The Revolutionary Movement in Vardar Macedonia (1914-1915)

Abstract

It is well known that the Balkan wars not only did not resolve, but further entangled and complicated the national question in the Balkans. Instead of the expected liberation, for which they fought decades of armed struggle and made countless sacrifices, the Bulgarian population in Vardar and Aegean Macedonia fell under new national slavery. The Serbian and Greek monarchist bourgeoisie, as soon as they entered Macedonia (in October 1912), began to pursue a policy of complete denial and persecution of the Bulgarian nationality, for its rapid decimation and suppression. This policy caused an immediate and sharp reaction and resistance on the part of the Bulgarian population. Until the eve of the inter-union war the resistance was expressed mainly by a complete boycott of the activities of the Serbian authorities. At this time (November 1912-June 1913) scores of memoranda and representations were sent by the Central Committee of the All-Russian Army, by the district revolutionary committees, by the representatives of the Bulgarian population of all the towns and larger settlements occupied by Serbs and Greeks, to the Bulgarian Government and to the governments of the Great Powers. In them the Bulgarians of Macedonia urgently appeal and beg that Macedonia should not be allowed to be fragmented, that they should not be left under Serbian and Greek occupation, and most emphatically demand that the whole of Macedonia should be united with Bulgaria.