History Remembering the Great War

t is not a very well known fact that fighting. Peaks and hills were gained and , although not a state lost several times during each battle. The at the time, took a great part, or front line was stable for a long time until rather, suffered a lot in World War it was broken by the Allied forces in 1918, One. One of the most stable front which lead to the capitulation of Bulgaria Ilines of the conflict passed through the and restitution of the Serbian state on whole territory of Macedonia. The front Macedonian territory. attracted great numbers of foreign troops The war brought a great many new who fought fierce battles resulting in experiences to Macedonian peasants, epic destruction, diseases and death tolls who were not very mobile at that time. among soldiers and the local people. The Encounters with new nations and races, (Solun) or strange love affairs, encounters with stretched from the Adriatic coast to the feminism, cross-national friendships, Struma River. The Allied forces (Britain, extreme suffering, poverty and hunger France, and ) were fighting moved and inspired Macedonian writers against Bulgaria and smaller detachments such as Petre M. Andreevski, Ivan of the armies of the Capovski and Luan Starova. They wrote (Austro-Hungary and Germany). Bulgaria about brothers mobilized by rival armies took over Macedonian territory from the at the front, brave female nurses, love falling Serbian state. From Ohrid to , affairs between soldiers and locals, the then along the rivers Crna and , and first encounters with Arab and African around Lake heavy bombardment soldiers, unusual animals (camels), big and severe man-to-man battles took place. guns etc. The battles of Kajmakcalan, Krivolak, Commemoration of the centenary of the Kosturino and Dojran are notorious for Great War started in 2014 and will last the number of casualties and prolonged until 2018. As commemorations and other

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ceremonial events are held all over Europe, activists there have merged new projects Macedonia is becoming increasingly aware focusing on the memories recovered from of its part and suffering in this global letters of soldiers, forgotten graveyards of catastrophe. the loosing (Bulgarian) army have been Military cemeteries and war memorials restored, and more attention has been were built soon after the war. They were given to the fate of the local mobilized well maintained and annual ceremonies population. were held in many locations. Yet, There have always been physical these monuments mostly belonged remnants of the war hidden beneath the to the winning Allied forces. As the surface in forgotten trenches, bunkers, history written by the winners has been towers, and other frontline and battlefield increasingly challenged by historians and infrastructure. New building projects,

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forestry or agricultural projects on new one can spot the road built by the French land, and even archeological digsand river troops. The village of Brod was where the or lake bed investigations reveal dozens of hardest battle in this section of the front guns, grenades, elements of uniforms and was fought. weapons. Such findings have attracted Bitola has already created the First more local interest since administrative World War Walk in Pelister National Park. decentralization over the past fifteen years. The path offers recreation and education Municipalities have expressed an interest for the whole family. At the same time, in mapping their assets and unique points it commemorates the hard days of war in of interest and using them for organizing and around Biota. The town was under social life and promoting tourism. constant bombardment for two years. Many interesting initiatives have Historians say over 20 000 bombs fell on emerged lately. The Municipality of the city. The population loss was horrific: Dojran is using EU grants for cross- of the 60 000 inhabitants before the war border cooperation and partnering Bitola had only 23 000 left in its aftermath. with Kjustendil, Bulgaria, to mark and In the hills above Valandovo on the road revitalize the area and historical military to , Bulgarian forces won decisive infrastructure in the area. The project has battles in 1915 and 1916 over a British a noble aim of uniting through what once (predominantly Irish) regiment. Almost divided the neighboring countries. every year descendants of those brave The Municipality of Novaci is developing soldiers and officers visit the hills and a similar project. They are inspired by how villages of Kosturino, Sobri, Darlambos the region of Lower Normandy in France and Rabrovo. They have an internet has commemorated World War Two. Lower forum where they exchange information Normandy has established a structured and personal stories. They are mostly bilateral cooperation programme with devoted amateur enthusiasts but some Macedonia, and one of the most exciting are professional curators working in areas of the programme is the war time museums in Britain. They recreate events museichology and tourism. There are of 100 years ago according to the private many traces of heavy fighting abound in diaries of the soldiers and other records. the Macedonian municipality: trenches, We hope that this World War One machinegun bunkers, tunnels, built-up commemorative period will stimulate more caves, warehouses and hangars. There is research, care and local development in even a former military airport in the village the years to come. of Bac. The military hospital was near the present army installation Skocivir, and

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