Bulgaria and Nazi-Germany in WW II.

[akritas]

After the Italian invasion of Hellas through Albania and the subsequent war between the two countries, the Bulgarian Government began to think about joining the Axis.
A member of the Bulgarian Parliament, Peter Doumanov, declared:
"Two million Bulgarians are under foreign domination. Germany, with a population of 70 million shook the entire Europe for two million fellow nationals living in Czechoslovakia. We, Bulgarians, with a population of six million and with two million co-nationals as minorities, i.e. one third of our population, we dare not openly fight for our minorities in Macedonia and Thrace. Some may say that Bulgaria is not Germany; BULGARIA SHOULD BECOME FOR THE BALKANS WHAT GERMANY IS FOR EUROPE."
[Note: The term Thrace refers to the Hellenic(Western) Thrace. The term Macedonia probably refers to Macedonia although it may also refer to the lands of San Stefano ``Macedonia'' that is Macedonia and the lands of the Rep. of Skopje.]
This speech raised protests in Yugoslavia (newspaper Politika, Dec 6,1940).

Until that time Bulgaria avoided open provocations although she was secretly negotiating with the Nazi-Germans for an exit to the Aegean Sea, through Hellas [Macedonia and Thrace]. Nazi-Germany accepted these terms on January 18, 1941. On February 8,

German General Liszt and Bulgarian General Boider signed an agreement allowing Bulgaria to occupy the area of Hellas stretching from river Evros to river Strymon, that is Hellenic Thrace and Eastern Macedonia.

Following the invasion and subsequent defeat of Hellas by Nazi-Germany in the spring of 1941, Bulgaria occupied or as some Bulgarians claimed, 'liberated' the Hellenic lands mentioned in Liszt-Boider agreement.
Bulgarian Premier Filov in an interview with the German newspaper Borsen Zeitung on November 11, 1941 said:
"in a few days we will begin with the colonization of the Aegean area... Thousands of Bulgarian families will be transported and settled in this area within the next weeks and months"
[Note: So much for Bulgarian claims about alleged Bulgarian minorities in neighboring countries, as far as Hellas was concerned.]

At the end of WWII the feelings of the Hellenes and especially of those living in the areas occupied by the Bulgarians toward their Bulgarian neighbors prompted a British to remark that
“The only brotherly sentiment which Hellenic Macedonians felt towards the Bulgars was a disposition to raise Cain".

Elizabeth Barker similarly wrote ” Although Hellenes were relieved by the belated Bulgarian withdrawal, they were left with an overpowering hatred of all Bulgars, whether pro-German or Communist. In fact the average Hellenic probably detested and feared the Bulgarian communists, who represented the great Slav menace to Greece from the north, even more than he had hated their predecessors".

Among the Bulgars still living in Hellas at that time, some of them sided with the pro-German Bulgars who occupied parts of Hellas during WWII. These, at the end of WWII, naturally left Hellas.

Some other (pro-communist ones) joined various communist oriented guerilla groups. These groups were controlled by the Yugoslavs of Tito and after WWII sided with the Hellenic communist guerillas who turned in the meantime against the Hellenic Government. After the communist defeat in the subsequent Hellenic civil war they finally left Greece, 28-29 years after the signing of the Neuilly Treaty that first provided for their departure from Hellas.

References
D. Zagles "To Makedoniko Problhma kai oi Notioslayoi"
Evangelos Kofos "Nationalism and Communism in Macedonia"

[akritas]

1. After the capitulation of Greek forces in Epiros and Macedonia on 20 April 19 41. Bulgarian troops invaded Greek territory on 24 Apr, and occupied the provinces of Serres, Drama and Rhodopi. This territory, which is bounded on the West by the River Strum and on the East by the province and neutral zone of Evros WAS FORMALLY ANNEXED BY BULGARIA and the remainder of Greek Macedonia and Thrace, although occupied by the Germans, was adninistered by Greeks and was nominally governed from Athens


2. On 4 Jul 1943. it was announced that the whole of German occupied Macedonia, the province of Evros and Aegean Islands would henceforth be known as the “German Government for the province of Macedonia”. For purely military reasons these territories would be placed under German political administration and in that respect would be distinct from the remainder of Greece. Dr. Maerten the financial and political adviser to the German Military Command Salonika-Aegean was made Governor and announced the following changes.


(a) One Bulgarian division was to enter Macedonia, East of the River Axios, not for military occupation but for military operations in the future. Bulgarian troops were not to enter territory West of the Axios. nor Salonika or the surrounding district. The Greek Gendarmerie were to withdraw and were to be replaced by German Police, although Greek eighty over these territories would remain unimpaired


(b) Greek law was to remain in force and any new laws promulgated had to be sanctioned by German authority Greekeconomic and financial regulations were to prevail and taxeswere to be remitted to Athens as usual after a deduction for local administrative expenditure. All Greek Authorities and services were to remain at their posts and the Greek Governor-General Simonidis was to remain as adviser to the German Political Governor


3. Dr Maerten emphasised that the new conditions did not mean the disintegration of Macedonia from Greece, and promised that, in view of a strained relations existing between Bulgarians and Greeks in the past, he would intervene if the Greek population should prove to be in danger, and assist the Greek authorities in the re-establishment of order.


4 Up to the time of the Italian capitulation Evros province as described above was governed by the German Command for Macedonia. Since then it has been given the title of “Hellenic State”, in common with the Ionian Islands which had been ceded to Italy and have now been returned to Greece.



5 IN SPITE OF DR MAERTEN'S PROMISE THAT BULGARIAN TROOPS WOULD REMAIN EAST OF THE AXIOS, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT NOT ONLY BULGARIAN GUERILLAS(OHRANA) BUT BULGARIAN TROOPS CONTINUED TO PENETRATE WESTWARDS TO THE PROVINCES OF FLORINA AND PELLA ON 13 FEB, P.I.C. RECEIVED THE TEXT OF A PROCLAMATION FROM THE E A.M. CENTRAL COMMITTEE TO THE GREEK GOVERNMENT IN CAIRO, STATING THAT THE BULGARS HAD ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AT FLORINA AND EDESSA ON 22 FEB. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE BULGARIAN ARMY WAS NOW LIMITED TO THE DISTRICT AROUND FLORLNA AND THAT RALLIS HAD DECLARED THEY WOULD BE SHORTLY WITHDRAWN FROM THIS AREA ALSO THE GERMANS WERE STATED TO HAVE PROMISED THAT THE BULGARS WOULD WITHRAW EAST OF THE AXIOS


6 Reports from two different sources dated 19 Feb and 22 Feb indicate that the General Administration of Macedonia is once more in Greek hands and the Germans have abolished the “Proctectorate” Simonidis is said to have resumed his duties as “General Administraton” If these reports are confirmed it means that the status quo before Jul 43 has been restored and that Macedonia will once again be governed directly from Athens The Chief difference between the present situation and that existing before 4 Jul 43 is that there are now Bulgarian troops stationed between the Axios and the Struma How the Rallis Ipvernment wlll deal with the problem remains to be seen.

[Appendix "A:" from Brirtish FO,PRO,No 201/1618,2-3-1944]
REVIEW OF POLITICAL AND ADMONISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN GREEK MASEDONIA AND WESTERN THRACE