The Macedonian Struggle
Since 1899, the Bulgarian guerrillas of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (commonly known by the abbreviation IMRO) turned against Ottoman authorities with the slogan "autonomy for Macedonia". The guerrillas purported to be protectors of all Christians in the area, for this reason they initially did not bother Greece. But gradually, increasing tensions emerged among the followers of the Patriarchate of Constantinople (the patriarchalists, mostly, but not only, Greeks) and those of the Bulgarian Exarchate (exclusively Bulgarians); this brought to the assassination by the IMRO of members of pro-Greek and pro-Serbian parties.
Greek Military Unit during conflicts in Giannitsa Lake, Macedonian Struggle Ìáêåäïíéêüò ÁãþíFrom 1900 onwards, the danger of Bulgarian control had upset the Greeks of Macedonia. As Ion Dragoumis wrote in his calendar ‘‘I am thinking how these communities of Greece outside of the Greek Kingdom can affiliate in our state. Why wait their liberation only from Greece? Let them work as Greece didn’t exist and then she will help them.’’
While Dragoumis concerned himself with the financial organisation of the efforts, Bishop Germanos collaborating with the Ottomans animated the Greek population against the IMRO and formed committees to promoting the Greek national interests. The fighters for the greek cause labelled themselves "Macedonomachoi" (Macedonian Fighters) and were portrayed by Greek writer Penelope Delta in her novel "Ta Mystika tou Valtou" (The Secrets of the Swamp) as well as in the book of memoirs "The Macedonian struggle" by Germanos Karavangelis. These Greek forces were often backed up by the Turkish authorities and armed forces and occasionally operated together against the IMRO.The rioting in Macedonia, the atrocities of Bulgarian guerrilla troops against locals who considered themselves as Greeks and especially the death of Pavlos Melas in 1904 (he was the first Greek officer to enter Macedonia with guerrillas) caused intense nationalistic feelings in Greece. This led to the decision to send more guerrilla troops in order to thwart Bulgarian efforts to entice all of the Slavic speaking majority population of Macedonia with their propaganda (not only the exarchists but also the patriarchists). Conflicts ended after the revolution of Young Turks in July, 1908, as they promised to respect all ethnicities and religions and generally to provide a constitution.
Liberation
On October 23, 1912, during the course of the First Balkan War Goumenissa was liberated and incorporated into the Greek Kingdom
14 AYGOUSTOU 1904!MAKEDONIKOS AGON.
"EAN DE TREKSUME NA SOSOUME TI MAKEDONIA E MAKEDONIA DE THA MAS SOSI"
PAVLOS MELAS
