Macedonia History

 Several sources indicate that the VMRO's left wing, led by Jane Sandanski, nurtured Macedonian national consciousness. The Greek Eleftherios Stavridis points out in his book "Behind the Scenes of the KPG" from 1953 that Sandanski, originally from Pirin-Macedonia, was one of the so-called "Slavic-speaking Macedonians". " Sandanski claimed that the time for the liberation of the Macedonian nation came when the Greek, Serbian and Bulgarian nations shook off the Turkish yoke. In order for Macedonia to become a whole and completely independent state, Sandanski preached that all residents without exception are neither Bulgarians, nor Greeks, nor Kutzovlachs (Aromanians), even if they speak a Macedonian-Slavic dialect or a Greek or Kutzovlach idiom ... all Inhabitants of Macedonia are pure Macedonians, descendants of the old Macedonians of Philip II and Alexander ... Sandanski, together with Delchev are the two pioneers of the Ilinden uprising of 1903...became da

 Anastas Kocarev, also known in the world of science as Anastas Kotzareff (Ohrid, May 5, 1889 - Geneva, Switzerland, March 29, 1931) was a Macedonian doctor and oncologist. Kocarev was one of the first to work and research on the research and treatment of cancer. In 1915 he founded the society "Macedonia" in Geneva, in 1918 he united further Macedonian associations and societies from Zurich and Lausanne in the common Macedonian society for an independent Macedonia. He advocated "a separate and independent Macedonia" and for a Balkan federation. He worked with Nobel Laureate Marie Curie on the problem of diagnosing and treating cancer with radium. Picture: Anastas (sitting ont he left) with his cousins in Ohrid He was one of the pioneers of radiation therapy, but also of radiography. He was the first in the world to take an X-ray on a photographic plate of a patient suffering from cancer. He is most likely the only Macedonian next to Mother Teresa who came very close

The state entity called “The United States of America” in the dawn of its existence had such fortune to have as key persons deserving for its genesis extraordinary eruditi, exceptional lawyers, pragmatic diplomats and such personalities worthy of filling the top ranks of any nation. Among the pléiade of the most important figures for the genesis of the USA and the first decades of its existence and its establishment on the international scene are the world famous names of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, as well as a few other persons among which certainly for his importance and contribution belongs John Adams. John Adams is one of the most famous and most appreciated American statesmen and diplomats. He is one of the seven “Founding Fathers of the United States of America” , initiator and signatory of the worthiest American document, “The Declaration of Independence” as well as the Constitution of the USA. He was the man who served as the first ever vi

This thesis started as an attempt to answer the question, “what does the so-called ‘name issue’ mean to Macedonians?” It went on to analyze and portray the political, historical, legal and human rights aspects of the “name issue” between Greece and Macedonia and to depict its effects on the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, as well as on Macedonians in Greece and beyond.  Along the way, it became a collection of the testimonies of the witnesses and victims of the root causes of the “name issue” and the repercussions thereof. It ended as a story about a people’s struggle for the right to their identity and language in the international political world order, as citizens of their own sovereign country – the Republic of Macedonia – and of that same people’s struggle for the right to their identity and language as a minority in neighboring Greece.  As such, this thesis is also an inquiry into the aspects of (or lack of) cultural rights and the right to an identity – bot

In 1993, Turkish deputy colonel Kurmay Baskanligi and his compatriot general Erdogan Oznal coauthored a book “Macedonia is not Greek” (MAKEDONYA YUNAN DEĞİLDİR). The book has overwhelming amount of information and historical details that Athens has absolutely nothing to do with Macedonia as a country, and even less to do with the historic name. The book uses information from the 1300s all the way to the major world wars and is not only focusing on Macedonia, but on Greece as well. From census in every village and town during a 500 year span, to property taxes, to historic borders within the Ottoman Empire, the book shows the Macedonian borders do not change for 500 years (shown in photo above), encompassing what we now call Aegean and Pirin Macedonia. Not a sign of “greeks” anywhere on Macedonian territory (with focus on Aegean Macedonia) for 500 years. Although the Ottoman archives are open to Macedonian historians in Ankara, rarely do anyone in Macedonia take int

By Risto Stefov April 4, 2010 War and the suffering in Macedonia did not end after the failed 1903 Ilinden Macedonian National Uprising. Shortly after the Uprising was suppressed Macedonia became the apple of discord between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria and to some extent Romania.  Unable to free itself from the Ottoman yoke, Macedonia became ripe for the plucking and whoever was able to muster enough strength and resources to drive out the Ottomans would have it in their possession. At that time Macedonia’s neighbours knew they could not possess Macedonia without the cooperation of the Macedonian people, so first they tried their luck at “convincing” the Macedonians that they were not “really” Macedonians but “Greeks”, on account of them being Orthodox Christians. Or they were “Serbians” on account of them supposedly speaking an “Old Serbian” language. Or “Bulgarians” because they supposedly spoke a dialect of the “Bulgarian” language and of course “Romanians” because man

12th Annual Convention of the MACEDONIAN POLITICAL ORGANIZATION of the United States and Canada. Detroit,Michigan,September 3-4-5 1933 From North,South,East and West Macedonians are coming to Detroit-by Rail,Boat,Bus and Automobile. Mr.Gel Alexandroff prefers airplane route.Here he starts to fly over Detroit.The sign on plane tells the story:INDEPENDENCE FOR MACEDONIA Assembled in the front od county building, many in costumes with banners and slogans,Sons and Daughters of Macedonia are ready to march. LONG LIVE INDEPENDENT MACEDONIA

Macedonia marks 114 years since the death of Goce Delcev, the main leader of the Macedonian national liberation movement VMRO. Delcev was betrayed in the period ahead of the August 1903 Ilinden Uprising, while he was staying with his personal guard unit in the village of Banica near his native city of Kukush. After a battle with the Ottoman Turkish forces, Delcev ordered his men out of the village to spare the civilians, and was killed in combat. Born in 1872, he studied in Solun (Thessaloniki) and at the Sofia Military Academy, before becoming a leading organizer of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO). He lobbied tirelessly for domestic and international support to create an independent state on the territory of the Ottoman province of Macedonia, at a time when other provinces of the Empire were also becoming independent or joining the newly established Balkan countries. It is believed that arguments over the decision whether to start a large uprisin

THE MACEDONIAN AGITATION The Times, London, April 12, 1901, pp. 3-4 (From our own correspondent.) Vienna, April 11. A correspondent of the news sheet Information has had an interview with M. Sarafof, the president of the Bulgarian Macedonian Committee, who was arrested a few days ago at Sofia. M. Sarafof made an instructive statement. He said that the whole movement had been misunderstood. It must be divided into two periods. During the first period it was under the leadership of men who were in close connection with the Bulgarian court itself and had been employed by several successive Ministries . The latter used the committee and the influence which it had in the country in order to fortify their own position, and to carry out the programmes of their parties. M. Sarafof continued thus: - “In 1895 we young men were sent to Macedonia to prepare an insurrection, or, at all events, to try and start an outbreak of some kind, if only to show Europe that Prince Ferdinand cons

The NY Times, March 15, 1903, Page 6 MACEDONIA'S BRIEF FREEDOM To the Editor of The New York Times: The Macedonians have apparently not forgotten the taste which twenty-five years ago they had of liberty, when for four short months they were an independent people. It will be remembered that by the treaty of San Stephano, Russia, after a bloody war in which Turkey was badly worsted, secured for Macedonia liberty from Turkish misrule, and gave them the luxury of national independence. It will be remembered, too, that responsibility for their being put back under the odious rule of Turkey rests mainly with England, whose plans or their subjection to the bondage from which they had been liberated were carried into effect at the Berlin Conference in July 1878, when the treaty of San Stephano was practically nullified. Russia's broad-minded policy for the liberation of their kinsmen in the Bulgarian Peninsula was thus thwarted, while England received from Turkey the Is

LONDON, May 26. - Detailed reports of the death of Delcev, the famous Macedonian chief, says the Sofia correspondent of The Times, show that he accompanied a band under Vojvoda and Kirtchovsky, together with the poet Tavoroff, and entered the village of Banica, near Seres, where the presence was betrayed to the Turks by a Greek spy. A large force surrounded the village, and all the members of the revolutionary band were killed after a long resistance. It is stated that the inhabitants of the village, to which the Turks set fire, were also killed. Delchev was a thirty-two years old. He was a schoolmaster, and practically created the present Macedonian organization, which has ramifications in all parts of the country. The Vienna correspondent of The Times says perquisitions and arrests continue in the vilayet of Adrianople. Numbers of priests and school teachers have been taken into custody. Arms have been found in six villages. The male population has fled, and agricult