Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1946-49

362 Pages·2016·2.82 MB·English

The Pawn that would be King: Macedonian Slavs
in the Greek Civil War, 1946-49
by
James Richard Horncastle
M.A., University of New Brunswick, 2011
B.A., St. Thomas University, 2009
Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in the
Department of History
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
© James Richard Horncastle 2016
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Fall 2016
Approval
Name: James Richard Horncastle
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Title: The Pawn that would be King: Macedonian Slavs in the
Greek Civil War, 1946-1949
Examining Committee: Chair: Ilya Vinkovetsky
Associate Professor
Andre Gerolymatos
Senior Supervisor
Professor
Thomas Kuehn
Supervisor
Associate Professor
Dimitrios Krallis
Supervisor
Associate Professor
Garth Davies
Internal Examiner
Associate Professor
School of Criminology
Amikam Nachmani
External Examiner
Professor
Department of Political Science
Bar-Ilan University
Date Defended/Approved: December 7, 2016

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Abstract
The Macedonian Question has confounded academics, politicians and the people of the
Balkans since the nineteenth century. While countries have resolved the territorial
component of the Macedonian Question, the critical and confusing problem surrounding
the ethnic and linguistic identity of the people of the region continues to be the source of
international debate. Part of the reason for this confusion is because the history of the
Macedonian Question is shrouded in nationalist polemics. The role of the Macedonian
Slavs involvement in the Greek Civil War is particularly contentious and embedded in
nationalist polemics, which has impacted academic inquiry.
This dissertation argues that the preponderance of Macedonian Slavs within the
communist forces during the Greek Civil War influenced the actions of all the major
actors involved, and has been a significant factor in shaping the modern Macedonian
national identity. Equally important was that the Macedonian people’s cognizance of
their contribution to the conflict initially allowed them to pursue political and social
objectives that would have been impossible under conventional circumstances.
Ultimately, regional and international politics prevented the most idealist sections of the
Macedonian Slavs from achieving their goal of an independent Macedonian state. Those
elements that followed the Yugoslav vision, which developments in the Greek Civil War
helped facilitate, however, did achieve the goal of an independent Macedonian political
entity. This dissertation demonstrates that one cannot gain a comprehensive
understanding of the Greek Civil War without examining the role of the Macedonian
Slavs and Macedonian Question in the conflict.
Keywords: Macedonian Question; Greek Civil War; Cold War; Guerrilla Warfare;
Nationalism; Conflict Studies
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Dedication
To my grandparents.
iv
Acknowledgements
Anyone that has gone through the process of writing a PhD knows that it is not
an easy process. While it is my name on my dissertation, there are a number of people
who deserve recognition for their valuable contributions.
I will always remain indebted to my senior supervisor, Dr. Gerolymatos, for both
his support and valuable feedback throughout the process. It was Dr. Gerolymatos who
suggested that I examine the Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War. While I had
previously examined aspects of the Macedonian Question, it was his passion and
knowledge about the Greek Civil War that helped convince me to pursue this topic, for
which I remain grateful Furthermore, he provided me with valuable teaching and
research experience while I completed my dissertation. This gave me the chance to
acquire the tools needed to be both a scholar and a teacher. Without his support, I would
not be here today.
Moreover, all my colleagues in Hellenic Studies provided me with an effective
and positive environment with which to conduct this research. Dimitris Krallis, Eirini
Kotsovili, and Evdoxios Doxiadis both provided valuable insight and suggested avenues
of research that have helped me complete this dissertation. I would also like to thank my
committee members for not only helping guide the research process, but also taking
time away from their work in order to do so.
Additionally, the staff of Hellenic Studies and the Department of History bears
special mention. Specifically Maria Hamilton, Colleen Pescott, and Chris Dickert created
a pleasant work environment that made it a pleasure to go to work and helped me
navigate the various pitfalls associated with bureaucracy. Finally, Ruth Anderson has
proven delightful to work with and has patiently guided me through the various steps
needed to complete this dissertation.
This project could not have been completed without extensive archival research.
While research was conducted at several archives, a specific mention must be made of
the Diplomatic and Historical Archives in Greece. These documents were, in many ways,
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the most important for my research. Specifically the director, Photini Tomai-
Constantopoulou, helped me significantly and I appreciate her help in dealing with this
difficult subject.
Finally, I wish to thank my friends and family for putting up with me throughout
the dissertation writing process. Jack Adam MacLennan, my best friend and an
exceptional scholar, helped me throughout the writing process. Jimmy Peterson, Sukhjit
Chohan, and Khash Hemmati were always there for me and helped make SFU another
home for me. My family was always there for me, through all the peaks and valleys of
writing a dissertation, and I cannot thank them enough. Lastly, my girlfriend Salma,
whose patience and understanding while I finished this dissertation is something for
which I am eternally grateful.
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Table of Contents
Approval ............................................................................................................................. ii
Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii
Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ v
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vii
List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................... ix
Note on Terminology ......................................................................................................... xi
Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 1
1.1. Historiography .......................................................................................................... 7
1.2. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 25
1.3. Primary Sources ..................................................................................................... 32
1.4. Chapter Breakdown ............................................................................................... 37
Chapter 2. Historical Background ........................................................................... 39
2.1. The Balkans during the Ottoman Period ................................................................ 40
2.2. The Emergence of Nationalism and the Nation-State ............................................ 43
2.3. The Unredeemed Territories and Mutual Competition ........................................... 49
2.4. The Balkan Wars, the First World War, and their Impact on the Macedonian
Question ................................................................................................................. 57
2.5. Greece, the Asia Minor Catastrophe, and the Macedonian Question, 1919-
1923 ....................................................................................................................... 61
2.6. Communism, IMRO and a distinct Macedonian Identity (1919-1941) .................... 66
2.7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 70
Chapter 3. The Second World War and the Development of the
Macedonian National Movement within Yugoslavia, and the
impact it had on Greece ......................................................................... 71
3.1. Yugoslavia and the Problem of Macedonian Nationalism, 1941-Summer
1944 ....................................................................................................................... 72
3.2. The KKE on the Macedonian Question, 1943-44 ................................................... 90
3.3. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 94
Chapter 4. The Macedonian Question and its impact on the Dekemvriana ......... 96
4.1. Yugoslavia and the Macedonian Question ............................................................. 98
4.2. The CPY and the KKE, late 1944 ......................................................................... 107
4.3. The KKE on the road to the Dekemvriana ........................................................... 114
4.4. The Dekemvriana, and the CPY’s decision to reverse its decision to aid the
KKE ...................................................................................................................... 128
4.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 135
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Chapter 5. Towards a Civil War: The Macedonian Question in the
Bulgarian-Greek-Yugoslav Interparty Dynamic ................................. 137
5.1. The CPY’s efforts at Nation-Building in Macedonia, 1945-1946 .......................... 138
5.2. NOF and its development in 1945 ........................................................................ 162
5.3. The Greek Government and KKE-CPY Relations ................................................ 171
5.4. The Return of Zachariadis, and the Macedonian Question during the KKE’s
drift towards Civil War: 1945-mid 1946 ................................................................ 184
5.5. The Macedonian Question and the Civil War ....................................................... 203
5.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 208
Chapter 6. The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War, January
1947-June 1948 ..................................................................................... 210
6.1. The CPY and the Macedonian Question, November 1946-June 1948 ................ 211
6.2. The KKE and the Macedonian Question, 1946-1948 .......................................... 221
6.3. NOF’s Submersion within the KKE, and Internal Dissent, 1946-1948 ................. 230
6.4. The Slavophone Macedonians and the Greek Government, 1946-1948 ............. 234
6.5. The Macedonian Question in the Lead up to the Tito-Stalin Split ........................ 244
6.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 252
Chapter 7. The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War after the Tito-
Stalin split, July 1948-September 1949 ............................................... 254
7.1. The KKE’s Initial Reaction to the Tito-Stalin Split ................................................ 254
7.2. The CPY’s reaction to the Cominform’s effort to use the Macedonian
Question ............................................................................................................... 268
7.3. NOF’s status in the wake of the Tito-Stalin Split .................................................. 273
7.4. The Culmination of Greek Government Policy ..................................................... 277
7.5. The CPY breaks from the KKE ............................................................................ 283
7.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 285
Chapter 8. Conclusion and Impacts ...................................................................... 287
8.1. Summary of Findings ........................................................................................... 288
8.2. Legacies of the Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War ............................. 291
8.3. Avenues of Future Research ............................................................................... 296
8.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 298
References ................................................................................................................ 300

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List of Acronyms
AJ Archive of Yugoslavia
ASKI Contemporary Social History Archive
AVNOJ Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia
ASNOM Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia
BCF Balkan Communist Federation
BCP Bulgarian Communist Party
BRCC Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Community
BWP Bulgarian Workers’ Party
CC Central Committee
CPA Communist Party of Albania
CPM Communist Party of Macedonia
CPS Communist Party of Serbia
CPY Communist Party of Yugoslavia
DAG Democratic Army of Greece
EAM National Liberation Front
EDES National Republican Greek League
EKKA National and Social Liberation
ELAS Greek People’s Liberation Army
EPON United Panhellenic Organization of Youth
FYROM Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
IMRO Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
IMRO Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United)
(UNITED)
IMXA Institute for Balkan Studies
KKE Communist Party of Greece
MRO Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NLA National Liberation Army
NOF National Liberation Front
PDGFG Provisional Democratic Government of Free Greece
PEEA Political Committee of National Liberation
ix
SMC Supreme Macedonian Committee
SNOF Slav National Liberation Front
UDBA State Security Administration
UDIA Diplomatic and Historical Archive
UN United Nations
UNSCOB United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans
USSR Union of Soviet Social Republics
x