Analyst Kuzman Iliev wrote a very strong comment on today’s celebration of Ilinden in the old style.
See the words of a famous financier and patriot:
Remember Ilinden – the great all-Bulgarian uprising for independence and national unification
After the Russian-Turkish war of liberation from 1877-1878. an agony begins that continues to this day. And it will continue in the future. The Berlin Treaty divided the ethnic land of the Bulgarians into parts.
Neither Britain, nor France, nor Russia, nor Austria-Hungary want a superpowered Balkan state. And because of its successes “under the quilt” and the church-school activity of the Exarchate – the Bulgarian family at that time was the most numerous and with the highest national identity. He was closest to Constantinople, the longest, and came out with the strongest spirit.
The Treaty of Berlin, as we have said, is ruthless: the Principality of Bulgaria, Eastern Rumelia, the Macedonian lands and Edirne Thrace, Northern Dobrudja – the ethno-geographical core of the Bulgarians is fragmented, brothers are separated from their sisters, fathers and mothers from their children, grandparents by their grandchildren – and Macedonia and Edirne Thrace remained under Ottoman rule.
The borders are indeed drawn on paper by the arrogant initiative of the Great Powers – and this is a recipe for uprisings, genocide and oppression, assimilation and great-power plans.
The brain and soul of the Union between the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia since 1885, Zahari Stoyanov actually worked with the BTRCC on two parallel lines – the Union, on the one hand, but also the liberation of Macedonia and Edirne, on the other. When the first happens, the second, paradoxically, becomes terribly difficult. Mirage. Neither neighbors nor important geopolitical players will support us.
Our Bulgarian brothers from the geographical area of Macedonia remain under the yoke of the Sultan, and Bulgaria is seemingly powerless to protect them from arbitrariness against property, honor and life.
Both from the High Gate and from those who smelled the possibility of territorial expansion – Serbs and Greeks. This is a tragedy, because the Macedonian Bulgarians took an active and sacrificial part in the Militia during our liberation, as well as against the aggression of the Serbs in 1885-1886, who attacked us in the back after the act of our Union – and ate a strong fight precisely because of the heroic defense. all of Bulgaria.
Immediately after our Liberation and the insane dictate from Berlin, the Macedonian Bulgarians staged an uprising – the Kresna-Razlog uprising. Unsuccessful. One of the leaders is the future Bulgarian Prime Minister Stambolov, who subsequently until his death in 1895. will fight for the integrity and non-division of the Macedonian lands and for increasing the rights of the Bulgarians there. The hope: compliance with Article 23 of the Berlin Treaty – autonomy of Macedonia on the model of Eastern Rumelia. Joining Bulgaria at a later stage.
Again according to the established model.
When in 1893-1894. in the Macedonian lands an Organization was created to protect the Bulgarians, it was named – Bulgarian Macedonian-Edirne Revolutionary Committees (BMORK). Note: Bulgarian.
Let’s repeat: BULGARIAN. Later this organization will be called TMORO, VMORO, and finally – VMRO or Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. And its founders – people like Damyan Gruev and Dr. Hristo Tatarchev, or its apostles like Georgi (Gotse) Delchev know very well what they wrote in its statute. And why.
The atrocities of the Ottomans, Serbs and Greeks are great – both in Macedonia and in Eastern Thrace. In 1902 the Macedonian Bulgarians revolted during the so-called Upper Juma Uprising, inspired by the organization of refugees from these lands and the military, loyal to the cause of the Principality of Bulgaria – IOC.
The uprising was crushed, Constantinople was already on the alert and intensified the military presence and repression against the Bulgarian population on the ground.
The following year, in April, a group of revolutionary anarchists carried out the so-called
Thessaloniki attacks in order to draw European attention to the Macedonian question. This sets the tone and catalyzes the irreversible process. On Ilinden (August 2) in the Bitola region, on the Transfiguration – in the Edirne region and on the Day of the Cross in Sersko – the coordinated uprising of the Bulgarians broke out, known as the Ilinden-Preobrazhensko region.
Today, Preobrazhensko and Krastovdensko are missed in RSM because it brings a sense of all-Bulgarian identity. The holidays are Christian and very important for the Bulgarian ethnic group, and the symbolism is obvious.
Like the April Uprising, the plan is brutal in nature. If the struggle succeeds, freedom comes. If not – the atrocities of the savage Turkish soldiers and bashibozuk against the “rebel paradise” will attract the attention and indignation of the world community.
That’s what happens. About 4.7 thousand Bulgarians were slaughtered, killed and burned, over 12.5 thousand houses were set on fire. Raped: more than 3,200 women and girls, hundreds abducted and sold into slavery.
More than 70,000 are homeless. More than 30,000 are fleeing to Bulgaria (not Serbia or Greece). Participants: approximately 26.5 thousand fighters for freedom and national liberation against 300 thousand Turkish army and bashibozuk. Killed – a thousand native fighters against over 4 thousand Ottomans.
The protests in Bulgaria are powerful. Our country is weak diplomatically, militarily, economically and cannot help significantly without endangering its survival. Except as refugee shelters. Or “send” patriotic heroes – fifty officers leave military service and become leaders of detachments; 20 lieutenants, five captains, one colonel and a general personally led the military actions – for the freedom of Macedonia and the Edirne region.
The drama of the crash, however, makes it so that from 1904. hence the fixed idea for the Bulgarian society is the revenge for the suffering of our brothers. We enter the Balkan Union and the war with Turkey in 1912. with this wild and inspiring public thought idea. And here we are not talking about the “Macedonian complex” of the Bulgarians – but about the boundless courage with which our military talent and fierce thirst for revenge, freedom and unification lead to the crushing of Turkey by the Bulgarian troops.
It is a sad historical fact that during this time, the division of Macedonia began behind us. Between the Kingdom of Serbia and Greece. But this is another topic that is evolving historically and whose consequences, of course, we continue to feel and see today.
All this historical drama will predetermine our entry into the First and Second World Wars. It will also mark our battle for history with the new “Macedonians” – Frankenstein, created by the Comintern and Stalin’s servants in the communist era. However, it is the respect for history that leads to the firmness with which the native academics and public figures defend the truth.
In memory of the characters. We owe it to them for the feat. And to us – because of self-esteem and pride that we are their heirs.
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