Tikveš Uprising
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Tikvesh uprising (; ; ) was an uprising in the Tikveš region of
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
in late June 1913. It was organized by
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it initia ...
(IMRO) against the
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n troops in
Vardar Macedonia Vardar Macedonia (Macedonian language, Macedonian and ) is a historical term referring to the central part of the broader Macedonian region, roughly corresponding to present-day North Macedonia. The name derives from the Vardar, Vardar River and i ...
between the First and the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...
. As the
First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
was coming to its final border arrangements, the pressures on the
Bulgarian Exarchate The Bulgarian Exarchate (; ) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953. The Exarchate (a de facto autocephaly) ...
and on the
Macedonian Bulgarian Macedonians or Macedonian Bulgarians (), sometimes also referred to as Macedono-Bulgarians, Macedo-Bulgarians, or Bulgaro-Macedonians are a regional, ethnographic group of ethnic Bulgarians, inhabiting or originating from the region of Ma ...
ethnic community in the Ottoman areas that came under Greek and Serbian control were intensifying. According to the
report of the International Commission on the Balkan Wars The ''Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars'' is a document published in Washington D.C. in 1914 by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The International Commission consisted ...
Serbia implemented there a program of "'' assimilation through terror''". IMRO acted in close coordination with the
Bulgarian army The Bulgarian Army (), also called Bulgarian Armed Forces, is the military of Bulgaria. The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for political leadership, while overall military command is in ...
, which troops at the time were located on the left bank of the
Vardar The Vardar (; , , ) or Axios (, ) is the longest river in North Macedonia and a major river in Greece, where it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of ...
river. The rebellion started prematurely on June 15, 1913, after the secret uprising conspiracy had been revealed by the local Serbian authorities. The organisers had planned to start armed resistance against the oppressors after the Bulgarian Army had begun operations in the region. The rebellion spread in the regions of
Kavadarci Kavadarci ( ) is a town in the Tikveš region of North Macedonia. In the heart of North Macedonia's wine country, it is home to the largest winery in Southeast Europe, named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is the seat of Kavadarc ...
,
Negotino Negotino (, ) is a town in North Macedonia, the seat of the Negotino Municipality. Its population is about 13,000. Geography Negotino is located on the right side of the river Vardar. It is about Above mean sea level, above sea level. Negotin ...
and the village of Vatasha. Two large rebel groups were set up with leaders Doncho Lazarov and Mishe Shkartov.
Serbian army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...
unit in Negotino was attacked and forced out from the town, Kavadarci and Vatasha were taken soon after. The rebellions set up a provisional Bulgarian government in these settlements. Reorganized Serbian army troops and irregulars led by
Vasilije Trbić Vasilije Trbić ( sr-Cyrl, Василије Трбић; 1881 – 1962) was a Serbian Chetnik commander in Macedonia who became a politician in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, first representing the People's Radical Party (NRS) in ...
were sent to crush the uprising. On June 25, after realising that help from the Bulgarian army would not be coming soon, the rebels moved out from the towns. In the following days the Serbian army brutally suppressed the uprising and terrorized the Bulgarian population in the rebelling regions. According to some sources 363 civilian
Bulgarians Bulgarians (, ) are a nation and South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and its neighbouring region, who share a common Bulgarian ancestry, culture, history and language. They form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, ...
were killed in Kavadarci, 230 - in Negotino and 40 - in Vatasha. As result, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with the results of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913 starting the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...
.


Causes

The
uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
was sparked by the violence perpetrated by the
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...
occupation authorities against the population during efforts to assimilate and
subjugate Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. The Serbian authorities have made a public threat to the population that anyone who opposes the new government will be executed. After the occupation, all Bulgarian teachers and
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
s were expelled, and teachers and priests from
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
were brought in as replacements. The
Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard varieties, variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of ...
was introduced in churches and
school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...
s. The terror of the authorities intensifies, and with it the revolt of the population grows more and more day by day, not only among the nobility, but also among the common people. The uprising was preceded by several events that particularly intensified the revolt. A boy, named Aleksandar Vidov, was killed simply because he said he did not feel like a Serb. A young bride from Vatasha was raped by Serbian lieutenant Milan Kreković shortly after her wedding. An entire Turkish family of about 50 members, including children, was killed.


Course

With the support of
IMRO The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it init ...
, an assembly was convened with delegates from almost all the seats in Tikvešia. At the assembly, it was unanimously decided to start an
uprising Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
and an
insurgent An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregular forces face a large, well ...
headquarters was created, consisting of prominent dukes from that region who had participated in the
Ilinden Uprising Ilinden ( Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Илинден) or Ilindan ( Serbian Cyrillic: Илиндан), meaning " Saint Elijah's Day", may refer to: Events * Republic Day (North Macedonia) Republic Day () or Ilinden () is a national holiday in North ...
, among whom were: Doncho Lazarov, Mihail Shkaratov, Koce Seizov, Dime Pindzhurov, Todor Kamchev and others. The number of insurgents is about 1,000, of whom 200 are ordinary citizens who take a rifle in their hand, and the rest are comites of
IMARO The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it initia ...
bands. The uprising began on 19 June 1913, and in addition to
Negotino Negotino (, ) is a town in North Macedonia, the seat of the Negotino Municipality. Its population is about 13,000. Geography Negotino is located on the right side of the river Vardar. It is about Above mean sea level, above sea level. Negotin ...
and
Kavadarci Kavadarci ( ) is a town in the Tikveš region of North Macedonia. In the heart of North Macedonia's wine country, it is home to the largest winery in Southeast Europe, named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is the seat of Kavadarc ...
, fifty villages in the Tikvesh region were taken. The detachments of Doncho Lazarov and Mihail Shkartov attacked and expelled the Serbian armies from
Negotino Negotino (, ) is a town in North Macedonia, the seat of the Negotino Municipality. Its population is about 13,000. Geography Negotino is located on the right side of the river Vardar. It is about Above mean sea level, above sea level. Negotin ...
. The Serbian authorities sent bands from the surrounding villages to
Negotino Negotino (, ) is a town in North Macedonia, the seat of the Negotino Municipality. Its population is about 13,000. Geography Negotino is located on the right side of the river Vardar. It is about Above mean sea level, above sea level. Negotin ...
, but they were all defeated. The insurgents proceeded further and managed to expel the Serb clerks and scribes from the municipal building in
Kavadarci Kavadarci ( ) is a town in the Tikveš region of North Macedonia. In the heart of North Macedonia's wine country, it is home to the largest winery in Southeast Europe, named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is the seat of Kavadarc ...
and, taking down the Serbian flag, placed it on the Tikvesh Revolutionary Flag. On 20 June, a solemn assembly was held, at which the city government consisting of 12 prominent Kavadarians was elected, and the freedom lasted only 7 days.


Suppression

After seven days, the
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
sent a large army led by
Vasilije Trbić Vasilije Trbić ( sr-Cyrl, Василије Трбић; 1881 – 1962) was a Serbian Chetnik commander in Macedonia who became a politician in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, first representing the People's Radical Party (NRS) in ...
, as well as
Jovan Babunski Jovan Stojković ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Стојковић; 25 December 1878 – 17 February 1920), known as Jovan Babunski (), was a Serbian Chetnik commander (Serbian: ''vojvoda'' / ) during the Macedonian Struggle, Balkan Wars and World W ...
and
Jovan Dolgač Jovan Cvetković ( sr-cyr, Јован Цветковић; 1860–1915), known as Jovan Dolgač (Јован Долгач), was a Serbian Chetnik commander in Macedonia, who also participated in the Balkan Wars and World War I in the Chetnik detach ...
. To the aid of the Serbian army came the bashi-bazouk of Yaya Agha with 250 armed men. The Tikvesh rebels, along with the detachments of dukes Hristo Chernopeev and Petar Chaulev were left alone to face the Serbian army, but failed in their efforts. About 1,000 people died in the uprising, of whom about 500 are known for certain, among whom many men, women, children and the elderly were killed, slaughtered and burned alive.


See also

*
Kresna–Razlog uprising The Kresna–Razlog uprising (), also known as the Kresna uprising or Macedonian Uprising (), was an anti-Ottoman Bulgarian uprising that took place in Ottoman Macedonia, predominantly in the areas of modern Blagoevgrad Province in Bulgaria in l ...
*
Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising (), consisting of the Ilinden Uprising (; ) and Preobrazhenie Uprising,Keith Brown (2013). Loyal Unto Death Trust and Terror in Revolutionary Macedonia. Indiana University Press. pp. 15-18. . was an organi ...
*
Ohrid–Debar uprising The Ohrid–Debar uprising (; ; ) was an uprising by the population in Western Macedonia, then Kingdom of Serbia, in September 1913. It was organized by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) and Albania against the Serbian cap ...


External links


Petre Kamchevski: The Tikvesh uprising left a large scar in the history of this region
- Focus Agency, An Interview with the curator of the Museum in Kavadarci, Republic of Macedonia. (in Bulgarian)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tikves Uprising Vardar Macedonia (1912–1918) 20th-century rebellions Military history of North Macedonia Bulgarian rebellions 1913 in Bulgaria 1913 in Serbia Conflicts in 1913 Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization Serbian war crimes in the Balkan Wars Kavadarci Municipality Negotino Municipality Vardar Macedonia (1918–1941) June 1913 Mass murder in 1913 Macedonian Question