Figure 1.--

Unfortunately for the people of Macedonia and other Balkan lands, there was no agreed plan for partitioned the territory liberated from the Ottomans. The Bulgarians and Serbs had an agreement, but Serbia dcided it was unfair and the Greeks were not part of the agreement. This lead to the Second Balkan War (1913). This time the primary target was Bulgaria. Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro attacked their former ally Bulagria. Romania joined this war to get a slice of Bulgaria--Southern Dobrudža. Even the Ottomns attacked Bulgaria which had occupied areas desired by its neighbors. The First Balkan War had been fought by the Balkan states obstensibly to liberate Christian peoples from Muslim Turkish rule. The Second Balkan War was largely fought among those Christian states and involved attrocities and ethnic cleaning that still affect the people of the Balkans today. After several months of intense fighting, Bulgaria and Turkey signed a second treary with Serbia and Greece (April 19, 1913). A London Peace Conference ended in a deadlock and hosilities resumed (June 30, 1913). The final peace treary was signed by Turkey and Greece at the end of November 1913. Although this ended the fighting, most of the participants had unresolved goals that were not achieved. In addition the hatred and bitterness that acompanied the War created a desire among many for revenge. It was no accident that it was on the Balkans that the spark occurred launching World War I.

First Balkan War (1912-13)

The First Balkan War/War of the Balkan Alliance (1912) was essentially a continuation of the wars for independence from the Ottoman Empire. This meant by the 20th century dividing up the spoils of the Ottomon territories in Europe. Serbia saw the weakening situation in the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) as a opportune time to attack. Serbia organized a military alliance of Balkan states (Bulgaria, Montonegro, Greece, and Serbia). The resulting conflict was one of the most confusing and complicated series of wars and armistaces in European history. The Alliances forces attacked Turkey in 1912 in an effort to drive the Ottomons entirely out of the Balkans. The objectives were Eastern Roumelia (Lower Thrace and Macedonia). An armistace between Turkey and the Balkan allies except Greece was signed in December 1912. Hostilities between Greece and Turkey continued. Unlike the other Balkan states, large numbers of Greeks lived in what is now Turkey. Represenatatives of Turkey and the Balkan allies (except Greece) met in London to discuss a peace settlement (December 1912). A revolution occurred in Constantinople (January 1913). The Ottomons as a result rejected the terms offered by the Balkan allies. Hostilities resumed.

Territorial Disputes

Unfortunately for the people of Macedonia and other Balkan lands, there was no agreed plan for partitioned the territory liberated from the Ottomans. The Bulgarians and Serbs had an agreement, but Serbia dcided it was unfair and the Greeks were not part of the agreement. This lead to the Second Balkan War (1913).

Second Coalition

The First Balkan War had been fought by the Balkan states obstensibly to liberate Christian peoples from Muslim Turkish rule. The second Balkan War pitted the Balkan Coalition partners against each other. When Bulgaria rejected the Serbian and Greek demands for territory seized by the Ottomans, Serbia and Greece concluded a secret treaty (June 1, 1913). The Treary provided for joint action against Bulgaria. Romania to the north joined the anti-Bulgarian coaltion, desiring Southern Dobruja hich had aargely Romanian population.

The Great Powers

Russia intervened diplomatically in an effort to prevent the developing conflict between largely fellow Slavic nations. Austria-Hungary was also concerned, primarily with the growing power of Serbia as Serbs were among the ethnic minorities in its territory, dspecually in Bosnia. The Austrians thus sided with with Bulgaria, and attempted to break the developing coalition directed against the Bulgarians.

Hostilities

This time the primary target was Bulgaria. Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro attacked their former ally Bulagria. Romania joined this war to get a slice of Bulgaria--Southern Dobrudža. Even the Ottomns joined the effort against Bulgaria which had occupied areas desired by its neighbors. Austrian support encouraged the Bulgarians who decided to stike before the Coaltuon parners could mount a coorfinated attack on them (June 29, 1913). The Second Balkan War like the First was waged primarily in Macedonian, at least at first. Romania attacked from the north (July 10). The disebsion among Blkan allies prompted the Ottomans go also enter the War in the hope of regaining loss territory (July 14). The War was a disster for Bulgaria which found itself fighting a war on four fronts. The hard-pressed Bulgarian armies were defeated piecemeal on all four fronts. The Bulgarians, as a result, were forced to seek peace.

Attrocities: Ethnic Cleamsing

The Second Balkan War was largely fought among those Christian states and involved attrocities and ethnic cleaning that still affect the people of the Balkans today. The Greeks, Bulgarians, and Serbs behaved savagly in Macedonia. Greek forces pursued the retreating Bulgarian Army in Macedonia, Greek forces burnt the Macedonian villages they occupied and murdering the occupants. This was an operation so systematic that there must have been a decsion taking at high levels. When the Greek army entered Kukush (Kilkis) and occupied the surrounding villages, some 400 adults and children were imprisoned and then killed. Several dozen distinguished Macedonians were arrested in Kukush. Greek authorities had identified them early in the War as individuals around which Macedonians might resist Greek rule. The Greeks organized and trained trained units for 'special' opertions. They evoke the future German Einsatzgruppen' during Wotld War II, albeit on a smaller scale. The destroyed over 40 Macedonian villages. The numbers of people killed are largely unknown. One terrible killing operation occurred at Akandzheli. About 4,000 Macedonian refugees from Kukush had sought refuge there. A Greek military unit entered the village (July 6, 1913). They encountered white flags, but the Greek soldiers burnt the village and massacred some of the refugees and population, killing 356 refugees were killed, including children and the elderly. We are not sure how the victims were selected. Greek police In Serres arrested some 200 Macedonians and then executed them. The Greeks carried out an even larger action at Ingrita, killing more around 1,000 men in the town. What happened in the surronding villages is unreported. Historians estimate that the Greeks in the area of southern Macedonia they occupied destroyed 16,000 houses. Some 100,000 Macedonians fled to neighboring countries. Mny Macedonians and Bulgarians fled. One example is Gorno Brody. The Bulgarian armies and Vrhovist bands also committed attricities. One of the worst was in Dokast. This was a small town inhabited by Greeks and Turks. The Bulgarians buned down 270 out of 570 homes and killed about 100 town residents. Serres was a town which changed hands at different points of the War. The Bulgarians when they occupied it the second time, burned 4,000 of the town's 6,000 houses. They also massacred many of the people un the town, mostly Turks and Greeks. This was reportedly retribution for the earlier killing of the Macedonian population. The Serbian forces claimibg to be "liberators" also committed attrocities in Macedonia. Savage actions were conducted in Bitola, Skopje, Shtip and Gevgelija, The Serbian army, police and chetniks (guerrillas) weree all involved in these actions.

Refugees

The actual killing and other attricities was only party of the stoty. The killings set in motion a flood of rfugees seeking safety. Some half a million people were made refugees. Some sources describe this as people driven across newly-established borders-driven by 'rampaging' armies. This was partially true, but it was also part of alanned policy of ethnic cleahsing. Villagers and town folk throughout Macedonia were forced by the killings and threats to leave their homes abd farms. Some 112,000 people sought refugees in Bulgaria. About 50,000 were Macedonians. Some 157,000 refugees sought refuge in Greece. They were mostly Turks and Greeks and they settled in the properties of Macedonian refugees. Only about 1,000 refugees sought refuge in the Macedonian territory seized by the Serbs. We are not entirely sure yet why so few refugees fked to Serbian occupied areas.

Peace Treaties

After several months of intense fighting, Bulgaria and Turkey signed a second treary with Serbia and Greece (April 19, 1913). A London Peace Conference ended in a deadlock and hosilities resumed (June 30, 1913). The final peace treary was signed by Turkey and Greece at the end of November 1913. The victors of the Second Balkan War stripped Bulgaria ov virtually ll of its gains in the First Balkan War. The phase in the peace treaty was to "create a just balance" in the Balkans. This was done essentially by stripping territory fom Bulgaria. There was to be no independent Macedonia, rather it was to be partitioned. In the partion process, little or no consideration to the ethnic, political and economic unity of the disputed territory. The result was Treaty of Bucharest (August 1913). Serbia eas the principal beneficiary, acquiring most of the disputed trritory in Macedonia. Greece obtained its desired territory in osition in Thessaloniki and southeastern Macedonia. The Ottomans regained all the territories lost in the First Balkan War to Bulgaria, but not to Serbia. The Bulgarians were allowed to retain eastern (Pirin) Macedonia. Tthe Romanians obtained Southern Dobruja for which they entered the War.

Consequences

Although this ended the fighting, most of the participants had unresolved goals that were not achieved. In addition the hatred and bitterness that acompanied the War created a desire among many for revenge. It was no accident that it was on the Balkans that the spark occurred launching World War I.

Created: 8:19 PM 10/21/2012
Last updated: 10:21 PM 9/16/2015