This article is an answer to the article entitled “Recovering Macedonia Part 14 – The Macedonian Revival IV “ and published in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RMDigest/message/6369 and in
http://www.maknews.com/html/articles/stefov/stefov109.html by Risto Stefov at November 2006.
Below, the term Macedonian has its proper meaning that was and is “Greek from Macedonia” and the term Macedonia refers to the land from Pindus to Strymon and from Olympus to Ohrid-Gevgelja line. Skopje never was in Macedonia.
At 17xx monk Paisios wrote a stupid book in Bulgarian about Bulgarian nation. This was the beginning of Bulgarian identity rising.
At 1824 Panlavism’s first congress had taken place in Moscow. Moscow wanted an exit to hot waters and realized that Ottoman Empire was about to collapse. So, he looked for friend peoples in the Balkans. She knew that Greeks were in English hands, Serbians in Austrian ones but Bulgarians were unprotected. So, she adopted them.
At 1870 the famous Exarch firman had signed by Sultan.
At 1878 after Russo-Turkish war Bulgaria had autonomy. But she had all Macedonia and Thrace and this was against British interests. So, Berlin treaty reduced Bulgaria between Aimos and Danube. Bulgarians strongly believed that Macedonia was Bulgarian and started a huge effort to gain Macedonian Christian population mainly Slavophone. They had no big success. At 1893, after “eating Eastern Roumelia” without blood, they raised the banner “Macedonia to the Macedonians” because they believed that an autonomous Macedonia would be easily eaten just like Eastern Roumelia. They started be more violent against bilingual Macedonians (slav-greek).
At 1903 they organized Ilinden uprising. This was a bell for Greeks. They realized that there was a war in Macedonia and that Macedonians defended themselves against slavization. Thus, Greek Kingdom helped Macedonian anti-slavic struggle with guns and leaders.
At 1912 Macedonia was liberated by Macedonians from the Turkish occupation and Slavic excruciation. Macedonia is Macedonian, that is Greek, again. Now Macedonians are free and proud to say Thessaloniki.
Istor
Solun or Thessaloniki?
Conflict about Macedonian name