The Bulgarian Action Committees in Macedonia were patriotic nationalist organizations of

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 unders ...

in Macedonia during 1941, emboldened by the invasion

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, determined to end the Yugoslav (Serbian) rule in the region, perceived as oppressive by

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 et ...

and by the representatives of other communities or political tendencies in

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 to ...

. They were also encouraged by the friendly relations between Nazi Germany and

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 Macedo ...

, and by the hope that after the German Army swept through the Bulgarian one succeed it. The time of the Bulgarian Action Committees was a time witnessing an acute lack of authority. The

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

in authority positions had fled most of the region, not afraid of the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, but primarily of reprisals from the local Bulgarian population.
Македония 1941 Възкресение
' (''Macedonia 1941 Resurrection''), Сотир Нанев (Sotir Nanev), 1942, reprinted 1993 with , publisher Труд (Trud). Memoirs of a Macedonia-born Bulgarian lieutenant participating in the occupation of the Yugoslavian and Greek parts of Macedonia. The Bulgarians, specifically the Action Committees, sought to take control of the region for Bulgaria, laying the groundwork for Bulgarian rule. The Executive Committee of the organization was headed by: Stefan Stefanov from Kratovo, president,

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 ...

from Skopje, vice-president and Vasil Hadzhikimov from

Štip Štip ( mk, Штип ) is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of North Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2002 census, the city ...

(Novo selo), secretary. In Veles Bulgarian Action Committees received the active support by popular communist functionaries as

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 Organiz ...

.Minchev, Dimitre. Bulgarian Campaign Committees in Macedonia - 1941 (Минчев, Димитър. Българските акционни комитети в Македония - 1941, София 1995, с. 28, 96-97)
/ref> When the Yugoslav rule was replaced by German military administration, and then finally by Bulgarian rule, these goals were realized. On May 18, 1941, the German military command in Skopje officially handed over the administrative power to the Bulgarian state. However, once the region and administration were organized, the Action Committees became marginalized, and ultimately dissolved.

References

{{Reflist Yugoslav Macedonia in World War II Bulgarian revolutionary organisations Organizations established in 1941 Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization Bulgaria–Yugoslavia relations Macedonian Question

See also

References