Macedonia

Racial Propaganda.

In the 19th century the national con sciousness of the Christian races of the Balkans began to re awaken. Serbia, after her liberation, paid little attention to Mace donia, being from the first more interested in her relations with the southern Slays of Bosnia and Austro-Hungary. The Bulgarian national movement, however, though later in date, extended from the first over Macedonia. In their endeavour to shake off the spiritual yoke of the Phanariots, some of the Bulgar leaders even secured the recognition by the pope of a Catholic Uniate Church of Bulgaria; but the plan broke down owing to Russian opposition. Russia, on the other hand, supported the Bulgarian agitation in favour of a national orthodox exarchate; and an exarch was, in fact, appointed by firman of Feb. 28, 1870, with jurisdiction over 15 dioceses, including Nig, Pirot and Veles. Other districts might be subject to the exarch should two-thirds of the inhabitants so desire. Many of the Macedonian dioceses declared for the exarch ate, others refraining, either for national reasons or from religious scruples, the oecumenical patriarch having excommunicated the exarch and all his flock without delay. Only in 1891 did the Porte, at the instance of Stambulov, issue the exequatur for Bulgarian bishops at Okhrida and Skoplje. Veles and Nevrokop followed in 1894, Monastir, Strumnitsa and Debar in 1898.

In pursuance of her then policy, Russia dictated the inclusion of all Macedonia, except Salonika and the Chalkidic peninsula, under the Treaty of San Stefano (1878). The Treaty of Berlin, how ever, left Macedonia under Turkish rule, but provided for the introduction of reforms analogous to those contained in the Cretan Organic Statute of 1868. A rival project put forward by the Porte itself, the "Law of the Vilayets," was never adopted. Meanwhile the deplorable misgovernment under Abdul Hamid evoked a ceaseless agitation in the country, supported by the neighbouring States, partly out of sympathy, but increasingly with the object of securing at least parts of Macedonia for themselves.

The first and most energetic of these movements was the Bul garian. Based at first on the activities of its bishops, reinforced soon after by the establishment of "commercial agents" at Salon ika, Skoplje, Monastir and Serres, it made rapid progress among the Slavonic population, both among that which truly felt itself Bulgarian and among others who welcomed this, the sole protec tion which they could receive from any Slavonic Power. In 1893 Bulgaria had 554 schools in Macedonia, with 30,267 pupils; in 1900, 785 schools, including 5 gymnasia and 58 secondary schools, with 39,892 pupils. This movement was entirely legal; but in 1893 various secret revolutionary societies were set on foot in Macedonia, and similar bodies organized as legal corporations in Bulgaria in 1894. The fall of Stambulov in that year and the re conciliation of Bulgaria with Russia encouraged the revolution aries in the belief that Russia would attempt to restore the frontiers of San Stefano. In 1895 the "Supreme Macedo-Adrian opolitan Committee" was formed in Sofia and forthwith des patched armed bands into northern Macedonia, one of which, under Boris Sarafov, temporarily occupied Melnik, but was soon expelled. Dissensions among the leaders paralysed activities after this first failure for some five years. Meanwhile the local Mace donian societies were welded by Gruev and Delchev into the for midable "Internal Organization" which maintained an imperium in imperio in Macedonia with its own police, courts and civil admin istration. Avoiding co-operation with the revolutionaries, this organization proclaimed the ideal of "Macedonia for the Mace donians," for which it tried to win the sympathies of the other nationalities. These had, however, now initiated their own move

ments. The oldest was the Vlach, whose first serious champion was the priest Apostol Margarites, founder of a gymnasium at Monastir in 1866. Subsequently some 4o Rumanian national schools were started in Macedonia, being financed from Bucharest. A millet for the establishment of a Rumanian bishopric at Mon astir was granted by the Porte on May 23, 1905. The Greek religious and educational movement was, of course, already well organized; but the progress of the Bulgarian movement was viewed with alarm, and in 1896 the Ethnike Hetairia (see GREECE) sent numerous bands into southern Macedonia with the aim of bringing about a war with Turkey. During the Graeco-Turkish War (q.v.), Macedonia remained quiet, Bulgaria and Serbia re fraining from intervention, under pressure from the Powers. The Greek reverses benefited the Bulgarian movement; but on dis covering a hidden Bulgarian arms depot, the Turks changed their attitude, adopted barbarous methods of repression, and distributed arms among the Muslim population. Serbia realized her mission in Macedonia comparatively late, but a very vigorous and success ful propaganda opened about 1890 in northern Macedonia, and in 1902 the Serbs, after a prolonged conflict with the Greeks, secured the appointment of a Serb, Mgr. Firmilian, to the archbishopric of Skoplje. The unrest increased steadily. In 1902 an effort was made to provoke a rising round Monastir by two Bulgars, Col. Yankov and Gen. Tsontchev.

European Intervention.

The state of Macedonia now ne cessitated European intervention. The Austrian and Russian Governments drew up a plan of reforms. The Porte promulgated a rival plan in Nov. 1902, but on Feb. 2 I , 1903, Austria and Russia, presented identical notes demanding the introduction of their re f orms, which included the employment of "foreign specialists" to reorganize the gendarmerie. The Bulgarian Government, under pressure from Russia, now suppressed the Bulgar committees, arrested the leaders, and confiscated the funds ; but the Internal Organization was unreachable and pursued its plans for an insur rection. In April a number of dynamite outrages in Salonika turned opinion against the revolutionaries and the Turks wrought a terrible vengeance on the Bulgarian population. On Aug. 2 a general revolt broke out in the Monastir district, with sporadic risings elsewhere. It was suppressed with great brutality by the end of September. The Austrian and Russian Governments now drew up a fresh plan of reforms (the "Murzsteg plan") which, however, by its programme of a future readjustment of frontier on ethnological lines, proved a direct stimulus to murder and propa ganda in the last and worst year. European officers were put in charge of the local authorities and the reorganization of the gend armerie. Little was effected. In 1905 the Powers, after a naval demonstration outside the Dardanelles, forced Turkey to agree to the establishment of an international financial commission ; but again small progress was made, while band activity increased. Austria having disagreed with Russia, Great Britain now joined Russia in drawing up the "Reval programme" of 1908 for fresh reforms. Immediately afterwards, the Young Turk revolt broke out in the Monastir district. Anticipating the voluntary introduc tion of reforms by the new Turkish Government the Powers sus pended the Reval programme and withdrew their military officers from Macedonia.