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Just to clear up some things lets have a look at the historical roots of the conflict.
The ancient region of Makedonia (where Alexander the Great came from) became a part of the Roman Empire as the province Macedonia in 148 b.c. after it lost the Makedonian – Roman wars. With the split of the empire 395 a.d. it became a part of the eastern empire.
The biggest part of the ancient Makedonia is located today in Greece, while minor parts belong to FYROM and Bulgaria. The biggest part of todays FYROM was called Paionia in ancient times, a kingdom that was conquered by Makedonia.
In the 6th/7th century a.d. slavic people – who became an important part of the Byzantine empire - began to populate northern Makedonia. Two monks from Saloniki – Kyrillos and Methodios – began to christianize them in the 9th century and developed an alphabet for them, the Glagolitic alphabet. Later on students of the monks developed the Cyrillic alphabet (which is named after Kyrillos).
In the following times Makedonia belonged both to the Byzantine Empire and to Bulgaria, until it came to Serbia in the end of the 13th century. Not for long though, as in the 14th century – after the battles of Maritza and Boj na Kosovu – Makedonia became a part of the Ottoman Empire for the next 500 years.
1913/1913 the first Balkan War was waged between the Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro) and the Ottoman Empire. The 2nd Balkan War began 1913 between the former allies, resulting in Bulgaria losing most of the Makedonian territory it claimed after the first Balkan War. Greece gained the biggest part of the Region, including Saloniki and Kavala. During World War I Bulgaria conquered the region again but lost it after the war, same applies to World War II.
After World War II plans for a communist Great-Makedonia failed after the split between Tito and Stalin, and the Yugoslav part of Makedonia together with the biggest part of what was called Paionia in ancient times became the 6th Republic of the Yugoslav Federation, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
On November 19th 1991 this part of Yugoslavia declared its independence as the “Republic of Macedonia”, presenting the Star of Vergina (which is also the sign of the greek province of Makedonia) as their national flag. The biggest problem between Greece and FYROM became the constitution of FYROM though, which claimed to be in the tradition of the Republic of Krushevo, a Republic that wanted a state in the borders of the entire geographical region of Makedonia. After maps from Slavic - Macedonian nationalists appeared, on which the greek part of Makedonia was added to the northern part, Greece saw its territorial integrity endangered and began an embargo against FYROM in 1994. As Greece is by far the biggest investor in FYROM and 80% of FYROMs imports went through the port of Saloniki, the situation ended soon with a change of the flag and constitution. A paragraph was added to Article 3, that says: “The Republic of Macedonia has no territorial pretensions towards any neighboring state.” Another paragraph was added to Article 49: “In the exercise of this concern the Republic will not interfere in the sovereign rights of other states or in their internal affairs.”
After these changes the embargo ended and the situation was more relaxed ever since. In the last few years talks went on about the name of FYROM. The 2004 UN proposal “Republika Makedonija-Skopje“ was refused by FYROM and Greece. Greece said that it was a basis for constructive negotiations though, while FYROM proposed that the official name should be “Republic of Macedonia” while Greece and other countries that didn’t accept that name yet (mainly the EU) could officially use “Republika Makedonija-Skopje“ – which was refused by Greece. Recently there were signs that Greece would also accept the name “Vardar-Macedonia” (which is the name of FYROM from Serbian times). A decision in the conflict should not be too far away anyways.
I left away the discussions about Greek and Slavic origins, as well as the Bulgaria – FYROM situation, JCN is the main main for that
I also left out the debate whether the name Macedonia in FYROM and the Macedonian roots were made up by communist propaganda or not.
The ancient region of Makedonia (where Alexander the Great came from) became a part of the Roman Empire as the province Macedonia in 148 b.c. after it lost the Makedonian – Roman wars. With the split of the empire 395 a.d. it became a part of the eastern empire.
The biggest part of the ancient Makedonia is located today in Greece, while minor parts belong to FYROM and Bulgaria. The biggest part of todays FYROM was called Paionia in ancient times, a kingdom that was conquered by Makedonia.
In the 6th/7th century a.d. slavic people – who became an important part of the Byzantine empire - began to populate northern Makedonia. Two monks from Saloniki – Kyrillos and Methodios – began to christianize them in the 9th century and developed an alphabet for them, the Glagolitic alphabet. Later on students of the monks developed the Cyrillic alphabet (which is named after Kyrillos).
In the following times Makedonia belonged both to the Byzantine Empire and to Bulgaria, until it came to Serbia in the end of the 13th century. Not for long though, as in the 14th century – after the battles of Maritza and Boj na Kosovu – Makedonia became a part of the Ottoman Empire for the next 500 years.
1913/1913 the first Balkan War was waged between the Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro) and the Ottoman Empire. The 2nd Balkan War began 1913 between the former allies, resulting in Bulgaria losing most of the Makedonian territory it claimed after the first Balkan War. Greece gained the biggest part of the Region, including Saloniki and Kavala. During World War I Bulgaria conquered the region again but lost it after the war, same applies to World War II.
After World War II plans for a communist Great-Makedonia failed after the split between Tito and Stalin, and the Yugoslav part of Makedonia together with the biggest part of what was called Paionia in ancient times became the 6th Republic of the Yugoslav Federation, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
On November 19th 1991 this part of Yugoslavia declared its independence as the “Republic of Macedonia”, presenting the Star of Vergina (which is also the sign of the greek province of Makedonia) as their national flag. The biggest problem between Greece and FYROM became the constitution of FYROM though, which claimed to be in the tradition of the Republic of Krushevo, a Republic that wanted a state in the borders of the entire geographical region of Makedonia. After maps from Slavic - Macedonian nationalists appeared, on which the greek part of Makedonia was added to the northern part, Greece saw its territorial integrity endangered and began an embargo against FYROM in 1994. As Greece is by far the biggest investor in FYROM and 80% of FYROMs imports went through the port of Saloniki, the situation ended soon with a change of the flag and constitution. A paragraph was added to Article 3, that says: “The Republic of Macedonia has no territorial pretensions towards any neighboring state.” Another paragraph was added to Article 49: “In the exercise of this concern the Republic will not interfere in the sovereign rights of other states or in their internal affairs.”
After these changes the embargo ended and the situation was more relaxed ever since. In the last few years talks went on about the name of FYROM. The 2004 UN proposal “Republika Makedonija-Skopje“ was refused by FYROM and Greece. Greece said that it was a basis for constructive negotiations though, while FYROM proposed that the official name should be “Republic of Macedonia” while Greece and other countries that didn’t accept that name yet (mainly the EU) could officially use “Republika Makedonija-Skopje“ – which was refused by Greece. Recently there were signs that Greece would also accept the name “Vardar-Macedonia” (which is the name of FYROM from Serbian times). A decision in the conflict should not be too far away anyways.
I left away the discussions about Greek and Slavic origins, as well as the Bulgaria – FYROM situation, JCN is the main main for that
I also left out the debate whether the name Macedonia in FYROM and the Macedonian roots were made up by communist propaganda or not.
Use some paragrafs next time
I read it though i knew the facts
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