Tsontos
04-20-2007, 11:29 PM
As Macedonia because the subject of interest for the Great powers as well as the Greeks, Serbs and Bulgarians, alliances were forged by competing parties attempting to secure its interests in the region. In 1870 defeat in the Russo-Turkish war meant the Russians convinced the Turks to establish the Bulgarian exarchate. From then on the Russians worked particularly closely with the Bulgarians. Initially it was the Bulgarians and Turks who seemed likely to form an alliance in Macedonia:
"While Stambulov was in power in Sofia (1887-94), Bulgarian policy was to co-operate with the Turks, who were hostile to Hellenism, and to obtain further bishoprics for the Exarchate; but Stambulov's successors began, somewhat timidly it is true, to encourage the movement for Macedonian autonomy, hoping that once autonomy had been secured, then, like Eastern Rumelia, Macedonia could be gained for Bulgaria."
"Macedonia had figured in the Serbo-Greek negotiations of 1866-67. It also figured in the Greco-Serb negotiations of 1890-93. The Greeks on that occasion rejected a Serbian offer of an alliance, calculating that the Bulgarians and Serbs could never come to terms and that a Serbo-Greek alliance would only lead to a Bulgarian-Turkish alliance, which would be detrimental to Hellenism in Macedonia"
p159-60, The Unification of Greece, 1770-1923, Douglas Dakin, 1972
However once Russia established the Bulgarian Exarchate, and became the lend considerable financial, military and poltical aid to Bulgaria, hoping to use Bulgaria as an excuse for initiating further Russo-Turkish wars and eventually gain control of a straights or Aegean exit to the Mediterrainean, the situation and likely alliances changed. In the laweless Macedonian Vilayets, the Turks and Greeks formed an unlikely alliance to defend their respective interests against the Bulgaro-Russian interests and the Bulgarian IMARO who had began violently attacking Patriarchist interests and Greek non-combatants aswell.
"In view of the growing tension between Bulgaria and Turkey, and of the increasing attacks on Hellenism in Macedonia, Greece not only attempted to improve her relations with the Porte but in May 1899 renewed relations with Serbia."
p168
The situation began to reverse in 1906:
During the year 1906, by which times the Greek bands had gained the upper hand and the danger from the I.M.R.O had receded, the Turks began to show greater hostility to both the Greek government and the Patriarchate
p168
Tensions between Greece and Turkey were to rise around the questions of Crete and Macedonia culimating where the war of 1912.
"While Stambulov was in power in Sofia (1887-94), Bulgarian policy was to co-operate with the Turks, who were hostile to Hellenism, and to obtain further bishoprics for the Exarchate; but Stambulov's successors began, somewhat timidly it is true, to encourage the movement for Macedonian autonomy, hoping that once autonomy had been secured, then, like Eastern Rumelia, Macedonia could be gained for Bulgaria."
"Macedonia had figured in the Serbo-Greek negotiations of 1866-67. It also figured in the Greco-Serb negotiations of 1890-93. The Greeks on that occasion rejected a Serbian offer of an alliance, calculating that the Bulgarians and Serbs could never come to terms and that a Serbo-Greek alliance would only lead to a Bulgarian-Turkish alliance, which would be detrimental to Hellenism in Macedonia"
p159-60, The Unification of Greece, 1770-1923, Douglas Dakin, 1972
However once Russia established the Bulgarian Exarchate, and became the lend considerable financial, military and poltical aid to Bulgaria, hoping to use Bulgaria as an excuse for initiating further Russo-Turkish wars and eventually gain control of a straights or Aegean exit to the Mediterrainean, the situation and likely alliances changed. In the laweless Macedonian Vilayets, the Turks and Greeks formed an unlikely alliance to defend their respective interests against the Bulgaro-Russian interests and the Bulgarian IMARO who had began violently attacking Patriarchist interests and Greek non-combatants aswell.
"In view of the growing tension between Bulgaria and Turkey, and of the increasing attacks on Hellenism in Macedonia, Greece not only attempted to improve her relations with the Porte but in May 1899 renewed relations with Serbia."
p168
The situation began to reverse in 1906:
During the year 1906, by which times the Greek bands had gained the upper hand and the danger from the I.M.R.O had receded, the Turks began to show greater hostility to both the Greek government and the Patriarchate
p168
Tensions between Greece and Turkey were to rise around the questions of Crete and Macedonia culimating where the war of 1912.