The Greek-Bulgarian Conflict according the Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Athens, Greece The Greek national ideology attached particular importance to the Classical Greek past of Macedonia and, naturally enough, stressed the period and achievements of Alexander the Great. At about this time, a pamphlet telling the story of Alexanders life and emphasising the continuity of the Greek nation was printed in the local Slav dialect (though in the Greek alphabet) and placed on the curriculum in schools in areas still under Turkish control. Attention was also paid to cultivating and disseminating the tradition of the Byzantine Empire. The two multi national empires, that of Alexander and that of Byzantium, provided forceful arguments for believing that despite their differences of language and custom the various population groups would choose to identify themselves with Greek culture against a background of broader state formations. Indeed, Rigas Pherraios had envisaged something of this nature with his Balkan Federation. The Bulgarian national ideology, on its part, attempted to graft the cultural tradition of Bulgaria on to the Slav-speaking population of Mthe fact that a considerable proportion of the Slav speaking population, particularly in the central and southern regions, had retained a flourishing Greek historical tradition. The Bulgarians soon realised that the factor of history militated against the dissemination of the Bulgarian national ideology, and for that reason they turned their attention to other mechanisms by which national consciousness can be moulded. The first such mechanism which they exploited was that of linguistic affinity. Subsequently, the Bulgarians attempted to manipulate popular indignation over the social oppression exerted by the areas Ottoman rulers. Their aim was to provoke a popular uprising which, suitably handled, might turn into a Bulgarian national movement. In parallel, the Bulgarians fomented a confrontation between the rural population and the Greek clergy, launching a violent attack on what they called the spiritual slavery of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. With the help of the Bulgarian State, Bulgarian schools began to spring up in the towns and villages of Macedonia. The basic aim of these schools was to inspire in the pupils pride in the medieval history of Bulgaria and particularly in the empire of Tsar Samuel, whose capital was at Ochrid. The Bulgarian historical armoury was not, of course, sufficient to eliminate the Greek cultural and historical heritage in Macedonia, and for that reason a system of forging historical truth by appropriating historical events and personalities was adopted. The Greek missionaries Cyril and Methodius were thus presented as Bulgarians, while their apostolic and civilising work among the Slavs was deemed to be a political and cultural achievement on the part of the Bulgarians. Even Alexander the Great, who occupied so important a place in the hearts and minds of the people of Macedonia, was portrayed in popular texts of the time as being of Bulgarian descent. This is closely related to the nature of Skopjes current propaganda target, which is to portray Alexander the Great as a Skopjian. The Serbs, Romanians and Vlachs were late in appearing on the scene in Macedonia. However, they, too, saw it as expedient to enlist the aid of the memory of a Serbian presence in Macedonia in the Middle Ages-regardless of the fact that from the chronological point of view this presence was confined to the period of Tsar Dusan and his successors (14th century).
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 16:00:29 +0000
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