DOCSLIB.ORG

“The Macedonian Question” – a Historical Overview and Evaluation with Special Attention to the Traditional Greek Ideology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
“The Macedonian Question” – a Historical Overview and Evaluation with Special Attention to the Traditional Greek Ideology “THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION” – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW AND EVALUATION WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE TRADITIONAL GREEK IDEOLOGY by Evangelos Coconas Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Magister Artium in Greek in the Faculty of Humanities (Department of Greek and Latin Studies) at the University of Johannesburg Supervisor: Prof. B. Hendrickx Co-supervisor: Prof. T. Sansaridou-Hendrickx Johannesburg 2014/15 1 Foreword When I was in Primary School I recall hearing and reading about the exploits and conquests of Alexander the Great. To me, Alexander the Great or Μεγαλέξανδρος was more than a great warrior who tamed Bucephalus at a young age and then proceeded to conquer the known world before the age of thirty. Personally, he was a champion for Greece and for Hellenism. Alexander the Great ensured that Greece and Hellenism would become known and respected throughout the ages. Films have been made and books have been written about him. References have even made about him and his empire in Holy Scriptures like the Bible (in Daniel 7:6, 8:5-7, 11:3-4) as the Four-Horned Goat, the Four-Winged Leopard and the metal statue and the Quran (as Dhul-Qarnayn the Two-Horned One). When I was in High School I recall how passionately the global Hellenic community reacted when a small republic on Greece’s northern frontier proclaimed its independence with the official name “Republic of Macedonia”. This event struck a deeply emotional chord within me. I viewed this occurrence as a theft of my heritage. A proud heritage that was being appropriated by a young republic that was desperate to clutch onto anything in order to assign legitimacy to its newly-found independent status. For this reason, I did not hesitate to select this research topic when I decided to proceed with my postgraduate studies. This topic may not be the most unique one, especially within European and specifically Balkan academic circles, but it is a topic that has been deeply embedded in my conscience as a patriotic Greek who was determined to tackle this issue with the simple objective of proving that “Macedonia is Greek”. But one cannot be subjective in academic and scientific research and provide a discourse that is based on evidence that has been fuelled by passion. An academic researcher has a moral obligation to be objective and to inform on the basis of factual evidence and reason. There is a fine line between subjective emotion and objective truth when it comes to matters of patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism and nationalism can lead to fanaticism which I believe can ultimately defeat logic. A person can love his or her country and heritage and at the same 3 time refrain from feeling a sense of entitlement and demanding exclusivity to national symbolic factors. The most critical element is to be free from prejudice when attempting to uncover the truth. Firstly, I would like to thank the Lord for giving me courage, protection and inspiration during a challenging, yet satisfying period of my life. I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to my academic supervisors at the University of Johannesburg, Prof. Benjamin Hendrickx and Prof. Thekla Sansaridou-Hendrickx for their guidance, patience and encouragement throughout the duration of my studies. Furthermore, I would also like express my deepest thanks to Dr. Minas Constantopoulos for his enlightening input, as well as to Mrs. Anastasia Krystallidis who had contributed to my love for Hellenism during my schooling career and provided generous financial support for the furthering of my tertiary studies. A huge thank you as well goes to my friend Jessica Keet for her time and assistance in the proofreading of my work. Finally, I would like to thank my parents and my siblings for their support and interest and above all, I would like to express my fondest gratitude to my beloved wife, Joanne Karzis, whose strength, confidence and faith in my personal ability was paramount in the production of my academic dissertation. 4 Contents Foreword iii Contents v List of Figures vii Abbreviations viii 1. Introduction 1 2. Historical Outlook 4 2.1 The Early Kingdom 4 2.2 Expansion and Empire 6 2.3 Division and Decline 8 2.4 Roman, Byzantine and “Barbarian” Rule 9 2.5 Slavic Macedonia 10 2.6 Bulgar Rule 12 2.7 Tsar Samuel’s Macedonian Empire 13 2.8 Byzantine and Serbian Rule 16 2.9 Ottoman Rule 20 2.10 The Origin of the Macedonian Question 25 2.11 Modern Geographical Macedonia – The Country and the People 27 2.12 The Historical Background of the Dispute 31 3. Socio-Political Aspects of the Macedonians 44 3.1 The Slavic “Macedonian” Language 44 3.1.1 The History of the Slavic “Macedonian” Language 47 3.1.2 Views on the Slavic “Macedonian” Language 48 3.1.2.1 The Slavic “Macedonian” View 48 3.1.2.2 The Greek View 49 3.1.2.3 The Bulgarian View 50 3.1.2.4 The Serbian View 52 3.1.2.5 Other Views 53 3.2 The Macedonian Orthodox Church 54 5 3.2.1 The History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church 54 3.2.2 The Language of the Macedonian Orthodox Church 56 3.3 Macedonian Symbols 56 3.3.1 “Antiquitisation” and Macedonian Heroes 57 3.3.2 “Vergina Sun” and the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Flag 59 3.3.3 The “United Macedonia” Salute 61 4. The Macedonian Dispute Today 63 4.1 The Macedonian Question – A Political Overview 65 4.2 The Construction of National Identities, Cultures and Histories 69 4.3 Ancient Macedonia and the Macedonian Naming Dispute 71 4.3.1 Irredentism – “United Macedonia” 77 4.3.2 Irredentism – “Greater Greece” 79 4.4 Alexander the Great – A Greek or a Slav? 81 4.5 The “Vergina” Sun – A National Symbol 87 4.6 The First International Congress on Macedonian Studies 89 4.7 International Recognition of the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 91 4.8 The Slavic “Macedonian” Minority of Northern Greece 95 5. Geopolitical Considerations on the Macedonian Question 99 5.1 The Macedonian Question - Nationalism and Identity 99 5.2 The Macedonian Question - Nationhood and Citizenship 100 5.3 The “symbolic struggle” of the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 105 5.4 The Slavic “Macedonian” Argument 111 5.5 The Minority Question 119 5.6 The Greek Argument against the Slavic “Macedonian” Identity 125 5.7 Supporting the Greek Argument 131 6. Conclusion 143 7. Bibliography 146 8. Appendix: National Rulers 159 9. Abstract 165 6 List of Figures Figure 1: The Ancient Greek Mainland Figure 2: The Kingdom of Macedon at the death of Philip II Figure 3: The Roman province of Macedonia Figure 4: The Byzantine Empire under the Macedonian Dynasty Figure 5: Byzantine Greece Figure 6: Macedonia under Ottoman Rule Figure 7: The statue of Alexander the Great in Skopje Figure 8: The statue of Alexander the Great in Bitola Figure 9: The Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) flag from 1992-1995 Figure 10: The Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) flag today Figure 11: The “United Macedonia” Salute Figure 12: The Serbian Salute Figure 13: The Unification of Greece under the Treaty of Sevres Figure 14: “United Macedonia” Figure 15: The “Great Idea” and Greece’s territorial gains Figure 16: The Vergina Sun Figure 17: “Greater Albania” Figure 18: The Rum or Orthodox Millet in the Ottoman Empire Figure 19: The Balkans before the Balkan Wars Figure 20: The Balkans after the First Balkan War Figure 21: The Balkans after the Second Balkan War 7 Abbreviations ASNOM: Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia (Антифашистичко Собрание за Народно Ослободување на Македонија), the supreme legislative and executive people's representative body of the Macedonian state from 1944 until the end of World War II CSCE: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe COMINTERN: Communist International EAM: Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo (Εθνικό Απελευθερωτικό Μέτωπο), the main movement of the Greek Resistance during the Axis occupation of Greece during World War II EBLUL: European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages ELAS: Ellinikos Laikos Apeleftherotikos Stratos (Ελληνικός Λαϊκός Απελευθερωτικός Στρατός), the military arm of the National Liberation Front (EAM) EU: European Union EC: European Community FYROM: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia IMF: International Monetary Fund KKE: Kommounistiko Komma Elladas (Κομμουνιστικό Κόμμα Ελλάδας), the Communist Party of Greece NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation NOF: National Liberation Front (Народно Ослободителен Фронт), a communist political and military organisation created by the Macedonian minority in Greece 8 PASOK: Panhellenic Socialist Movement (Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα) a social-democratic political party in Greece PDP: Party for Democratic Prosperity (Партија за демократски просперитет), an ethnic Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) UCK: Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare (National Liberation Army), an Albanian militant organisation that operated in the Republic of Macedonia in 2001 UN: United Nations USA: United States of America USSR: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics VMRO-DPME: Внатрешна македонска револуционерна организација – Демократска партија за македонско национално единство (The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity), the largest and leading party in the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 9 1. Introduction The “Macedonian Question” is a highly contentious issue in the Balkan Peninsula that spans back many years. The general impression is that this is a fairly recent dispute, but the fact of the matter is that it goes back almost two hundred years. Nevertheless, there is evidence that can be traced from ancient times. The underlying issue is the modern-day use of the name “Macedonia”. With the collapse of Communism and the subsequent disintegration of Yugoslavia, came the creation of the “Republic of Macedonia” (FYROM), the southernmost republic of former Yugoslavia.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Making of Yugoslavia's People's Republic of Macedonia 377 Ward the Central Committee of the Yugoslav Communist Party Hardened
    THE MAKING OF YUGOSLAVIA’S PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Fifty years since the liberation of Macedonia, the perennial "Ma­ cedonian Question” appears to remain alive. While in Greece it has deF­ initely been settled, the establishment of a "Macedonian State” within the framework of the People’s Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has given a new form to the old controversy which has long divided the three Balkan States, particularly Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. The present study tries to recount the events which led to its founding, the purposes which prompted its establishment and the methods employed in bringing about the tasks for which it was conceived. The region of Southern Yugoslavia,' which extends south of a line traversed by the Shar Mountains and the hills just north of Skopje, has been known in the past under a variety of names, each one clearly denoting the owner and his policy concerning the region.3 The Turks considered it an integral part of their Ottoman Empire; the Serbs, who succeeded them, promptly incorporated it into their Kingdom of Serbs and Croats and viewed it as a purely Serbian land; the Bulgarians, who seized it during the Nazi occupation of the Balkans, grasped the long-sought opportunity to extend their administrative control and labeled it part of the Bulgarian Father- land. As of 1944, the region, which reverted to Yugoslavia, has been known as the People’s Republic of Macedonia, one of the six federative republics of communist Yugoslavia. The new name and administrative structure, exactly as the previous ones, was intended for the purpose of serving the aims of the new re­ gime.
    [Show full text]
  • For Municipal Solid Waste Management in Greece
    Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity Article Description and Economic Evaluation of a “Zero-Waste Mortar-Producing Process” for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Greece Alexandros Sikalidis 1,2 and Christina Emmanouil 3,* 1 Amsterdam Business School, Accounting Section, University of Amsterdam, 1012 WX Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2 Faculty of Economics, Business and Legal Studies, International Hellenic University, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece 3 School of Spatial Planning and Development, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +30-2310-995638 Received: 2 July 2019; Accepted: 19 July 2019; Published: 23 July 2019 Abstract: The constant increase of municipal solid wastes (MSW) as well as their daily management pose a major challenge to European countries. A significant percentage of MSW originates from household activities. In this study we calculate the costs of setting up and running a zero-waste mortar-producing (ZWMP) process utilizing MSW in Northern Greece. The process is based on a thermal co-processing of properly dried and processed MSW with raw materials (limestone, clay materials, silicates and iron oxides) needed for the production of clinker and consequently of mortar in accordance with the Greek Patent 1003333, which has been proven to be an environmentally friendly process. According to our estimations, the amount of MSW generated in Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace regions, which is conservatively estimated at 1,270,000 t/y for the year 2020 if recycling schemes in Greece are not greatly ameliorated, may sustain six ZWMP plants while offering considerable environmental benefits. This work can be applied to many cities and areas, especially when their population generates MSW at the level of 200,000 t/y, hence requiring one ZWMP plant for processing.
    [Show full text]
  • The Statistical Battle for the Population of Greek Macedonia
    XII. The Statistical Battle for the Population of Greek Macedonia by Iakovos D. Michailidis Most of the reports on Greece published by international organisations in the early 1990s spoke of the existence of 200,000 “Macedonians” in the northern part of the country. This “reasonable number”, in the words of the Greek section of the Minority Rights Group, heightened the confusion regarding the Macedonian Question and fuelled insecurity in Greece’s northern provinces.1 This in itself would be of minor importance if the authors of these reports had not insisted on citing statistics from the turn of the century to prove their points: mustering historical ethnological arguments inevitably strengthened the force of their own case and excited the interest of the historians. Tak- ing these reports as its starting-point, this present study will attempt an historical retrospective of the historiography of the early years of the century and a scientific tour d’horizon of the statistics – Greek, Slav and Western European – of that period, and thus endeavour to assess the accuracy of the arguments drawn from them. For Greece, the first three decades of the 20th century were a long period of tur- moil and change. Greek Macedonia at the end of the 1920s presented a totally different picture to that of the immediate post-Liberation period, just after the Balkan Wars. This was due on the one hand to the profound economic and social changes that followed its incorporation into Greece and on the other to the continual and extensive population shifts that marked that period. As has been noted, no fewer than 17 major population movements took place in Macedonia between 1913 and 1925.2 Of these, the most sig- nificant were the Greek-Bulgarian and the Greek-Turkish exchanges of population under the terms, respectively, of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly and the 1923 Lausanne Convention.
    [Show full text]
  • Literacy and Census: E Case of Banat Bulgarians, 1890–1910
    144 P P Literacy and Census: e Case of Banat Bulgarians, 1890–1910 Literacy is a dynamic category that changes over time. e understanding of writing has gradually been expanding while its public signi cance has been increasing. e transition to widespread literacy was performed from the 17 th to the 19 th centuries and was connected with the rise of the bourgeoisie, with the development of services and technology that generated economic demand for literate workers. is transition was a slow and gradual process and deve- loped at di erent rates in di erent geographical regions, but from a global point of view it was marked by unprecedented social transformation: while in the mid-19 th century only 10% of the adult population of the world could read and write, in the 21 st century – despite the ve-fold increase in population – 80% have basic literacy. 1 In recent decades this transformation has caused a considerable research interest in the history of literacy and the process of over- coming illiteracy. On the Subject of Research Herein, with respect to the spread of literacy in Austria–Hungary are studied the Banat Bulgarians, who are Western Rite Catholics. In 1890 they numbered 14 801 people. At that time the Banat Bulgarians had already been seled in the Habsburg Empire for a century and a half. ey were refugees from the district of Chiprovtsi town (Northwestern Bulgaria) who had le Bulgarian lands aer the unsuccessful anti-Ooman uprising of 1688. Passing through Wallachia and Southwest Transylvania (the laer under Austrian rule) in the 1 Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2006.
    [Show full text]
  • Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (Ca
    Conversion and Empire: Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (ca. 300-900) by Alexander Borislavov Angelov A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor John V.A. Fine, Jr., Chair Professor Emeritus H. Don Cameron Professor Paul Christopher Johnson Professor Raymond H. Van Dam Associate Professor Diane Owen Hughes © Alexander Borislavov Angelov 2011 To my mother Irina with all my love and gratitude ii Acknowledgements To put in words deepest feelings of gratitude to so many people and for so many things is to reflect on various encounters and influences. In a sense, it is to sketch out a singular narrative but of many personal “conversions.” So now, being here, I am looking back, and it all seems so clear and obvious. But, it is the historian in me that realizes best the numerous situations, emotions, and dilemmas that brought me where I am. I feel so profoundly thankful for a journey that even I, obsessed with planning, could not have fully anticipated. In a final analysis, as my dissertation grew so did I, but neither could have become better without the presence of the people or the institutions that I feel so fortunate to be able to acknowledge here. At the University of Michigan, I first thank my mentor John Fine for his tremendous academic support over the years, for his friendship always present when most needed, and for best illustrating to me how true knowledge does in fact produce better humanity.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2011 Angelo Roncalli (John XXIII) Synopsis of Documents
    January 2011 Angelo Roncalli (John XXIII) Synopsis of Documents Introduction: When reviewing Angelo Roncalli's activities in favor of the Jewish people across many years, one may distinguish three parts; the first, during the years 1940-1944, when he served as Apostolic Delegate of the Vatican in Istanbul, Turkey, with responsibility over the Balkan region. The second, as a Nuncio in France, in 1947, on the eve of the United Nations decision on the creation of a Jewish state. Finally, in 1963, as Pope John XXIII, when he brought about a radical positive change in the Church's position of the Jewish people. 1) As the Apostolic Delegate in Istanbul, during the Holocaust years, Roncalli aided in various ways Jewish refugees who were in transit in Turkey, including facilitating their continued migration to Palestine. His door was always open to the representatives of Jewish Palestine, and especially to Chaim Barlas, of the Jewish Agency, who asked for his intervention in the rescue of Jews. Among his actions, one may mention his intervention with the Slovakian government to allow the exodus of Jewish children; his appeal to King Boris II of Bulgaria not to allow his country's Jews to be turned over to the Germans; his consent to transmit via the diplomatic courier to his colleague in Budapest, the Nuncio Angelo Rotta, various documents of the Jewish Agency, in order to be further forwarded to Jewish operatives in Budapest; valuable documents to aid in the protection of Jews who were authorized by the British to enter Palestine. Finally, above all -- his constant pleadings with his elders in the Vatican to aid Jews in various countries, who were in danger of deportation by the Nazis.
    [Show full text]
  • Life Depression in North Greece
    ISSN: 2643-4059 Argyropoulos et al. Int J Depress Anxiety 2018, 1:004 Volume 1 | Issue 1 Open Access International Journal of Depression and Anxiety RESEARch ARticlE Late - Life Depression in North Greece: Prevalence and Un- der-Detection Konstantinos Argyropoulos, Aikaterini Saropoulou and Eleni Jelastopulu* Check for updates Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece *Corresponding author: Eleni Jelastopulu, Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Rio Patras, Greece, Tel: +30-2610-969878 ment with poor quality of life, increased use of alcohol Abstract and high rates of suicide attempts [3]. Depression is the most frequent cause of emotional suf- fering on late life. The purpose of the present study was While depression and sadness might seem to go hand to estimate the prevalence of depression and to assess in hand, many depressed seniors claim not to feel sad at all possible under-diagnosis of depressive symptoms in the and present atypical symptoms. In fact, memory deficits elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the members of the open day care centers for older people in and unexplained physical complaints, such as fatigue, dif- the municipality of Pella, North Greece. A questionnaire fuse pain, back and chest syndromes or worsening head- was developed to collect basic demographic data, including aches, are often the predominant symptoms of LLD [2,4]. three questions from the “European Health Interview Sur- vey”, regarding self-reported and/or by a physician diagno- Many depressed older adults may not recognize sed depression. Moreover, to all participants the Greek va- the symptoms of depression, or don’t take the steps to lidated version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was applied, to screen for depressive symptoms.
    [Show full text]
  • The Shaping of Bulgarian and Serbian National Identities, 1800S-1900S
    The Shaping of Bulgarian and Serbian National Identities, 1800s-1900s February 2003 Katrin Bozeva-Abazi Department of History McGill University, Montreal A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1 Contents 1. Abstract/Resume 3 2. Note on Transliteration and Spelling of Names 6 3. Acknowledgments 7 4. Introduction 8 How "popular" nationalism was created 5. Chapter One 33 Peasants and intellectuals, 1830-1914 6. Chapter Two 78 The invention of the modern Balkan state: Serbia and Bulgaria, 1830-1914 7. Chapter Three 126 The Church and national indoctrination 8. Chapter Four 171 The national army 8. Chapter Five 219 Education and national indoctrination 9. Conclusions 264 10. Bibliography 273 Abstract The nation-state is now the dominant form of sovereign statehood, however, a century and a half ago the political map of Europe comprised only a handful of sovereign states, very few of them nations in the modern sense. Balkan historiography often tends to minimize the complexity of nation-building, either by referring to the national community as to a monolithic and homogenous unit, or simply by neglecting different social groups whose consciousness varied depending on region, gender and generation. Further, Bulgarian and Serbian historiography pay far more attention to the problem of "how" and "why" certain events have happened than to the emergence of national consciousness of the Balkan peoples as a complex and durable process of mental evolution. This dissertation on the concept of nationality in which most Bulgarians and Serbs were educated and socialized examines how the modern idea of nationhood was disseminated among the ordinary people and it presents the complicated process of national indoctrination carried out by various state institutions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Responses of Pope Nicholas I to the Questions of the Bulgars AD
    The Responses of Pope Nicholas I to the Questions of the Bulgars A.D. 866 (Letter 99) Translated by W. L. North from the edition of Ernest Perels, in MGH Epistolae VI, Berlin, 1925, pp.568-600. Introduction Since the sixth century, the Bulgars had known intermittent contact with the Christians of the surrounding nations, whether as merchants or prisoners-of-war or through diplomatic relations. During the later eighth and early ninth century, the Christian population in Bulgar lands increased so much that Christians were rumored to have influence at the court of Khan Krum (802-814); they were also persecuted under Khan Omortag (814-31). The Bulgars continued to remain "officially" pagan until the reign of Khan Boris, who came to power around 852. Several factors may have led Khan Boris to assume a more favorable attitude towards Christianity. First, Christianity offered a belief-system that transcended — at least potentially — cultural or ethnic boundaries and thereby offered a means not only to unify Bulgaria's disparate populations but also to secure legitimacy and respect with Byzantium and the West. The ideology of Christian rulership also enhanced the position of the prince vis-à-vis his subjects including the often contentious boyars. Furthermore, Boris' sister had converted to Christianity while a hostage in Constantinople and may have influenced her brother. Finally, Boris himself seems to have been attracted to Christian beliefs and practices, as evidenced by the seriousness with which he pursued the conversion of his people. Boris' move towards Christianity seems to have begun in earnest with the opening of negotiations in 862 between himself and Louis the German for an alliance against Ratislav of Moravia.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf?Sequence=1
    Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies Year 4, Issue 6, June 2021, pp. 155-212. Bulgaria’s Secret Empire: An Ultimatum to North Macedonia Tomasz Kamusella Abstract: In the summer of 2019, 30 years after the end of communism in Europe, Bulgaria began to forward the way of Skopje numerous onerous demands as a salient precondition for opening European Union (EU) accession negotiation talks with North Macedonia. All of these demands are dictated by ethnolinguistic nationalism that underlies the Bulgarian national master narrative. On 9 October 2019, the Bulgarian government officially adopted these demands in the form of an ultimatum, bar the term. Sofia did not have to deploy this ultimatum to stop the talks, since earlier Paris temporarily blocked the pending accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. It appears that in the face of economic and political problems at home, Bulgarian politicians tend to use nationalism (and populism) to divert citizens’ attention. The Bulgarian government seems to emulate the Kremlin’s policy of the “Russian World,” which on the basis of ethnolinguistic nationalism claims for Russia all the territories inhabited by Russian-speakers. After the fall of communism, a similar policy of “Bulgarian World” (Bılgarski sviat) has been pursued by Sofia from Moldova to North Macedonia and Albania, clamouring for recognizing all the Slavic-speakers in this wide area as members of Ph.D., Reader in Modern History, University of St Andrews, Scotland, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3484-8352; e-mail: [email protected] Submitted: 21.12.2020, Accepted: 16.06.2021 TOMASZ KAMUSELLA the Bulgarian nation.
    [Show full text]
  • Blood Ties: Religion, Violence, and the Politics of Nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878
    BLOOD TIES BLOOD TIES Religion, Violence, and the Politics of Nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878–1908 I˙pek Yosmaog˘lu Cornell University Press Ithaca & London Copyright © 2014 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850. First published 2014 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2014 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Yosmaog˘lu, I˙pek, author. Blood ties : religion, violence,. and the politics of nationhood in Ottoman Macedonia, 1878–1908 / Ipek K. Yosmaog˘lu. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8014-5226-0 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8014-7924-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Macedonia—History—1878–1912. 2. Nationalism—Macedonia—History. 3. Macedonian question. 4. Macedonia—Ethnic relations. 5. Ethnic conflict— Macedonia—History. 6. Political violence—Macedonia—History. I. Title. DR2215.Y67 2013 949.76′01—dc23 2013021661 Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Paperback printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To Josh Contents Acknowledgments ix Note on Transliteration xiii Introduction 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Comac Medical NLSP2 Thefo
    Issue May/14 No.2 Copyright © 2014 Comac Medical. All rights reserved Dear Colleagues, The Newsletter Special Edition No.2 is dedicated to the 1150 years of the Moravian Mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius and 1150 years of the official declaration of Christianity as state religion in Bulgaria by Tsar Boris I and imposition of official policy of literacy due to the emergence of the fourth sacral language in Europe. We are proudly presenting: • PUBLISHED BY COMAC-MEDICAL • ~Page I~ SS. CIRYL AND METHODIUS AND THE BULGARIAN ALPHABET By rescuing the creation of Cyril and Methodius, Bulgaria has earned the admiration and respect of not only the Slav peoples but of all other peoples in the world and these attitudes will not cease till mankind keeps implying real meaning in notions like progress, culture “and humanity. Bulgaria has not only saved the great creation of Cyril and Methodius from complete obliteration but within its territories it also developed, enriched and perfected this priceless heritage (...) Bulgaria became a living hearth of vigorous cultural activity while, back then, many other people were enslaved by ignorance and obscurity (…) Тhe language “ of this first hayday of Slavonic literature and culture was not other but Old Bulgarian. This language survived all attempts by foreign invaders for eradication thanks to the firmness of the Bulgarian people, to its determination to preserve what is Bulgarian, especially the Bulgarian language which has often been endangered but has never been subjugated… -Prof. Roger Bernard, French Slavist Those who think of Bulgaria as a kind of a new state (…), those who have heard of the Balkans only as the “powder keg of Europe”, those cannot remember that “Bulgaria was once a powerful kingdom and an active player in the big politics of medieval Europe.
    [Show full text]