion and terrorist actions seemed distant. The organization developed quickly: only in a matter of a few years, the Committee had managed to establish a wide network of local organisations across Macedonia and the
Adrianople Vilayet
The Vilayet of Adrianople or Vilayet of Edirne ( ota, ولايت ادرنه; ''Vilâyet-i Edirne'') was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire.
This vilayet was split between Turkey and Greece in 1923, culminating i ...
. These usually centered around the schools of the
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
and had as leaders local or Bulgarian-born teachers.
Although IMRO was predominantly ethnic Bulgarian since its establishment, it favoured the idea of an autonomous Macedonia and preferred to disassociate itself from official Bulgarian policy and was not under government control. Its founding leaders believed that an autonomous movement was more likely to find favour with the Great Powers than one which was a tool of the Bulgarian government. In the words of British contemporary observer
Henry Brailsford
Henry Noel Brailsford (25 December 1873 – 23 March 1958) was the most prolific British left-wing journalist of the first half of the 20th century. A founding member of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage in 1907, he resigned from his job at ...
:
What is more, some of its younger leaders espoused radical socialist and anarchist ideas and saw their goal as the establishment of a new form of government rather than unification with Bulgaria. Eventually, these considerations led the organisation to change its statute and accept as members not only Bulgarians but all Macedonians and Odrinians regardless of ethnicity or creed. In reality, however, besides some Aromanian members, its membership remained overwhelmingly Bulgarian Exarchist.
![Arthur D](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Arthur_D._Howden_Smith_dressed_in_the_rebel_uniform_of_the_Macedonians_c._1907.jpg)
In regard to the socialist and cosmopolitan ideas within the revolutionary movement, the American
Albert Sonnichsen
Albert Sonnichsen (May 5, 1878, San Francisco, California- August 16, 1931, Willimantic, Connecticut) was an American journalist, author and adventurer.
Biography
Albert's father, Nicholas Sonnichsen had fought with the Confederate Army during ...
says:
It is claimed by contemporary historians that the right wing supporters within the IMRO were probably much more likely to see unification with Bulgaria as a natural final outcome of Macedonian autonomy. Among other documents, they cite as an expression of this understanding the official letter that Dame Gruev and Boris Sarafov, leaders of the headquarters of the Second Macedonian-Adrianople revolutionary district during the Ilinden uprising, wrote to the Bulgarian government:
In his
Macedonistic publication ''On Macedonian Matters'' written in the wake of the
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising,
Krste Misirkov
Krste Petkov Misirkov ( bg, Кръсте (Кръстьо) Петков Мисирков; mk, Крсте Петков Мисирков, ; 18 November 1874 – 26 July 1926) was a philologist, journalist, historian and ethnographer from the regio ...
, a highly controversial writer who alternated between pan-Bulgarian and pan-Macedonian nationalism throughout his lifetime, described the IMARO as an organization of Bulgarian officials who work for Bulgarian interests and who are linked in name, and in church and school matters, to the people of Bulgaria, their country and their interests. Misirkov wrote:
Dimitar Vlahov
Dimitar Yanakiev Vlahov ( bg, Димитър Янакиев Влахов; mk, Димитар Јанакиев Влахов; 8 November 1878 – 7 April 1953) was a Macedonian Bulgarian politician from the region of Macedonia and member of t ...
, another extremely controversial politician and revolutionary, who also alternated between pan-Bulgarian and pan-Macedonian nationalism, member of the left wing of the Macedonian-Adrianople revolutionary movement, later Bulgarian deputy in
Ottoman Parliament
The General Assembly ( tr, Meclis-i Umumî (French romanization: "Medjliss Oumoumi" ) or ''Genel Parlamento''; french: Assemblée Générale) was the first attempt at representative democracy by the imperial government of the Ottoman Empire. Als ...
, afterwards one of the main leaders of
IMRO (United)
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United) (1925–1936) (Bulgarian: Вътрешна македонска революционна организация - обединена, ''Vatreshna makedonska revolyucionna organizatsiya - O ...
– de facto extension of the
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP; bg, Българска Комунистическа Партия (БКП), Balgarska komunisticheska partiya (BKP)) was the founding and ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 198 ...
, finally elected in 1946 as ethnic Macedonian vice-president of the
Praesidium
A presidium or praesidium is a council of executive officers in some political assemblies that collectively administers its business, either alongside an individual president or in place of one.
Communist states
In Communist states the presidi ...
of
Communist Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...
's Parliament, expressed in his book "''The struggles of Macedonian people for freedom''", published in Vienna in 1925, his view, confirmed again in Vlahov's ''"Memoirs"'', published in Skopje in 1970:
Armed struggle against the Ottomans
The initial period of idealism for IMARO ended, however, with the
Vinitsa Affair
Vinitsa ( bg, Виница) is a village in southern Bulgaria, located in Parvomay Municipality, Plovdiv Province. As of the 2020 June Bulgaria Census, the village has a population count of 1273.
Geography
Vinitsa is located 10 kilometers South ...
and the discovery by the Ottoman police of a secret depot of ammunition near the
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 ...
n border in 1897. The wide-scale repressions against the activists of the Committee led to its transformation into a militant guerilla organization, which engaged into attacks against Ottoman officials and punitive actions against suspected traitors. The guerilla groups of IMARO, known as "chetas" (чети) later (after 1903) also waged a war against the pro-Serbian and pro-Greek armed groups during the
Greek Struggle for Macedonia
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 ...
.
![Chernopeevs band](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Chernopeevs_band.jpg)
IMARO's leadership of the revolutionary movement was challenged by two other factions: the
Macedonian Supreme Committee
Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC), ( bg, Върховен македоно - одрински комитет, (ВМОК)), also known as Supreme Macedonian Committee was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian paramilitary and political organizati ...
in Sofia (''Vurhoven makedono-оdrinski komitet'' – Върховен македоно-одрински комитет) and a smaller group of conservatives in
Salonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
–
Bulgarian Secret Revolutionary Brotherhood
The Bulgarian Secret Revolutionary Brotherhood ('' bg, :Българско тайно революционно братство'') was organized from a small group of Bulgarian conservatives, adherents of evolutionary methods of struggle, in Saloni ...
(''Balgarsko Tayno Revolyutsionno Bratstvo''). The latter was incorporated in IMARO by 1902 but its members as
Ivan Garvanov
Ivan Garvanov ( bg, Иван Гарванов) (December 23, 1869 in Stara Zagora, today Bulgaria – November 28, 1907 in Sofia) was a Bulgarian revolutionary and leader of the revolutionary movement in Ottoman Macedonia and Southern Thrace. ...
, were to exert a significant influence on the organization.
![Struga 1903 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Struga_1903_1.jpg)
They were to push for the
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising and later became the core of IMRO right-wing faction. The former organisation became known earlier than IMRO, after the 1895 raids into Turkish territory it organised from Bulgaria. Its founders were Macedonian immigrants in Bulgaria as well as Bulgarian army officers. They became known as the "supremists" or "externals" since they were based outside of Macedonia. The supremists resorted to terrorism against the Ottomans in the hope of provoking a war and thus Bulgarian annexation of Macedonia. For a time in the late 1890s IMARO leaders managed to gain control of the Supreme Committee but it soon split into two factions: one loyal to the IMARO and one led by some officers close to the Bulgarian prince. The second one staged an ill-fated uprising in Eastern Macedonia in 1902, where they were opposed militarily by local IMARO bands led by
Yane Sandanski
Yane Ivanov Sandanski (, ) (originally spelled in older Bulgarian orthography ) (18 May 1872 – 22 April 1915), was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary.Per Julian Allan Brooks' thesis the term ‘Macedo-Bulgarian’ refers to the Exarchist po ...
and
Hristo Chernopeev
Hristo Chernopeev ( bg, Христо Чернопеев) (1868, Dermantsi – 6 November 1915, Krivolak) was a Bulgarian Army officer and member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia. He was among the leaders of the Bulgarian People's Macedo ...
, who were later to become the leaders of the IMARO left wing.
In Spring 1903, a group by young anarchists connected with IMARO from the ''Gemidzhii Circle'' – graduates from the Bulgarian secondary school in
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 ...
– launched
a campaign of terror bombing with the aim to attract the attention 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 ...
to Ottoman oppression in
Macedonia and
Eastern Thrace
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
* Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air ...
.
In the same time the undisputed leader of the organization,
Gotse Delchev
Georgi Nikolov Delchev (Bulgarian language, Bulgarian/Macedonian language, Macedonian: Георги/Ѓорѓи Николов Делчев; 4 February 1872 – 4 May 1903), known as Gotse Delchev or Goce Delčev (''Гоце Делчев ...
, was killed in a skirmish with Turkish forces. Although Delchev had opposed the ideas for an uprising as premature, he finally had no choice but agree to that course of action but at least managed to delay its start from May to August. After his death in 1903 IMARO organised the
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising against the Ottomans in Macedonia and the
Adrianople Vilayet
The Vilayet of Adrianople or Vilayet of Edirne ( ota, ولايت ادرنه; ''Vilâyet-i Edirne'') was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire.
This vilayet was split between Turkey and Greece in 1923, culminating i ...
, which after the initial successes including the forming of the
Krushevo Republic, was crushed with much loss of life.
After Ilinden
![General Tsontcheff with Macedonian Revolutionists](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/General_Tsontcheff_with_Macedonian_Revolutionists.jpg)
The failure of the 1903 insurrection resulted in the eventual split of the IMARO into a left-wing (federalist) faction in the Seres and Strumica districts and a right-wing faction (centralists) in the
Salonica
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
,
Monastir, and
Uskub
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
(present-day Skopje) districts. The left-wing faction opposed Bulgarian nationalism and advocated the creation of a
Balkan Socialist Federation
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
with equality for all subjects and nationalities. The
Supreme Macedonian Committee
Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC), ( bg, Върховен македоно - одрински комитет, (ВМОК)), also known as Supreme Macedonian Committee was a Bulgarian paramilitary and political organization, active i ...
was disbanded in 1903 but the centralist faction of the IMORO drifted more and more towards Bulgarian nationalism as its regions became increasingly exposed to the incursions of Serb and Greek armed bands, which started infiltrating Macedonia after 1903. The years 1905–1907 saw much fighting between IMORO and Turkish forces as well as between IMORO and Greek and Serb detachments. Meanwhile, the split between the two factions became final when in 1907 Todor Panitza killed the right-wing activists
Boris Sarafov
Boris Petrov Sarafov (Bulgarian and mk, Борис Петров Сарафов) (12 June 1872 in Libyahovo, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, present-day Bulgaria – 28 November 1907 in Sofia, Bulgaria) was a Bulgarian Army officer and r ...
and
Ivan Garvanov
Ivan Garvanov ( bg, Иван Гарванов) (December 23, 1869 in Stara Zagora, today Bulgaria – November 28, 1907 in Sofia) was a Bulgarian revolutionary and leader of the revolutionary movement in Ottoman Macedonia and Southern Thrace. ...
. The armed Albanian bands of
Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli. He w ...
cooperated and were on good terms with armed groups of Bulgarian-Macedonian revolutionaries operating in the
Lake Prespa
The Lake Prespa is located on the tripoint of North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece. It is a system of two lakes separated by an isthmus: the Great Prespa Lake, divided between the three countries, and the Little Prespa Lake, mostly within Greece ...
region and
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Gree ...
area, a bond formed due to their hostility toward Greeks.
After the
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Constit ...
of 1908 both factions laid down their arms and joined the legal struggle.
Yane Sandanski
Yane Ivanov Sandanski (, ) (originally spelled in older Bulgarian orthography ) (18 May 1872 – 22 April 1915), was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary.Per Julian Allan Brooks' thesis the term ‘Macedo-Bulgarian’ refers to the Exarchist po ...
and Hristo Chernopeev contacted the
Young Turks and started legal operation. They tried to set up the ''Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization'' (MARO). Initially, the group developed only propaganda activities. Later, the congress for MARO's official inauguration failed and federalist wing joined mainstream political life as the
Peoples' Federative Party (Bulgarian Section)
image:Sandanski, Dimo Hadzhi Dimov, Todor Panitsa with Young Turks.jpg, 250px, Dimo Hadzhidimov, Todor Panitsa and Yane Sandanski with the Young Turks
The People's Federative Party (Bulgarian Section) ( bg, Народна федеративна ...
. Some of its leaders like Sandanski and Chernopeev participated in the march on Istanbul to depose the counter-revolutionaries. The former centralists formed the
Union of the Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs
Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs (also known as ''Union of the Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs'') ( bg, Съюз на българските конституционни клубове) was an ethnic Bulgarian political party in the Ottoman Empire, c ...
and like the PFP participated in Ottoman elections. Soon, however, the
Young Turk regime turned increasingly nationalist and sought to suppress the national aspirations of the various minorities in Macedonia and Thrace. This prompted most right-wing and some left-wing IMARO leaders to resume the armed fight in 1909. In January 1910 Hristo Chernopeev and some of his followers founded a
. In 1911 a new Central Committee of IMARO was formed consisting of
Todor Alexandrov
Todor Aleksandrov Poporushov, best known as Todor Alexandrov ( Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Тодор Александров), also spelt as Alexandroff (4 March 1881 – 31 August 1924), was a Bulgarian revolutionary, army officer, politician and t ...
, Hristo Chernopeev and
Petar Chaulev
Petar Chaulev ( bg, Петър Чаулев; 1882 – December 23, 1924) was a Bulgarian revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia. He was a local Bulgarian leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).
Born into an Orthodox ...
. Its aim was to restore unity to the Organisation and direct the new armed struggle against the Turks more efficiently. After Chernopeev was killed in action in 1915 as a Bulgarian officer in World War I, he was replaced by the former supremist leader General
Alexander Protogerov
Alexandar Protogerov ( Bulgarian: Александър Протогеров) (28 February 1867, Ohrid – 7 July 1928, Sofia) was a Bulgarian general, politician and revolutionary, as well as a member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia, ...
.
Balkan Wars and World War I
During the Balkan Wars former IMARO leaders of both the left and the right joined the
Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps ( bg, Македоно-одринско опълчение, ''Makedono-odrinsko opalchenie'') was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 an ...
and fought with the Bulgarian Army. Others like Sandanski with their bands assisted the Bulgarian army with its advance and still others penetrated as far as the region of
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Gree ...
southwestern Macedonia. In the Second Balkan War IMORO bands fought the Greeks and Serbs behind the front lines but were subsequently routed and driven out. Notably,
Petar Chaulev
Petar Chaulev ( bg, Петър Чаулев; 1882 – December 23, 1924) was a Bulgarian revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia. He was a local Bulgarian leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).
Born into an Orthodox ...
was one of the leaders of the
Ohrid-Debar Uprising organised jointly by IMORO and the Albanians of Western Macedonia.
![BASA-1932K-1-420-6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/BASA-1932K-1-420-6.jpg)
The
Tikvesh Uprising was another uprising in late June 1913, organized by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization against the Serbian occupation of
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...
and took place behind the
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n enemy lines during the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
.
The result of the Balkan Wars was that the Macedonian region and Adrianople Thrace was partitioned between Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and the Ottoman Empire (the new state of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
was created as after 1918 and started its existence as Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenians "SHS"), with Bulgaria getting the smallest share. In 1913 the whole
Thracian Bulgarian population from the Ottoman part of
Eastern Thrace
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
* Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
* Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air ...
was forcibly expelled to Bulgaria. IMARO, now led by
Todor Aleksandrov
Todor Aleksandrov Poporushov, best known as Todor Alexandrov (Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Тодор Александров), also spelt as Alexandroff (4 March 1881 – 31 August 1924), was a Bulgarian revolutionary, army officer, politician and tea ...
, maintained its existence in Bulgaria, where it played a role in politics by playing upon Bulgarian irredentism and urging a renewed war to liberate Macedonia. This was one factor in Bulgaria allying itself with
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
in World War I. During the
First World War in Macedonia (1915–1918) the organization supported Bulgarian army and joined to Bulgarian war-time authorities when they took control over
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...
temporarily until the end of war. In this period the autonomism as political tactics was abandoned from all internal IMARO streams and all of them shared annexationist positions, supporting eventual incorporation of Macedonia in Bulgaria. IMARO organised the Valandovo action of 1915, which was an attack on a large Serbian force. Bulgarian army, supported by the organization's forces, was successful in the first stages of this conflict, managed to drive out the Serbian forces from
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...
and came into positions on the line of the pre-war Greek-Serbian border, which was stabilized as a
firm front until end of 1918.
After 1917 the Bulgarian government started using paramilitary groups to gain control over the internal situation in both Pomoravlje and Macedonia. Aleksandar Protogerov who headed the Bulgarian occupation troops in Morava region crushed the uprising in the Toplica district with the help of IMRO irregulars. Bulgarians paramilitary groups were responsible for multiple instances of war crimes committing during the war in the parts of the Kingdom of Serbia under Bulgarian occupation.
On the eve of outbreak of World War I, IMRO paramilitary activity in Serbia aimed to provoke a war with Bulgaria. At that time Serbia implemented in Macedonia a program of forced
Serbianization
Serbianisation American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or Serbianization, also known as Serbification, and Serbisation American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), or ...
. In an incident during 1914, when Bulgaria was still neutral, ca. 2,000 strong IMRO-
cheta attacked a railway bridge over the Vardar River, massacring 477 men. In another incident in the same year, the first Macedonian recruits mobilized into the Serbian army demonstratively refused to take the military oath in
Kragujevac
Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Serbia, and is situated on ...
, and were subjected to repression. As result IMRO set up a secret committee in
Veles, which aim was to coordinate the transfer to Bulgaria of thousands of Macedonian deserters by the Serbian army. Later its
comitadji
Komitadji, Comitadjis, or Komitas (Bulgarian, Macedonian and sr, Комити, Serbian Latin: ''Komiti'', ro, Comitagiu, gr, Κομιτατζής, plural: Κομιτατζήδες, tr, Komitacı, sq, Komit) means in Turkish "committee memb ...
s were incorporated into the regular Bulgarian Army and its power grew in significance. The fact that these paramilitary companies joined the Bulgarian Army marked a significant change in the way they were conducting war. At the beginning it formed the
11th Macedonian Infantry Division
The 11th Macedonian Infantry Division was a Bulgarian military unit formed by Macedonian Bulgarians that operated in the First World War. The division is the successor of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps. History
The division was e ...
, and later other units, as for example ''guerilla companies''. Its entrance into the war towards the end of 1915 contributed to the defeat and occupation of Serbia, and the unification of Macedonia with Bulgaria. In Serbia the IMRO activity was identical with the Bulgarian policy, supporting the
Bulgarization
Bulgarisation ( bg, българизация), also known as Bulgarianisation ( bg, побългаряване) is the spread of Bulgarian culture beyond the Bulgarian ethnic space.
History
A number of government policies are considered to be exa ...
of the area.
[John Paul Newman, The Origins, Attributes, and Legacies of Paramilitary Violence in the Balkans in War in Peace: Paramilitary Violence in Europe After the Great War with Robert Gerwarth, John Horne as ed., OUP Oxford, 2013, , p. 150.] At the end of 1915 and the beginning of 1916 several massacres of (
sic
The Latin adverb ''sic'' (; "thus", "just as"; in full: , "thus was it written") inserted after a quoted word or passage indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated exactly as found in the source text, complete with any e ...
) ''
Serbomans
Serbomans (Serbo-Croatian and mk, србомани, srbomani; bg, сърбомани, sarbomani; ro, sârbomani) is a Bulgarian pejorative term used by Bulgarian nationalists for inhabitants in the region of Macedonia that claimed Serbian ethnic ...
'' were conducted in Vardar Macedonia in the areas of
Azot,
Skopska Crna Gora
tr, Karadağ, italics=no
, photo = Skopska Crna Gora-MKD.JPG
, photo_caption =
, photo_size = 250
, highest = Ramno
, elevation_m = 1651
, elevation_ref =
, prominence_m =
, prominence_ref =
, listing =
, location = North Macedonia ...
and
Poreče
Poreče, Porečie or Porečje or Poreč ( mk, Порече, Поречие, Поречје or Poreč), is a region in North Macedonia which includes the Makedonski Brod Municipality, and the western part of the Prilep Municipality
Prilep ( mk ...
by IMRO-irregulars, aided by the guerrilla companies of the
11th Macedonian Infantry Division
The 11th Macedonian Infantry Division was a Bulgarian military unit formed by Macedonian Bulgarians that operated in the First World War. The division is the successor of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps. History
The division was e ...
.
["Бугарски масакри (1915)", "Македонска енциклопедиjа", том 1, стр. 216, МАНУ.][Руменин, Румен. Офицерският корпус в България 1878 – 1944 г. том 5 и 6. София, Издателство на Министерството на отбраната „Св. Георги Победоносец“, 1996. стр. 19.] The police chief of the Military Inspection Area of Macedonia reported to the interior minister that he cannot deal with the lawlessness of the paramilitaries. In fact 1917 was the turning point when IMRO became the instrument used by the Bulgarian government to gain control over the internal situation in the
Pomoravlje and most from the
region of Macedonia
Macedonia () is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time; however, it came to be defined as the modern geographical region by the mid 19th century. T ...
. At that time the IMRO leaders as general
Aleksandar Protogerov
Alexandar Protogerov (Bulgarian: Александър Протогеров) (28 February 1867, Ohrid – 7 July 1928, Sofia) was a Bulgarian general, politician and revolutionary, as well as a member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia, T ...
headed the Bulgarian occupation troops in Morava region and crushed the uprising in the Toplica district with the help by IMRO irregulars.
[Dimitar Bechev, Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia, Scarecrow Press, 2009, , p. 183.] Their methods caused death of thousand people, destruction of their property, looting and other war crimes committed during the war in the parts of the Kingdom of Serbia under Bulgarian control.
Interwar period
![Todor Alexandrov by Günther József, 1912](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Todor_Alexandrov_by_G%C3%BCnther_J%C3%B3zsef%2C_1912.jpg)
The post-war
Treaty of Neuilly
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (french: Traité de Neuilly-sur-Seine) required Bulgaria to cede various territories, after Bulgaria had been one of the Central Powers defeated in World War I. The treaty was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly ...
again denied Bulgaria what it felt was its share of Macedonia and Thrace. After this moment the combined Macedonian-Adrianopolitan revolutionary movement separated into two detached organizations:
Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation
The Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation (Bulgarian: Вътрешна тракийска революционна организация, ''Vatreshna trakiyska revolutsionna organizatsiya'', ITRO) was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation ...
(''bulg.'' Вътрешна тракийска революционна организация) and Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation. ITRO was a revolutionary organisation active in the
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 ...
regions of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
and
Macedonia to the river
Strymon and
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...
between 1922 and 1934. The reason for the establishment of ITRO was the transfer of the region from Bulgaria to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
in May 1920. ITRO proclaimed its goal as the "unification of all the disgruntled elements in
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
regardless of their nationality", and to win full political independence for the region. Later IMRO created as a satellite organisation the
Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organisation
The Western (Bulgarian) Outlands () is a term used by Bulgarians to describe several regions located in southeastern Serbia.
The territories in question were ceded by Bulgaria to the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1920 as a result ...
(''bulg.'' Вътрешна западнопокрайненска революционна организация), which operated in the areas of
Tsaribrod
Dimitrovgrad ( sr-cyr, Димитровград) alternatively Caribrod ( bg, Цариброд, Tsaribrod) is a town and municipality located in the Pirot District of southeastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad ...
and
Bosilegrad
Bosilegrad ( sr-cyr, Босилеград; bg, Босилеград) is a town and municipality located in the Pčinja District of southern Serbia. The municipality comprises an area of . According to 2011 census, town has a population of 2,624 i ...
, ceded to Yugoslavia. IMRO began sending armed bands called ''cheti'' into Greek and Yugoslav Macedonia and Thrace to assassinate officials and stir up the spirit of the oppressed population. On 23 March 1923
Aleksandar Stamboliyski
Aleksandar Stoimenov Stamboliyski ( bg, Александър Стоименов Стамболийски; 1 March 1879 – 14 June 1923) was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923.
Stamboliyski was a member of the Agrarian Union, ...
, who favoured a détente with Greece and Yugoslavia, so that Bulgaria could concentrate on its internal problems, signed the
Treaty of Niš with the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
and undertook the obligation to suppress the operations of the IMRO carried out from Bulgarian territory. However, in the same year IMRO agents assassinated him. IMRO had ''de facto'' full control of
Pirin Macedonia
Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia ( bg, Пиринска Македония; Българска Македония) (''Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya'') is the third-biggest part of the geographical region Macedonia located on t ...
(the Petrich District of the time) and acted as a "state within a state", which it used as a base for hit and run attacks against Yugoslavia with the unofficial support of the right-wing Bulgarian government and later
Fascist Italy. Because of this, contemporary observers described the Yugoslav-Bulgarian frontier as the most fortified in Europe.
![Protogerov-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Protogerov-2.jpg)
In 1923 and 1924 during the apogee of interwar military activity according to IMRO statistics in the region of Yugoslav (Vardar) Macedonia operated 53 ''chetas'' (armed bands), 36 of which penetrated from Bulgaria, 12 were local and 5 entered from
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. The aggregate membership of the bands was 3245 ''komitas'' (guerilla rebels) led by 79 ''voivodas'' (commanders), 54 subcommanders, 41 secretaries and 193 couriers. 119 fights and 73 terroristic acts were documented. Serbian casualties were 304 army and gendarmery officers, soldiers and paramilitary fighters, more than 1300 were wounded. IMRO lost 68 ''voivodas'' and ''komitas'', hundreds were wounded. In the region of Greek (Aegean) Macedonia 24 chetas and 10 local reconnaissance detachments were active. The aggregate membership of the bands was 380 ''komitas'' led by 18 ''voivodas'', 22 subcommanders, 11 secretaries and 25 couriers. 42 battles and 27 terrorist acts were performed. Greek casualties were 83 army officers, soldiers and paramilitary fighters, over 230 were wounded. IMRO lost 22 ''voivodas'' and ''komitas'', 48 were wounded. Thousands of locals were repressed by the Yugoslav and Greek authorities on suspicions of contacts with the revolutionary movement. The population in Pirin Macedonia was organized in a mass people's home guard. This militia was the only force, which resisted the Greek army when the Greek dictator,
General Pangalos launched a
military campaign
A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from the ...
against Petrich District in 1925. In 1934 the Bulgarian army confiscated 10,938 rifles, 637 pistols, 47 machine-guns, 7 mortars and 701,388 cartridges only in the Petrich and
Kyustendil
Kyustendil ( bg, Кюстендил ) is a town in the far west of Bulgaria, the capital of the Kyustendil Province, a former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see.
The town is situated in the southern part of the Kyustendil Valley, ...
Districts. At the same time, a youth's extension of IMRO, the
was created. The statute of MYSRO was approved personally from IMRO's leader
Todor Alexandrov
Todor Aleksandrov Poporushov, best known as Todor Alexandrov ( Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Тодор Александров), also spelt as Alexandroff (4 March 1881 – 31 August 1924), was a Bulgarian revolutionary, army officer, politician and t ...
. The aim of MYSRO was in concordance with the statute of IMRO – unification of all of Macedonia in an authonomous unit, within a future
Balkan Federative Republic
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
.
![Nikola Pitu Gulev](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Nikola_Pitu_Gulev.jpg)
The Sixth Congress of the
Balkan Communist Federation
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
under the leadership of the Bulgarian communist
Vasil Kolarov
Vasil Petrov Kolarov ( bg, Васил Петров Коларов; 16 July 1877 – 23 January 1950) was a Bulgarian communist political leader and leading functionary in the Communist International (Comintern).
Biography Early years
Kolarov wa ...
and the Fifth Congress of the
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...
, an adjunct of the Soviet foreign policy, held concurrently in Moscow in 1923, voted for the formation of an "''Autonomous and Independent Macedonia and Thrace''." In 1924 IMRO entered negotiations with the
Macedonian Federative Organization
The Macedonian Federative Organization (MFO) (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Македонска федеративна организация/организација (MFO/МФО) ) was established in Sofia in 1921 by former Internal Macedonian Revo ...
and the Comintern about collaboration between the communists and the Macedonian movement and the creation of a united Macedonian movement. The idea for a new unified organization was supported by the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, which saw a chance for using this well developed revolutionary movement to spread revolution in the Balkans and destabilize the Balkan monarchies. Alexandrov defended IMRO's independence and refused to concede on practically all points requested by the Communists. No agreement was reached except for a paper "Manifesto" (the so-called
May Manifesto The "May Manifesto" of May 6, 1924 was a paper in which the objectives of the unified Macedonian liberation movement were presented: independence and unification of partitioned region of Macedonia, fighting all the neighbouring Balkan monarchies, su ...
of 6 May 1924), in which the objectives of the unified Macedonian liberation movement were presented: independence and unification of partitioned Macedonia, fighting all the neighbouring Balkan monarchies, forming a
Balkan Communist Federation
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
and cooperation with the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Failing to secure Alexandrov's cooperation, the
Comintern
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet Union, Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to ...
decided to discredit him and published the contents of the Manifesto on 28 July 1924 in the "Balkan Federation" newspaper. VMRO's leaders Todor Aleksandrov and Aleksandar Protogerov promptly denied through the Bulgarian press that they've ever signed any agreements, claiming that the May Manifesto was a communist forgery.
![Mara Buneva](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Mara_Buneva.jpg)
Shortly after,
Todor Alexandrov
Todor Aleksandrov Poporushov, best known as Todor Alexandrov ( Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Тодор Александров), also spelt as Alexandroff (4 March 1881 – 31 August 1924), was a Bulgarian revolutionary, army officer, politician and t ...
was assassinated in unclear circumstances and IMRO came under the leadership of
Ivan Mihailov
Ivan Mihailov Gavrilov ( bg, Иван Михайлов Гаврилов; mk, Ванчо Михајлов Гаврилов;He is credited in English-language sources as ''Mihailov'', while the Bulgarian and Macedonian transliteration schemes w ...
, who became a powerful figure in Bulgarian politics. While IMRO's leadership was quick to ascribe Alexandrov's murder to the communists and even quicker to organise a revenge action against the immediate perpetrators, there is some doubt that Mihailov himself might have been responsible for the murder. Some Bulgarian and Macedonian historians like Zoran Todorovski speculate that it might have been the circle around Mihailov who organised the assassination on inspiration by the Bulgarian government, which was afraid of united IMRO-Communist action against it. However, neither version is corroborated by conclusive historical evidence. The result of the murder was further strife within the organisation and several high-profile murders, including that of Petar Chaulev (who led the
Ohrid-Debar Uprising against the Serbian occupation) in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and ultimately Protogetov himself.
In this interwar period IMRO led by Aleksandrov and later by Mihailov took actions against the former left-wing assassinating several former members of IMORO's Sandanist wing, who meanwhile had gravitated towards the Bulgarian Communist Party and
Macedonian Federative Organization
The Macedonian Federative Organization (MFO) (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Македонска федеративна организация/организација (MFO/МФО) ) was established in Sofia in 1921 by former Internal Macedonian Revo ...
.
Gjorche Petrov
Gyorche Petrov Nikolov born Georgi Petrov Nikolov (April 2, 1865 – June 28, 1921), was a Bulgarian teacher and revolutionary, one of the leaders of the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees. He was their representative i ...
was killed in Sofia in 1922,
Todor Panitsa
Todor Nikolov Panitsa ( bg, Тодор Николов Паница) (July 2, 1879 Oryahovo, Bulgaria – May 7, 1925 Vienna, Austria) was a Bulgarian revolutionary figure, active in the region of Macedonia. He was one of the leaders of the left w ...
(who previously killed the right-wing oriented
Boris Sarafov
Boris Petrov Sarafov (Bulgarian and mk, Борис Петров Сарафов) (12 June 1872 in Libyahovo, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, present-day Bulgaria – 28 November 1907 in Sofia, Bulgaria) was a Bulgarian Army officer and r ...
and Ivan Garvanov) was assassinated in Vienna in 1924 by Mihailov's future wife Mencha Karnichiu.
Dimo Hadjidimov
Dimo Hadzhidimov ( bg, Димо Хаджидимов; 19 February 1875 – 13 September 1924) was a 20th-century Bulgarians, Bulgarian teacher, revolutionary and politician from Ottoman Macedonia (region), Macedonia. He was among the leaders of t ...
, Georgi Skrizhovski, Alexander Bujnov, Chudomir Kantardjiev and many others were killed in the events of 1925. Meanwhile, the left-wing later did form the new organisation based on the principles previously presented in the May Manifesto. The new organization which was an opponent to Mihailov's IMRO was called
IMRO (United)
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United) (1925–1936) (Bulgarian: Вътрешна македонска революционна организация - обединена, ''Vatreshna makedonska revolyucionna organizatsiya - O ...
was founded in 1925 in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. However, it did not have real popular support and remained based abroad with no revolutionary activities in Macedonia. Mihailov's group of young IMRO cadres soon got into conflict with the older guard of the organization. The latter were in favour of the old tactic of incursions by armed bands, whereas the former favoured more flexible tactics with smaller terrorist groups carrying selective assassinations. The conflict grew into a leadership struggle and Mihailov soon, in turn, ordered the assassination in 1928 of a rival leader, General Aleksandar Protogerov, which sparked a fratricidal war between "Mihailovists" and "Protogerovists". The less numerous Protogerovists soon became allied with Yugoslavia and certain Bulgarian military circles with fascist leanings and who favoured rapprochement with Yugoslavia. The policy of assassinations was effective in making Serbian rule in Vardar Macedonia feel insecure but in turn provoked brutal reprisals on the local peasant population. Having lost a lot of popular support in Vardar Macedonia due to his policies, Mihailov favoured the "internationalization" of the Macedonian question.
![Chernozemski](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Chernozemski.jpg)
He established close links with the Croatian
Ustashi and Italy. Numerous assassinations were carried out by IMRO agents in many countries, the majority in Yugoslavia. The most spectacular of these was the assassination of King
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I ( sr-Cyrl, Александар I Карађорђевић, Aleksandar I Karađorđević, ) ( – 9 October 1934), also known as Alexander the Unifier, was the prince regent of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1914 and later the King of Yug ...
and the French Foreign Minister
Louis Barthou
Jean Louis Barthou (; 25 August 1862 – 9 October 1934) was a French politician of the Third Republic who served as Prime Minister of France for eight months in 1913. In social policy, his time as prime minister saw the introduction (in Jul ...
in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
in 1934 in collaboration with the
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n
Ustashi. The killing was carried out by the VMRO assassin
Vlado Chernozemski
Vlado Chernozemski (Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: Владо Черноземски; born Velichko Dimitrov Kerin, bg, Величко Димитров Керин; 19 October 1897 – 9 October 1934), was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian revolutionary. A ...
and happened after the suppression of IMRO following the 19 May 1934 military coup in Bulgaria. IMRO's constant fratricidal killings and assassinations abroad provoked some within Bulgarian military after the coup of 19 May 1934 to take control and break the power of the organization, which had come to be seen as a gangster organization inside Bulgaria and a band of assassins outside it. In 1934 Mihailov was forced to escape to
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. He ordered to his supporters not to resist to the Bulgarian army and to accept the disarmament peacefully, thus avoiding fratricides, destabilization of Bulgaria, civil war or external invasion. Many inhabitants of Pirin Macedonia met this disbandment with satisfaction because it was perceived as relief from an unlawful and quite often brutal parallel authority. IMRO kept its organization alive in exile in various countries but ceased to be an active force in Macedonian politics except for brief moments during World War II. Meanwhile, a
resolution of the Comintern for recognition of a distinct
ethnic Macedonian
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identif ...
ethnicity, which was accepted also by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United), was published in January 1934. IMRO (United) remained active until 1936 when it was absorbed into the
Balkan Communist Federation
The Balkan Federation project was a left-wing political movement to create a country in the Balkans by combining Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The concept of a Balkan federation emerged in the late 19th century from ...
.
IMRO used at that time, what the American journalist
H. R. Knickerbocker
Hubert Renfro Knickerbocker (January 31, 1898 – July 12, 1949) was an American journalist and author. He was nicknamed "Red" from the color of his hair.
Early life
Knickerbocker was born in Yoakum, Texas. Knickerbocker's father was Rev. Hube ...
described as: ''"the only system I ever heard of to guarantee that their members carry out assigned assassinations, no matter what the police terror might be".''
Second World War period
As the Bulgarian army entered Yugoslav
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia ( Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to t ...
in 1941, it was greeted by most of the population as liberators and former IMRO members were active in organising
Bulgarian Action Committees, charged with taking over the local authorities. Some former
IMRO (United)
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United) (1925–1936) (Bulgarian: Вътрешна македонска революционна организация - обединена, ''Vatreshna makedonska revolyucionna organizatsiya - O ...
members, such as
Metodi Shatorov
Metodi Tasev Shatorov - Sharlo ( bg, Методи Шаторов - Шарло; mk, Методиja Шаторов - Шарло) (January 10, 1897, Prilep, Manastir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire – September 12, 1944 near Velingrad, Bulgaria) was a Bul ...
, who was the regional leader of the
Yugoslav Communist Party
The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
, also refused to define the Bulgarian forces as occupiers, contrary to instructions from
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
and called for the incorporation of the local Macedonian Communist organisations within the
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP; bg, Българска Комунистическа Партия (БКП), Balgarska komunisticheska partiya (BKP)) was the founding and ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 198 ...
. This policy changed towards 1943 with the arrival of the
Montenegrin Svetozar Vukmanović-Tempo Svetozar (Cyrillic script: Светозар) is a Slavic origin given name and may refer to:
*Svetozar Boroević (1856–1920), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal
*Svetozar Čiplić (born 1965), Serbian politician
*Svetozar Đanić (1917–1941), Serb ...
, who began in earnest to organise armed resistance to the Bulgarian occupation. Many former IMRO members assisted the authorities in fighting Tempo's partizans.
In Greece the Bulgarian troops, following on the heels of the
German invasion of the country, occupied the whole of
Eastern Macedonia and
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
. In eastern and central Macedonia, some of the local
Slavic-speaking minority greeted the Bulgarian troops as liberators, and efforts were undertaken by the Bulgarian authorities to "instill in them a Bulgarian national identity". Bulgaria officially annexed the occupied territories in Yugoslavia and Greece, which had long been a target of
Bulgarian irredentism
Bulgarian irredentism is a term to identify the territory associated with a historical national state and a modern Bulgarians, Bulgarian irredentist nationalist movement in the 19th and 20th centuries, which would include most of Macedonia ( ...
.
[Mazower (2000), p. 276] IMRO was also active in organising Bulgarian militias in Italian and German occupation zones against Greek nationalist and communist groups as
EAM-ELAS
The Greek People's Liberation Army ( el, Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός (ΕΛΑΣ), ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós'' (ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberat ...
and
EDES
The National Republican Greek League ( el, Εθνικός Δημοκρατικός Ελληνικός Σύνδεσμος (ΕΔΕΣ), ''Ethnikós Dimokratikós Ellinikós Sýndesmos'' (EDES)) was one of the major resistance groups formed during t ...
. With the help of Mihailov and Macedonian emigres in Sofia, several pro-Bulgarian armed detachments "
Ohrana
Ohrana ( bg, Охрана, "Protection"; ) were armed collaborationist detachments organized by the former Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) structures, composed of Bulgarians in Nazi-occupied Greek Macedonia during World War I ...
" were organised in the
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Gree ...
,
Florina
Florina ( el, Φλώρινα, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'.
The town of Florina is the capital of the F ...
and
Edessa
Edessa (; grc, Ἔδεσσα, Édessa) was an ancient city (''polis'') in Upper Mesopotamia, founded during the Hellenistic period by King Seleucus I Nicator (), founder of the Seleucid Empire. It later became capital of the Kingdom of Osroene ...
districts. These were led by Bulgarian officers originally from Greek Macedonia –
Andon Kalchev
Andon Kalchev ( bg, Андон Калчев) (1910 – 27 August 1948) was a Bulgarian army officer, one of the leaders of the Bulgarian-backed Ohrana, a paramilitary formation of Bulgarians in Greek Macedonia during World War II Axis occupation ...
and
Georgi Dimchev Georgi may refer to:
* Georgi (given name)
* Georgi (surname)
See also
*Georgy (disambiguation)
*Georgii (disambiguation) Georgii may refer to:
;Given name
* Georgii Zantaraia (born 1987), Ukrainian judoka of Georgian origin
* Georgii Karpechenko ...
. It was apparent that Mihailov had broader plans which envisaged the creation of a Macedonian state under a German control. It was also anticipated that the IMRO volunteers would form the core of the armed forces of a future Independent Macedonia in addition to providing administration and education in the Florina, Kastoria and Edessa districts.
On 2 August 1944 (in what in the
Republic of Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...
is referred to as the Second
Ilinden) in the St.
Prohor Pčinjski monastery
The Monastery of Venerable Prohor of Pčinja ( sr, Манастир Преподобног Прохора Пчињског, Manastir Prepodobnog Prohora Pčinjskog), commonly known as Prohor Pčinjski ( sr, Прохор Пчињски, Prohor Pči ...
at the
Antifascist assembly of the national liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM) with
Panko Brashnarov
Panko Brashnarov ( bg, Панко Брашнаров, mk, Панко Брашнар, ''Panko Brašnar;'' 27 July 1883 – 13 July 1951) was a revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organiza ...
(the former IMRO revolutionary from the Ilinden period and the IMRO United) as a first speaker, the modern
Macedonian state was officially proclaimed, as a federal state within Tito's Yugoslavia, receiving recognition from the Allies. After the declaration of war by Bulgaria on Germany, in September 1944 Mihailov arrived in German-occupied
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, where the Germans hoped that he could form a pro-German
Independent State of Macedonia with their support. Seeing that the war is lost to Germany and to avoid further bloodshed, he refused. Mihailov eventually ended up in Rome where he published numerous articles, books and pamphlets on the
Macedonian Question
The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times.
Еarliest historical inhabitants
The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied E ...
.
Post-war period
![Kiril Gligorov IMRO killed by serbs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Kiril_Gligorov_IMRO_killed_by_serbs.JPG)
Members of the IMRO (United) participated in the forming of Republic of Macedonia a federal state of
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
and some of the leading members entered the government:
Dimitar Vlahov
Dimitar Yanakiev Vlahov ( bg, Димитър Янакиев Влахов; mk, Димитар Јанакиев Влахов; 8 November 1878 – 7 April 1953) was a Macedonian Bulgarian politician from the region of Macedonia and member of t ...
,
Panko Brashnarov
Panko Brashnarov ( bg, Панко Брашнаров, mk, Панко Брашнар, ''Panko Brašnar;'' 27 July 1883 – 13 July 1951) was a revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organiza ...
,
Pavel Shatev
Pavel Potsev Shatev ( Bulgarian and mk, Павел Поцев Шатев) (July 15, 1882 – January 30, 1951) was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization ...
(the latter was the last surviving member of "Gemidzhii" or "Varkarides" in Greek, the group that executed the
Thessaloniki bombings of 1903
The Boatmen of Thessaloniki ( bg, Гемиджиите; mk, Гемиџиите) or the Assassins of Salonica, was a Bulgarian anarchist group, active in the Ottoman Empire in the years between 1898 and 1903. The members of the Group were predo ...
). However, they were quickly ousted by cadres loyal to the Yugoslav Communist Party in Belgrade, who had had pro-Serbian leanings before the war. According to Macedonian historian
Ivan Katardjiev such Macedonian activists came from IMRO (United) and the Bulgarian Communist Party never managed to get rid of their pro-Bulgarian bias and on many issues opposed the Serbian-educated leaders, who held most of the political power.
Pavel Shatev
Pavel Potsev Shatev ( Bulgarian and mk, Павел Поцев Шатев) (July 15, 1882 – January 30, 1951) was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization ...
went as far as to send a petition to the Bulgarian legation in Belgrade protesting the anti-Bulgarian policies of the Yugoslav leadership and the Serbianisation of the Bulgarian language.
From the start, the Yugoslav authorities organised frequent purges and trials of Macedonian communists and non-party people charged with autonomist deviation. Many of the left-wing IMRO government officials, including
Pavel Shatev
Pavel Potsev Shatev ( Bulgarian and mk, Павел Поцев Шатев) (July 15, 1882 – January 30, 1951) was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization ...
and
Panko Brashnarov
Panko Brashnarov ( bg, Панко Брашнаров, mk, Панко Брашнар, ''Panko Brašnar;'' 27 July 1883 – 13 July 1951) was a revolutionary and member of the left wing of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organiza ...
, were purged from their positions, too, then isolated, arrested, imprisoned or executed by the Yugoslav federal authorities on various (in many cases fabricated) charges including: pro-Bulgarian leanings, demands for greater or complete independence of Yugoslav Macedonia, collaboration with the
Cominform
The Information Bureau of the Communist and Workers' Parties (), commonly known as Cominform (), was a co-ordination body of Marxist-Leninist communist parties in Europe during the early Cold War that was formed in part as a replacement of the ...
after the
Tito–Stalin split
The Tito–Stalin split or the Yugoslav–Soviet split was the culmination of a conflict between the political leaderships of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, under Josip Broz Tito and Joseph Stalin, respectively, in the years following World W ...
in 1948, forming of conspirative political groups or organisations, demands for greater democracy, etc. One of the victims of these campaigns was
Metodija Andonov Cento, a wartime partisan leader and president of
ASNOM
The Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia ( mk, Антифашистичко собрание за народно ослободување на Македонија (АСНОМ), ''Antifašističko sobranie za narodno oslo ...
, who was convicted of having worked for a "completely independent Macedonia" as an IMRO member. A survivor among the communists associated with the idea of Macedonian autonomy was
Dimitar Vlahov
Dimitar Yanakiev Vlahov ( bg, Димитър Янакиев Влахов; mk, Димитар Јанакиев Влахов; 8 November 1878 – 7 April 1953) was a Macedonian Bulgarian politician from the region of Macedonia and member of t ...
, who was used "solely for window dressing".
On the other hand, former Mihailovists were also persecuted by the Belgrade-controlled authorities on accusations of collaboration with the Bulgarian occupation, Bulgarian nationalism, anti-communist and anti-Yugoslav activities, etc. Notable victims included
Spiro Kitinchev
Spiro Kitinchev (born 1895 in Skopje, Ottoman Empire, died 1946 in Idrizovo, FPR Yugoslavia) was a Macedonian Bulgarian writer, activist, and politician during the Second World War in Yugoslav Macedonia.
Biography
During his teenage years Spi ...
, mayor of Skopje, Ilija Kocarev, mayor of Ohrid and Georgi Karev, the mayor of Krushevo during the Bulgarian occupation and brother of Ilinden revolutionary Nikola Karev. Another IMRO activist, Sterio Guli, son of Pitu Guli, reportedly shot himself upon the arrival of Tito's partisans in Krushevo in despair over what he saw as a second period of Serbian dominance in Macedonia. Also, Shatorov's supporters in Vardar Macedonia, called Sharlisti, were systematically exterminated by the YCP in the autumn of 1944, and repressed for their anti-Yugoslav and pro-Bulgarian political positions.
IMRO's supporters in Bulgarian
Pirin Macedonia
Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia ( bg, Пиринска Македония; Българска Македония) (''Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya'') is the third-biggest part of the geographical region Macedonia located on t ...
fared no better. With the help of some former Protogerovists, their main activists were hunted by the Communist police and many of them killed or imprisoned. Because some IMRO supporters openly opposed the then official policy of Communist Bulgaria to promote Macedonian ethnic consciousness in Pirin Macedonia they were repressed or exiled to the interior of Bulgaria. Many from this persecuted people emigrated through Greece and Turkey to Western countries. At this period the American and Greek intelligence services recruited some of them, trained them and later used this so-called ''"
Goryani
The Goryani movement ( bg, Горянско движение) or Goryanstvo ( bg, горянство: Goryanism) was an active guerrilla resistance against the Bulgarian communist regime. It began immediately after the Ninth of September ''coup ...
"'' as spies and saboteurs, smuggling them back to Communist Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.
Despite the fact that Yugoslav Macedonian historical scholarship reluctantly acknowledged the Bulgarian ethnic self-identification of the Ilinden IMRO leaders, they were adopted in the national pantheon of Yugoslav Macedonia as ethnic Macedonians. Official Yugoslav historiography asserted a continuity between the Ilinden of 1903 and the Ilinden of ASNOM in 1944 ignoring the fact that the first one included the uprising in the Adrianople part of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
region as well. The names of the IMRO revolutionaries were
Goce Delchev
Georgi Nikolov Delchev ( Bulgarian/Macedonian: Георги/Ѓорѓи Николов Делчев; 4 February 1872 – 4 May 1903), known as Gotse Delchev or Goce Delčev (''Гоце Делчев'', originally spelled in older Bulgari ...
,
Pitu Guli
Pitu Guli (; 1865–1903) was an Aromanian revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia, a local leader of what is commonly referred to as the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).Brown, K. (2003) ''The Past in Question: Modern Mace ...
,
Dame Gruev
Damyan Yovanov Gruev (,The first names can also be transliterated as ''Damjan Jovanov'', after Bulgarian Дамян Йованов Груев and Macedonian Дамјан Јованов Груев. The last name is also sometimes rendered as ''Gr ...
and
Yane Sandanski
Yane Ivanov Sandanski (, ) (originally spelled in older Bulgarian orthography ) (18 May 1872 – 22 April 1915), was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary.Per Julian Allan Brooks' thesis the term ‘Macedo-Bulgarian’ refers to the Exarchist po ...
were included in the lyrics of the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
Denes nad Makedonija
"" ( mk, Денес над Македонија, ; ) is the national anthem of North Macedonia; both the music and lyrics date from the early 1940s. Todor Skalovski composed the music, while the lyrics were written by Vlado Maleski. It was adopte ...
("Today over Macedonia").
Interpretations during the communist period
Initially
Lazar Koliševski
Lazar Koliševski ( mk, Лазар Колишевски ; 12 February 1914 – 6 July 2000) was a Yugoslav communist political leader in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia and briefly in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He was clos ...
, the leader of the new Yugoslav Republic —
SR Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...
, proclaimed that the
Ilinden Uprising Ilinden (Bulgarian/ Macedonian Cyrillic: Илинден) or Ilindan ( Serbian Cyrillic: Илиндан), meaning "Saint Elijah's Day", may refer to:
Events
* Republic Day (North Macedonia), 2 August
Geographic locations Bulgaria
* Ilinden, Blagoev ...
and the
IMRO
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
were Bulgarian conspiracies. Afterwards the historical studies in the country were expanded under direct political instructions from Belgrade. It was advanced as a key principle of the
Macedonian historiography
Historiography in North Macedonia is the methodology of historical studies used by the historians of that country. It has been developed since 1945 when SR Macedonia became part of Yugoslavia. According to the German historian it has preserve ...
, that its primary goal was to create a separate national consciousness, and to sever any historical ties to Bulgaria. During the Cold War, particularly after the
Tito–Stalin split
The Tito–Stalin split or the Yugoslav–Soviet split was the culmination of a conflict between the political leaderships of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, under Josip Broz Tito and Joseph Stalin, respectively, in the years following World W ...
, the heroes of 19th century left-wing IMRO, especially Delchev and Sandanski, were claimed by both Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, both internally and in a tactical game of international diplomacy. One thing that two countries had in common though was that the vague populism and anarchism of these historical figures was interpreted as a definite socialist program.
Both regimes recognized the policies of the interwar leaders of the organization Todor Aleksandrov and Ivan Mihailov as "fascist".
In this race, the
Socialist Republic of Macedonia
The Socialist Republic of Macedonia ( mk, Социјалистичка Република Македонија, Socijalistička Republika Makedonija), or SR Macedonia, commonly referred to as Socialist Macedonia or Yugoslav Macedonia, was ...
was the first to incorporate the IMRO figures in its national pantheon, although some careful exceptions were made. The 1903 Ilinden Uprising was presented as a direct precursor of the 1944 events, which were termed a "Second Ilinden", in an effort to prove the continuity of the struggle for independence of the Macedonian nation. Consequently, it became necessary for the socialist authorities to show that 19th century IMRO figures, particularly Delchev and Sandanski, had been consciously Macedonian in identity. Delchev and Sandanski were adopted as symbols of the republic, had numerous monuments built in their honor, and they were often the topic of articles in the academic journal ''
Macedonian Review
Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia.
Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to:
People Modern
* Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Ma ...
'', as was the Ilinden Uprising. In contrast, Todor Aleksandrov was labeled a Bulgarian bourgeois chauvinist. The claim to a Macedonian identity of Sandanski was used to bolster
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
's claim to the
Pirin region.
According to historians
John Lampe and
Mark Mazower
Mark Mazower (; born 20 February 1958) is a British historian. His expertise are Greece, the Balkans and, more generally, 20th-century Europe. He is Ira D. Wallach Professor of History at Columbia University in New York City
Early life
Mazowe ...
, IMRO heroes have been important in the creation of a
Macedonian national ideology, in both
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
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
the
historiographies
Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians hav ...
thrive on proving that their version of history is wrong in turn making
historical objectivity not important.
In the
People's Republic of Bulgaria
The People's Republic of Bulgaria (PRB; bg, Народна Република България (НРБ), ''Narodna Republika Balgariya, NRB'') was the official name of Bulgaria, when it was a socialist republic from 1946 to 1990, ruled by the ...
the situation was more complex, because the IMRO was associated with the 1923–34 anti-communist regime. Before 1960, although the subject was not taboo, few articles on the topic appeared in Bulgarian academic venues, and the IMRO figures were given mostly regional recognition in the Pirin region. After 1960, orders from the highest level were to reincorporate the Macedonian revolutionary movement in the Bulgarian history, and to prove the Bulgarian credentials of their historical leaders. This trend reached its peak in 1981 (the 1300 year anniversary of Bulgarian state), when Delchev and Sandanski were openly made historical symbols of the Bulgarian state in a proclamation of
Lyudmila Zhivkova
Lyudmila Todorova Zhivkova ( bg, Людмила Тодорова Живкова; 26 July 1942 – 21 July 1981) was a senior Bulgarian Communist Party functionary and Politburo member. She was the daughter of Bulgarian Communist leader Todor Zhi ...
. There were also attempts to rehabilitate Todor Aleksandrov because of his Bulgarian nationalism, but these remained controversial due to his role in suppressing the left wing, a role for which he had been declared a fascist.
After the fall of communism
With both Bulgaria and Yugoslavia under Communist rule, there was no scope for IMRO's revival.
North Macedonia
After the
fall of Communism
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...
in 1989 Yugoslavia
began promptly to disintegrate and democratic politics in Macedonia revived. Many exiles returned to Macedonia from abroad, and a new generation of young Macedonian intellectuals rediscovered the history of Macedonian nationalism. In these circumstances, it was not surprising that the IMRO name was revived. A new IMRO was founded on 17 June 1990 in
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
. Although IMRO claims a line descent from the old IMRO, there is no real connection between the old IMRO and the new one. The party is called the
(In mk, Vnatrešno-Makedonska Revolucionerna Organizacija-Demokratska Partija za Makedonsko Nacionalno Edinstvo, or VMRO-DPMNE) describes itself as a
Christian Democratic
Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism.
It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...
party which supports the admission of Macedonia to
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
.
A minor political party carrying the name IMRO is the
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–People's Party (VMRO-NP). Although a separate structure since the split in 2004, the political line of VMRO-NP is reminiscent of VMRO-DPMNE's and its members maintain close ties with the latter's party structure.
Bulgaria
A distinct IMRO organization was also revived in Bulgaria after 1989 first under the name VMRO-SMD (ВМРО-СМД – Съюз на македонските дружества) and then simply VMRO (ВМРО) as a cultural organisation. In 1996 the leaders of the organisation registered it as a political party in Bulgaria under the name
IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement
The IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO–BNM; bg, ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение, translit=VMRO – Balgarsko Natsionalno Dvizhenie, VMRO–BND) is a national conservative political party in Bulg ...
(ВМРО – Българско национално движение) and then simply ВМРО–БНД (IMRO-BNM). This group continues to maintain that
ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identif ...
are in fact Bulgarians.
A small spin-off of the IMRO-BNM was until 2012
IMRO – National Ideal for Unity (ВМРО – Национален идеал за единство) and then simply ВМРО–НИЕ (IMRO-NIU), and uses the flag of IMRO. In 2014, the NIU of the
NFSB joined.
See also
*
Velin Alaykov
Velin Alaykov ( bg, Велин Алайков) was a Bulgarian revolutionary, a worker of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).
Biography
Alaykov was b ...
*
Ivan Anastasov
*
Dimitar Andonov
Dimitar Andonov was a Bulgarian officer and revolutionary, a leader of an Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) revolutionary band for the Prilep region.
Biography
Dimitar Andonov was born in 1871 in Stara Zagora, t ...
*
Aleksandar Andreev
Aleksandar Ivanov Andreev ( bg, Александър Иванов Андреев) (20 July 1883 – 1928), nicknamed Chapata, was a Bulgarian revolutionary, a leader of an Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) revo ...
*
Ivan Angov
Ivan Todorov Angov was a Bulgarian teacher and a revolutionary, a worker of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO).
Ivan Angov was born in Petrich in 1882. After he finished the Bulgarian Pedagogical School in Ser ...
*
*
*
Internal Revolutionary Organisation
The Internal Revolutionary Organisation ( bg, Вътрешна революционна организация) or IRO was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded and built up by Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski in the perio ...
*
Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation
The Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation (Bulgarian: Вътрешна тракийска революционна организация, ''Vatreshna trakiyska revolutsionna organizatsiya'', ITRO) was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation ...
*
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia () is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time; however, it came to be defined as the modern geographical region by the mid 19th century. To ...
*
Macedonian Bulgarians
Macedonians or Macedonian Bulgarians ( bg, македонци or македонски българи), sometimes also referred to as Macedono-Bulgarians, Macedo-Bulgarians, or Bulgaro-Macedonians are a regional, ethnographic group of eth ...
*
Macedonian Question
The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times.
Еarliest historical inhabitants
The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied E ...
*
Ohrana
Ohrana ( bg, Охрана, "Protection"; ) were armed collaborationist detachments organized by the former Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) structures, composed of Bulgarians in Nazi-occupied Greek Macedonia during World War I ...
*
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
*
Thracian Bulgarians
Thracians or Thracian Bulgarians (Bulgarian: Тракийски българи or Тракийци) are a regional, ethnographic group of ethnic Bulgarians, inhabiting or native to Thrace. Today, the larger part of this population is concentrat ...
*
United Macedonia
United Macedonia ( mk, Обединета Македонија, ''Obedineta Makedonija''), or Greater Macedonia (, ''Golema Makedonija''), is an irredentist concept among ethnic Macedonian nationalists that aims to unify the transnational region ...
*
March of the Macedonian Revolutionaries
The "March of the Macedonian revolutionaries" ( bg, „Марш на македонските революционери“) also known as "Rise up dayspring of the freedom"; ( bg, „Изгрей зора на свободата“) is a Bulgarian ...
*
References
Notes
* "Illustration Ilinden", Sofia, 1936, b. I, p. 4–5
* "The first central committee of IMRO. Memoirs of d-r Hristo Tatarchev", Materials for the Macedonian liberation movement, book IX (series of the Macedonian scientific institute of IMRO, led by Bulgarian academician prof. Lyubomir Miletich), Sofia, 1928, p. 102, поредица "Материяли за историята на македонското освободително движение" на Македонския научен институт на ВМРО, воден от българския академик проф. Любомир Милетич, книга IX, София, 1928; contemporary Macedonian translation
Tatarchev.
* Materials about the History of the Macedonian Liberation Movement, Book V, Memoirs of Damjan Gruev, Boris Sarafov and Ivan Garvanov, Sofia 1927, pp. 8 – 11; the original in Bulgarian.
* Gjorche Petrov in his memoirs speaking about the Salonica congress of 1896 writes: ''"There was pointed out the need for a statute and official rules. Until then we had a very short list of rules in force, drafted by Dame (with the oath). That little list was unsystematic, lytographed. It was decided to come up with a full list of rules, a statute. When I came to Sofia, I compiled it there (with Delchev)."''.
* Пейо Яворов, "Събрани съчинения", Том втори, "Гоце Делчев", Издателство "Български писател", София, 1977, стр. 27: ''"Тоя събор утвърждава ''един устав на революционната организация'', почти копие на стария български, твърде оригинален с положението, че само ''еkзархисти българи'' се приемат за членове на комитетите."'' In English:
Peyo Yavorov
Peyo Yavorov ( bg, Пейо (Кр.) Яворов; born Peyo Totev Kracholov, Пейо Тотев Крачолов; 13 January 1878 – 29 October 1914) was a Bulgarian Symbolist poet. He was considered to be one of the finest poetic talents in th ...
, "Complete Works", Volume 2, biography "
Gotse Delchev
Georgi Nikolov Delchev (Bulgarian language, Bulgarian/Macedonian language, Macedonian: Георги/Ѓорѓи Николов Делчев; 4 February 1872 – 4 May 1903), known as Gotse Delchev or Goce Delčev (''Гоце Делчев ...
", Publishing house "Bulgarian writer", Sofia, 1977, p. 27: ''"This meeting sanctioned ''a statute of the revolutionary organisation'', almost a copy of the
old Bulgarian
Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic literary language.
Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with standardizing the language and using it in translating the Bible and other ...
, rather original because of the condition that only ''
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
Exarchists'' would be admitted to membership in the committees."''
* Пандев, К. "Устави и правилници на ВМОРО преди Илинденско-Преображенското въстание", ''Исторически преглед'', 1969, кн. I, стр. 68–80.
* Пандев, К. "Устави и правилници на ВМОРО преди Илинденско-Преображенското въстание", ''Извeстия на Института за история'', т. 21, 1970, стр. 250–257.
* Константин Пандев, ''Национално-освободителното движение в Македония и Одринско'', София, 1979, с. 129–130. (Konstantin Pandev, ''The National Liberation Movement in Macedonia and the Odrin Region'', Sofia 1979, pp. 129–130.)
* Duncan Perry ''The Politics of Terror: The Macedonian Liberation Movements, 1893–1903 '', Durham, Duke University Press, 1988. pp. 40–41, 210 n. 10.
* Fikret Adanir, ''Die Makedonische Frage: ihre entestehung und etwicklung bis 1908.'', Wiessbaden 1979, p. 112.
* Академик Иван Катарџиев, "Верувам во националниот имунитет на македонецот", интервју, "Форум". (Academician
Ivan Katardžiev
Ivan Katardžiev ( bg, Иван Катарджиев; mk, Иван Катарџиев) (January 6, 1926 – December 1, 2018) was a Macedonian historian. He was regarded as the country's most important expert on the Internal Macedonian Revolutio ...
, "I believe in Macedonian national immunity", interview, "Forum" magazine.)
* Битоски, Крсте, сп. "Македонско Време", Скопје – март 1997
* Public Record Office – Foreign Office 78/4951 Turkey (Bulgaria). From Elliot. 1898; УСТАВ НА ТМОРО. S. 1. published in ''Документи за борбата на македонскиот народ за самостојност и за национална држава'', Скопје, Универзитет "Кирил и Методиј":Факултет за филозофско-историски науки, 1981, page 331 – 333.
* Prior to the publication of Pandev's article Bulgarian historiography seemed to agree that the name SMARO dates back to 1896/7 (e.g. Silyanov 1933, vol. 1, p. 46). Contemporary Macedonian historians accuse Pandev of a nationalist bias.
*
Ivo Banac
Ivo Banac (; 1 March 1947 – 30 June 2020) was a Croatian-American historian, a professor of European history at Yale University and a politician of the former Liberal Party in Croatia, known as the Great Bard of Croatian historiography. , Banac ...
, ''The Macedoine'' (pp. 307–328 in of "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", Cornell University Press, 1984)
* Ivo Banac, ''The Macedoine'' (pp. 307–328 in of "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", Cornell University Press, 1984)
* H. N. Brailsford, Macedonia: Its races and their future, Methuen & Co., London, 1906.
* Хр. Силянов, "Освободителнитe борби на Македония, том I", изд. на Илинденската Орг., София, 1933; (Hristo Silyanov, ''The Liberational Struggles of Macedonia'', vol. 1, The Ilinden Organisation, Sofia, 1933.)
* Albert Sonnichsen: Confessions of a Macedonian Bandit: A Californian in the Balkan Wars, Narrative Press, .
* A letter from the headquarters of the Second Macedonian-Adrianople revolutionary district, centered around Monastir (present-day
Bitola
Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...
), represented by Dame Gruev and Boris Sarafov, to Bulgarian government from 9. IX. 1903. Macedonian translation.
* Krste Misirkov, ''On Macedonian Matters'', Sofia, 193
misirkov.org* Krste Misirkov, ''On Macedonian Matters'', Sofia, 193
* Георги Баждаров, "Моите спомени", издание на Институт "България – Македония", София, 2001, стр. 78–81. (In Bulgarian, In English: Georgi Bazhdarov, "My memoirs", published by the Institute "Bulgaria-Macedonia", Sofia, 2001, pp. 78–81.)
* "ДВИЖЕНИЕТО ОТСАМЪ ВАРДАРА И БОРБАТА СЪ ВЪРХОВИСТИТE по спомени на Яне Сандански, Черньо Пeевъ, Сава Михайловъ, Хр. Куслевъ, Ив. Анастасовъ Гърчето, Петъръ Хр. Юруковъ и Никола Пушкаровъ", съобщава Л. Милетичъ (София, Печатница П. Глушковъ, 1927); Материяли за историята на македонското освободително движение. Издава "Македонскиятъ Наученъ Институтъ". Книга VII. (L. Miletich, ed. ''Materials on the History of the Macedonian Liberation Movement'', Macedonian Scientific Institute, Sofia, 1927 – "The Movement on this Side of the Vardar and the Struggle with the Supremists according to the memories of Jane Sandanski, Chernjo Peev, Sava Mihajlov, Hr. Kuslev, Iv. Anastasov – Grcheto, Petar Hr. Jurukov and Nikola Pushkarov")
* Хр. Силянов, "Освободителнитe борби на Македония, том II", изд. на Илинденската Орг., София, 1933; Silyanov (Hristo Silyanov, ''The Liberational Struggles of Macedonia'', vol. 2, The Ilinden Organisation, Sofia, 1933.)
* Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, ''Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars'', Published by the Endowment Washington, D.C. 1914.
* Хр. Силянов ''От Витоша до Грамос, Походът на една чета през Освободителната война – 1912 г.'', Издание на Костурското благотворително братство, София, 1920. From Vitosha to Gramos (Hr. Silyanov, ''From Vitosha to Gramos'', published by the Kostur charitable society, Sofia, 1920)
* Любомиръ Милетичъ, "Разорението на тракийските българи презъ 1913 година", Българска Академия на Науките, София, Държавна Печатница 1918 г. Miletich] (L. Miletich, ''The Destruction of Thracian Bulgarians in 1913'', Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 1918)
*
Circular letter No9issued by a secret meeting of former IMARO activists and members of its Central committee, held on 20 December 1919, cited in a collective research of the Macedonian Scientific Institute, "Освободителните борби на Македония", part 4, Sofia, 2002, retrieved on 26 October 2007: ''"Поради изменилите се условия в Македония и Тракия от Балканските войни насам, организацията се преименува от ВМОРО на ВМРО, като нейната цел си остава извоюване на автономия и обединение на разпокъсаните части на Македония."''
* "Македония. История и политическа съдба", колектив на МНИ под редакцията на проф. Петър Петров, том II, Издателство "Знание", София, 1998, pp. 140–141. (In Bulgarian. In English: P. Petrov, ed. ''Macedonia. History and Political Fate'', vol. 2, Macedonian Scientific Institute, Sofia, 1998, pp. 140–141.)
* "Македония. История и политическа съдба", колектив на МНИ под редакцията на проф. Петър Петров, том II, Издателство "Знание", София, 1998, p. 206. (In Bulgarian. In English: P. Petrov, ed. ''Macedonia. History and Political Fate'', vol. 2, Macedonian Scientific Institute, Sofia, 1998, p. 206.)
* Р.П. Гришина, "ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ВЗГЛЯДА НА МАКЕДОНСКИЙ ВОПРОС В БОЛЬШЕВИСТСКОЙ МОСКВЕ 1922–1924 гг." in ''МАКЕДОНИЯ – ПРОБЛЕМЫ ИСТОРИИ И КУЛЬТУРЫ'', Институт славяноведения, Российская Академия Наук, Москва, 1999. (R. P. Grishina "Formation of a View on the Macedonian Question in Bolshevik Moscow 1922–1924" in ''Macedonia. Problems of History and Culture'', Institute of Slavistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1999.)
* Р.П. Гришина, "ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ВЗГЛЯДА НА МАКЕДОНСКИЙ ВОПРОС В БОЛЬШЕВИСТСКОЙ МОСКВЕ 1922–1924 гг." in ''МАКЕДОНИЯ – ПРОБЛЕМЫ ИСТОРИИ И КУЛЬТУРЫ'', Институт славяноведения, Российская Академия Наук, Москва, 1999. (R. P. Grishina "Formation of a View on the Macedonian Question in Bolshevik Moscow 1922–1924" in ''Macedonia. Problems of History and Culture'', Institute of Slavistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1999.)
* Р.П. Гришина, "ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ ВЗГЛЯДА НА МАКЕДОНСКИЙ ВОПРОС В БОЛЬШЕВИСТСКОЙ МОСКВЕ 1922–1924 гг." in ''МАКЕДОНИЯ – ПРОБЛЕМЫ ИСТОРИИ И КУЛЬТУРЫ'', Институт славяноведения, Российская Академия Наук, Москва, 1999. (R. P. Grishina "Formation of a View on the Macedonian Question in Bolshevik Moscow 1922–1924" in ''Macedonia. Problems of History and Culture'', Institute of Slavistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 1999.)
* Ivo Banac, ''The Macedoine'' (pp. 307–328 in of "The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics", Cornell University Press, 1984)
* "Македония. История и политическа съдба", колектив на МНИ под редакцията на проф. Петър Петров, том II, Издателство "Знание", София, 1998, pp. 205–206. (In Bulgarian. In English: P. Petrov, ed. ''Macedonia. History and Political Fate'', vol. 2, Macedonian Scientific Institute, Sofia, 1998, pp. 205–206.)
* Palmer, S. and R. King ''Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question'', Archon Books (June 1971), pp. 65–67.
* Добрин Мичев. БЪЛГАРСКОТО НАЦИОНАЛНО ДЕЛО В ЮГОЗАПАДНА МАКЕДОНИЯ (1941–1944 г.), ''Македонски Преглед'', 1, 1998.(Dobrin Michev, "Bulgarian National Activity in Southwest Macedonia 1941–1944", ''Macedonian Review'', 1, 1998.)
* Palmer, S. and R. King ''Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question'', Archon Books (June 1971), pp. 112–113.
* Palmer, S. and R. King ''Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question'', Archon Books (June 1971), p. 137.
*
Ivan Katardžiev, Katardjiev's foreword to Васил Ивановски. ''Зошто ние, Македонците, сме одделна нација?'', Скопје, 1995, pp. 49–56. (Vasil Ivanovski, ''Why We Macedonians Are a Separate Nation?'', Skopje, 1995)
* Palmer, S. and R. King ''Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question'', Archon Books (June 1971), p. 137.
* Димитър Гоцев. НОВАТА НАЦИОНАЛНО-ОСВОБОДИТЕЛНА БОРБА ВЪВ ВАРДАРСКА МАКЕДОНИЯ. Македонски научен институт, София, 1998.
* Keith Brown. ''The Past in Question: Modern Macedonia and the Uncertainties of Nation'', Princeton University Press (2003)
Sources
* Пандев, К. "Устави и правилници на ВМОРО преди Илинденско-Преображенското въстание", ''Исторически преглед'', 1969, кн. I, стр. 68–80.
* Пандев, К. "Устави и правилници на ВМОРО преди Илинденско-Преображенското въстание", ''Извeстия на Института за история'', т. 21, 1970, стр. 249–257.
* Битоски, Крсте, сп. "Македонско Време", Скопје – март 1997, quoting: Quoting: Public Record Office – Foreign Office 78/4951 Turkey (Bulgaria), From Elliot, 1898, ''Устав на ТМОРО''. S. 1. published in ''Документи за борбата на македонскиот народ за самостојност и за национална држава'', Скопје, Универзитет "Кирил и Методиј": Факултет за филозофско-историски науки, 1981, pp 331 – 333.
* Hugh Pouton ''Who Are the Macedonians?'', C. Hurst & Co, 2000. p. 53.
* Fikret Adanir, ''Die Makedonische Frage: ihre entestehung und etwicklung bis 1908.'', Wiessbaden 1979, p. 112.
* Duncan Perry ''The Politics of Terror: The Macedonian Liberation Movements, 1893–1903 '', Durham, Duke University Press, 1988. pp. 40–41, 210 n. 10.
* Христо Татарчев, "Вътрешната македоно-одринска революционна организация като митологична и реална същност", София, 1995.
* Dimitar Vlahov, ''Memoirs'', 2nd edition, Slovo publishing, Skopje, 2003, .
* Series of memoirs, published by
Macedonian Scientific Institute
The Macedonian Scientific Institute (MSI; bg, Македонски научен институт) is a Bulgarian scientific organization, which studies the region of Macedonia and mostly the Macedonian Bulgarians.
Establishment and activity
It w ...
in Sofia during the interwar period in several volumes: Slaveiko Arsov, Pando Klyashev, Ivan Popov, Smile Voidanov, Deyan Dimitrov, Nikola Mitrev, Luka Dzherov, Georgi Pop Hristov, Angel Andreev, Georgi Papanchev, Lazar Dimitrov, Damyan Gruev, Boris Sarafov, Ivan Garvanov, Yane Sandanski, Chernyo Peev, Sava Mihailov, Hristo Kuslev,
Ivan Anastasov Gyrcheto, Petyr Hr. Yurukov, Nikola Pushkarov], Macedonian translations, published by Kultura, Skopje, in 2 volumes, and
* Георги Баждаров, "Моите спомени", издание на Институт "България – Македония", София, 2001. In English: Georgi Bazhdarov, ''My memoirs'', published by Institute Bulgaria-Macedonia, Sofia, 2001.
* Nikola Kirov Majski, ''Pages from my life'', Kultura, Skopje.
* Albert Londres, ''Les Comitadjis (Le terrorisme dans les Balkans)'', Kultura, Skopje, (original edition: Arlea, Paris, 1992).
* Albert Sonnichsen, ''Confessions of a Macedonian Bandit: A Californian in the Balkan Wars'', The Narrative Press, . Also her
''Confessions'', Ch. XXIV, and Macedonian translation.
* Fikret Adanir, ''Die Makedonische Frage'', Wiesbaden, 1979.
* Константин Пандев, "Национално-освободителното движение в Македония и Одринско", София, 1979.
* Ivo Banac, "The Macedoine", pp. 307–328 in of ''The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics'', Cornell University Press, 1984.
* H. N. Brailsford, ''Macedonia: its races and their future'', Methuen & Co., London, 1906
* Христо Силянов, "Освободителнитe борби на Македония", том I и II, изд. на Илинденската Организация, София, 1933 и 1943, also volume I
* Любомиръ Милетичъ, "Разорението на тракийските българи презъ 1913 година", Българска Академия на Науките, София, Държавна Печатница, 1918 г.,
* "Македония. История и политическа съдба", колектив на МНИ под редакцията на проф. Петър Петров, том I, II и III, издателство "Знание", София, 1998.
* "Македония – проблемы истории и культуры", Институт славяноведения, Российская Академия Наук, Москва, 1999 (includes Р. П. Гришина, "Формирование взгляда на македонский вопрос в большевистской Москве 1922–1924 гг."), the complete symposium
* Никола Петров, "Кои беа партизаните во Македонија", Скопje, 1998.
* Palmer, S. and R. King, ''Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question'', Archon Books, 1971.
* Добрин Мичев, "Българското нацинално дело в югозападна Македония (1941–1944 г.)", "Македонски Преглед", 1, 1998.
* Keith Brown, ''The Past in Question: Modern Macedonia and the Uncertainties of Nation'', Princeton University Press, 2003.
External links
Website of Macedonian VMRO-DPMNE
The statute of BMARC from a Macedonian language websiteHistory of the Greek-Macedonian Fighters (Μακεδονομάχοι – Makedonomachi), adversaries of the IMROWebsite of Bulgarian VMRO-BND
{{Balkan Wars
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization,
Kosovo vilayet
Manastir vilayet
Salonica vilayet
Adrianople vilayet
1893 establishments in the Ottoman Empire