Newsgroups: bit.listserv.hellas
Date:         Thu, 16 Apr 1992 06:37:00 EDT
Reply-To:     PXP111@PSUVM.BITNET
From:         PXP111@PSUVM.BITNET
Subject:      Syvoprikn Ellnvikn Istoria (teleytaio)

   To parov keimevo graftnke apo tov Avdroviko Rwmavo kai eivai mallov to
teleytaio  tns  seiras "Syvoptikn Ellnvikn Istoria". Opws kai ta ypoloipa
graftnke  katopiv  kapoiwv  erwtnsewv  kai afora meta3y twv allwv kai stn
dnmiourgia tns e0votntos twv "Makedovwv". Prokeitai gia apavtnsn, autn tn
fora,pros tov ko Alk.Akrita (Kavsas) pou edei3e to gvwsto ar0ro tou Bnma-
tos (me tis ekloges sto Movastnri:ypopsnfioi 2Boulgaroi, 1Ellnv,1Tourkos)
se  dyo  filous  tou Skopiavous gia va tous apodei3ei -eav katalaba kala-
oti  oi Makedoves dev eivai Slaboi alla Boulgaroi kai oriste,faivetai apo
tis topikes ekloges stis teleutaies meres ths Tourkokratias ekei... Elabe
de  tnv  apostwmatikn oti:"Emas mas katediwkav oi Boulgaroi!"  0a prospa-
nsw va sas evnmerwsw gia tnv pare3ngnsn me ta pragmatakia pou syvele3a.
   Favtazomai  oti etsi symplnrwvw tis 2 Gevikes perigrafes tns Ellnvikns
Istorias  kai ta dyo keimevakia gia to ellnviko ovoma "Makedovia"  kai ta
ellnvika  topovnmia.  Evnmerwtika  sas  lew  oti  n  dnmosieusn  tous sto
Yugoslavia, Turkish, Greek kai Bulgaria, sygkevtrwse pyra apo tous tour-
kous  pou amfisbntnsav tis pnges mou ws "ellnvikes" se dyo snmeia.   Tous
apedei3a  to  evavtio  kai  vomizw  oti dystyxws gia autous ta biblia pou
parepempsa  ntav kala. Dev prokeitai gia kompasmo. Dev exei vonma. Peris-
sotero to kavw dia va ka0nsyxasw osous ta exrnsimopoinsav.
  Favtazomai oti n syveisfora eivai kaln kai apketa amerolnptn. Prokata-
lmbavw  osous  tyxov  pare3ngh0ouv  apo merikes fraseis h kai 0eseis mou:
"Poly  kakws!  Ri3te  mia  prosextikn matia." ki av dev meivouv ikavopoi-
nmevoi:  "Lypame alla apodei3te mou to la0os mou. Dev eimaste pavta emeis
pou  kat'avagkn exoume dikio. Mporei va exoume dikio opws mporei va exouv
ki alloi" ... kai auto meta3y mas.
                                                      Kalo kouragio...
                                                        Avdrovikos


PART II: I hope you found my explanations of the name  MACE-DON satisfac-
         tory.  As far as the second part of your message is concerned it
was not very clear...  If I'm not mistaken you asked me whether there had
been a policy of atrocities against the so-called "Macedonians". "Polici-
es" that were carried out by the Ottomans and Bulgarians in an attempt to
"convince" them to become Bulgarians... I don't think I can refute it! It
is partly correct,but let me  add some things to this... The whole pictu-
re may then appear much different.

SOME COMMENTS: First of all, whoever told you this, must be well informed
               since these events are by far some of the darkest and mark
the most horrible years in the Balkan History.I will give you a small ac-
count of what happened,  but please, try to keep in mind that there is no
hate or animosity against any race in the following lines.How could there
be? Today's Bulgarians, for example, were not even born (let alone respo-
nsible for that era!)
  Actually,the whole series of events that took place back then were such
that even today... it is my understanding that the Balkan peoples  do not
even want to reiterate them. Is it the cold-bloody relentless killing? Is
it the fear of poisoning todays international relationships by discussing
the whole matter? Is the wound so deep, not yet "healed"... that resulted
in this attitude? I don't know! Let me though attempt this Jump over what
happened a century or more ago... in the 1830's:

THE PLANSLAVIC MOVEMENT: The Russian-Turkish War  had just ended  and the
                         Russians realized that their long-trusted policy
(from the time of Catherine the Great)  of supporting the Greeks  was not
probably the best of all for their interests. The new Greek State was at-
tempting to liberate its slaved brothers on its own.  Such an independent
thinking was not the safest for the intentions of the Czars,   intentions
which I will specify in a minute...
  Never-the-less, the resent war that had taken place in what we call to-
day "Bulgaria"  had given Moscow an alternative that it had no idea befo-
re.  The Russians came across a peasant  and rather under-educated people
that spoke an idiom very close to the Russian..!  The officers discovered
that the majority lacked a national identity.  This locals, when asked on
their ethnicity, responded in Slavic:Romioi. The puzzled Russians scient-
ists began to study them and discovered that they were the descendants of
what the Byzantines would call "Barbaric tribes" and permit their settle-
ment near the Danube during that Era...and hired them regularly from time
for military purposes. I don't disregard the Asans of the 11ce, I am just
saying what was the contemporary situation as observed  and presented by
the representatives of the Czar.
  These were the people the Russians chose to play their game with:  They
were on the way to Constantinople and they weren't the independent-minded
Serbs (actually, the preserved national identity of the Serbs would prove
to be rather a bother in this new policy...) The Russians started to ful-
ly promote the old "Panslavic Scheme" they had already used with the sub-
jects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  (I guess we need another parenthe-
sis here:The initial concept of Panslavism goes back to to the two catho-
lic clergymen from Croatia: Orbini & Krizanits who considered that Russia
should help Slavs against the German Dominance).
  The first Panslavic Congress met in Prague (May 1848) and the second in
Moscow (May 1867).Let me add just for the record that we find representa-
tives from Bosnia,Serbia,Croatia,Dalmatia,Montenegro...  Not not a single
Bulgarian(!) and this may say somethings about the "Bulgarian awareness".
The Meetings were quite interesting: Plans for liberations...A huge State
of Slavs -next to Holy Russia- would follow... and Constantinople was re-
named to Czarogrand="Town of the Czar"!

BULGARIA RISES: The plan of Moscow aiming to the creation of a Great Bul-
                garia had a down-to-earth purpose though: A puppet state
that would allow Holy Russia an exit to the Aegian Sea. The plan only ne-
eded a nation to get integrated again  after centuries of oblivion in the
Ottoman empire.
  Moscow devoted resources to Bulgaria  and Macedonia in order to educate
the people and used a political Committee for this purpose.  The creation
of a separate church "Exarchy" by the Sultan,  out of metropolises of the
Patriarchy (according to a plan of amb.Ignatiev) was the second step. The
third one was accomplished a bit later (1878) with the independent Bulga-
rian state south of the Danube as a result of the new Russian-Turkish war
  It was around then when the other Balkan Slavs realized that PanSlavism
was not exactly what they had in mind: Aware of their distinct nationali-
ty, history and identity the distortions they were presented in the nume-
rous schools established by the Russians did not play well on them.
  But a simple "I am not convinced" as a response to the Czar's represen-
tatives if asked something, wasn't sufficient any more. In the years that
followed they would face real persecutions by the Bulgarian Committee...
And this is relevant to what you asked me.

THE MACEDONIA OBJECTIVE: The Russian propaganda managed to awake the Bul-
                         garians that had been in a  national hibernation
for too long. Expansion of the Bulgarian State was the other objective in
their Balkan-Policy now.  Apart from the creation of Exharchy, Moscow im-
posed its wishes on weak Constantinople through a series of treaties, and
the Sultan shut down the Greek schools all along this area of the Balkans
and promoted the Bulgarian language.  Greeks (Hellenophons & Slavophons),
Serbs and some Vlachs living in East Romylia,Thrace,Macedonia,Albania...
(all non-Bulgarians)  were given religious and linguistic characteristics
they probably did not particularly want!
  Of course, the Ottomans had their own reasons in the beginning to divi-
de the Christians afraid probably that the active Greek populations would
one day revolt and join the Peloponesseans  that had already gained their
independence. A strong opponent to the Greeks, along with a great deal of
friction could prove to be very useful for them in this case..We know for
example that the Ottomans gave weapons to the Bulgarians, (something they
had never done before with Christians...). We also know that the Bulgari-
ans aided the Turks in their wars against the Greeks   -even in places as
far as the island of Crete!!! (I am not referring to exceptional cases,it
was a full scale policy.)
  We left our story with the Balkans "witnessing" a new surge of the Bul-
garian nationalistic sentiment, not seen for a long long time...Using the
assistance of Russia and the concessions from the Ottomans the Bulgarians
tried to eliminate  all  other nationalities from the Ottoman territories
that would be their "Great Bulgaria",  only a few of the Turkish authori-
ties ever tried to prevent the terrorism & assassinations in their juris-
dictions and some stayed neutral...  Never-the-less, the general attitude
could be described as pro-Bulgarian...(Greece was considered actually the
main enemy for the Empire in a number of places: Crete,Aegean,Asia Minor,
Constantinople etc.)
  This is the first time that we find the notion of  Macedonians as a se-
parate entity. Here is how it happened: The Bulgarians knew that they we-
re relatively few so apart from the "External Macedonian Liberation Orga-
nization" of B.Sarafof that was clearly Bulgarian, the famous "Committee"
established in 1893 a second organization at Sofia:  namely the "Internal
Macedonian Liberation Organization" under Deltsef.This Organization would
intend to attract Greek, Serb, Albanian, Blach and Muslim villagers  (sa-
laries paid to the latter), people that couldn't possibly  buy  that they
were Bulgarians.  The intention supposedly was to liberate Macedonia from
the Ottomans but it seems that in the "process"  the "heads" would try to
differentiate the non-Bulgarians by introducing them in  Exarchy and gra-
dually instill them a Bulgarian consciousness.To make this intention cle-
ar Sarafof actually took control of the IMLO a bit later.
  Gradually, the other  ethnicities more or less realized  that they were
only serving the Bulgarians to justify claims of a Great Bulgaria.  I can
number cases where the Bulgarians would lying that  the Greeks, Serbs, or
Russians would join the effort... but history  proved that the two former
never did that and the naive that believed that there were friends coming
to their aid were slaughtered in the revolution of "Ili-den".
  Bulgaria used the unrest diplomatically but lost a  great deal of trust
among the slavophon Greeks and Serbs.Further more the second organization
the Bulgarians had established presented a "flaw" somewhere along the li-
ne...
It would be funny if it was not tragic: A portion of the "Macedonian" or-
ganization believed their new identity and they resisted the second tran-
sformation to Bulgarians.Could it be this your friends referred to? I be-
lieve so! They were not Bulgarians in consciousness despite the propagan-
da but they came very close to the Committee standards...and probably the
Bulgarians used every mean to make them RUN the extra mile at their own..
expenses!
  By the way:The Bulgarians were not the only ones to consider this stra-
nge minority "theirs". Even the international Police that came to control
the ruthless killing in Macedonia (and runned some census)  included this
minority of the IMLO in the "pro-Bulgarians".  Perhaps it was this slight
deviations in attitudes that convinced the statisticians  not to use  the
label "Bulgarian" either and this is significant.  (I've included the re-
sults at the end. See footnote)

THE FIGHT OVER MACEDONIA: For the "Committee", to use "threats" and atro-
                         cities was not something new.Perhaps in the eyes
of the Bulgarian Policy-makers this was the only way... The  high ranking
official Rizof describes it in his letter towards king Ferdinand in April
1899 saying:
 "...There is nothing more to be gained for Bulgaria through education in
the schools and the other peaceful means against the Greek element. What-
ever the Turks could do in order to friendly assist us, the have done it.
The only aim we we now have is the liberation..."
 and let me fill the picture with another extract from the British Consul
General of Salonica:
 "..Assassinations is the main mean the Committee is using.They never he-
sitate.They have killed thousands of Greeks within the last six years."
 And the British  "Blue book" of 1903 gives a full account of the  indis-
criminate assassinations, rapes, kidnaps, distractions, arsons  and other
despicable crimes, but I will spare you...
  I will accept the argument that the British Foreign Policy would proba-
bly be biased against a Pro-Russia Organization.  But even if the half of
these happened..man can be horrible! I can believe your friends when they
say that their ancestors probably suffered a lot...but I will have a cha-
nce to came back on this. (see footnote)
  There is no need to try and be vivid in the descriptions of this  unde-
clared war against the Greek element all along the peninsula.  The slavo-
phon Greek-villagers responded  (as they were facing the real possibility
of extinction) and tried to form a couple of armed groups... The struggle
was uneven... but after the entrance of the young officer Paulos Melas in
the fight the Majority of Macedonians surged against the Bulgarians...
The news of his death, electrified several other Greek officers who pass-
ed to Macedonia to control the genocide of their compatriots  and counter
the threat. The vicious war went on as the Greeks gradually responded mo-
re and more effectively.  Don't imagine any big number in  terms of this
support though despite the vital and crusial effect...
  The intervention of the Great Powers & the  international control they
imposed (as they all had th
eir  agendas with the ailing Ottoman Empire)
prevented Greece to be much of an assistance in the occupied territories.
The extinction of the thriving & ancient Greek communities in  East Romy-
ia was irreparable.The Greeks of Macedonia & Thrace suffered a great deal
but Hellenism there survived.
  This, along with the preservation of identity by the other nationaliti-
es was mainly assured after the Ottomans pulled out...and Serbia & Greece
cooperated before the escalating threats and  military attack of Bulgaria
in 1913...winning the Balkan War II. Then the 3 countries and newly form-
ed Turkey exchanged populations and thus become more homogeneous in terms
of population solving once and for all the problem of territorial claims.
All that remained in Greece was a Muslim minority in  W.Thrace  as an ex-
change for the community in Constantinople  (a town that is the spiritual
center for the Greeks and the Orthodoxs.)
  The Bulgarians repeated their attempts in both the two  World Wars that
they entered (on the side of the Germans)  but these short periods didn't
allow them  permanent convertion of the population despite the Great Toll
of killing and executions that took place. Allow me to refrain from post-
ing the descriptions and numbers for it may be perceived even as... sick.

                                                       Andronikos Romanos



AS FOOTNOTES: The representatives I mentioned above had the role of Poli-
              ce Force within the Ottoman Empire exactly because of such
accusations and the cry of the victims towards Europe... plus their inte-
ntion to supervise the collapsing Empire (serving their  own interests of
course). Several representatives attempted to measure the population sta-
tistically within 1904-1905 and then reported the results to the Interna-
tional Authorities.  I think that we should check them.  Even though they
researchers worked independently there is a common theme in all of them:
No "Macedonians" despite the half a dozen nations all living there!
  Never-the-less the researchers were very careful:Instead of using terms
as "Turks" and "Bulgarians" the referred to "Muslims" and "proBulgarians"
whereas they didn't do the same for the rest.  I guess the tried to avoid
the problem of closeness  between Albanians and Turks, between the Bulga-
rians and the members of IMLO I mentioned above.

Official  Turkish     European Police statistics if exclude Ottoman tert.
Census in all the     that became parts of Serbia and Albania later...
Territr.(# thsnds)         /          if exclude some more Yugosl & Bulg.
            /             /           /    < In the last column the num-
Muslims   1729.0         660          600  < bers refer to modern Greece
Greeks     647.9         652          650  < and the areas of: Monastiri,
pro Bul    527.7         355          250  < Stromnitsa, Petritsi, Achris
Serbs      167.6                           < Coritsa.THE "GREEK CORE"
----------------    Particularly in Monastiri (where the article of BHMA)
Jews        48.2    according to German Gen. Von Der Goltz the ratios are
Vlachs      30.1    Turks:730  Greeks:580  pro Bulgarians:266  Serbs:?
                    This, in no occasion contradicts the  article of BHMA
(indicating that there was no Serb seeking a seat in the elections). With
these numbers we can see why!  This may also explain why Gen.Tito serving
his other policies (incorporating Bulgaria etc) as well,created a new re-
public in S.Yugoslavia, using these strange "pro-Bulgarians" as a core.
  Therefore, the most possible thing is that NEITHER YOU,NOR your FRIENDS
were at fault when discussing the article. The superficial thing the BHMA
did was that: Based on the Bulgarian names  it assumed that the  nominees
were not Slavs. Typically speaking the Bulgarians are mixed Bolgars,Slavs
and Vlachs so there may be some validity in saying that these people  (in
the article, if they were Bulgarians -as the names indicated),  shouldn't
call themselves Slavs 100%...But,tell me a nation that hasn't merged with
foreign elements! But this is beside the point!  If these people were as-
similated, say as non-Bulgarians of IMLO they could very well be Slavs in
terms of their genes literary. On the other hand they could be Greeks...
Who knows? This second path may lead nowhere!
  Never-the-less,trying to be as unbiased as possible and keeping in mind
all the above I can at least conclude that much:The so-called "Macedonian
ethnicity" is an artifact created for a particular reason by the Bulgari-
an Committee and used by J.Bros (Tito) for another reason. Yet, these pe-
ople are honest in what they believe and they have suffered & been trick-
ed! They "know" that some of their "nation"  (whatever this can now mean
after all the distortions) came from Greece. We all know that there is NO
such minority from Drama to Florina (and we can prove it in an additional
way in the next paragraph). Yet, I can understand their sentiments (since
there are similar to ours)  and what they think was theirs:  Remember our
lost Kerenia, Smyrna, Trapazounta, Kaisaria, Philippoupoli...
  The Macedonian idiom the Committee used as a proof of a "degree of Bul-
garization" of the peasants included: bulgarian, serbian, greek, albanian
turkish and latin words. A great deal was probably slavic.The British Li-
nguist & Geographer Standford who had the  chance to study the glossarial
characteristics of the Idiom, wrote in his book (1877)  that it was  very
close to the Greek language and even added that its folk poetry etc.  was
also associated with the Greek one.It was LATTER when the Committee atte-
mpted to use it in the educational system (that built with the Russians),
that THE IDIOM CAME CLOSER to the Bulgarian language and this transforma-
tion continued to the years of Tito.The Committee falsely argued that si-
nce the Idioms prevails in an area  then the area is Bulgarian.  Even the
principle is wrong here:Take Alsatia & Lorraine were the language is Ger-
man but the consciousness clearly French. Take the Swiss cantons: No mat-
ter what the language the spirit is Swiss.Take the Turkophons that exist-
ed in Kappadocia or still in Georgia: Greeks.
  The Bulgarian propaganda called these slavophon Greeks: "Grecomans" and
hunt them to death for they were the ones that most seriously jeopardized
and limped their propaganda  the minute they resisted  the Bulgarians and
died during the 1904-1908 period... proud of their belief and shouting it
in their Idiom. I wrote too much already, but if you want a list with the
"Grecomans" that fought for Greece please let me sent it to you some oth-
er time for I am tired.
  I will only add a few lines just for the record: Ketsev's confession in
his angry speech at Sophia in 1899 when he (Responsible for the Bulgarian
schools in Macedonia as he was) admitted the existence of  450.000 Greco-
mans!
  Several years later, in 1907, the French Journalist M.Pagiares who tra-
veled the land published among his memoirs the following:"All these Mace-
donians no matter what  language they speak prefer  crucifixion and death
from the hands of the Bulgarians than denying their Greekness".
  Nice words! Nothing more probably but that is something!  Some of these
people though inevitably passed from IMLO and developed a Macedonian con-
sciousness that served the Bulgarians a bit, might served Tito's Yugosla-
via or not, but definitely disserves the Greeks and their Hellenic Histo-
ry even in principle...
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