This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 62.162.192.106 (talk) at 20:27, 28 July 2006 (He has said very clearly what's his nationality in the interview. There is a source about that.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:27, 28 July 2006 by 62.162.192.106 (talk) (He has said very clearly what's his nationality in the interview. There is a source about that.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Nikola Karev (1877, Krushevo, present day Republic of Macedonia - 27 April 1905, Raychani, near Kochani, present day Republic of Macedonia) was a Macedonian socialist and revolutionary, a member and a local leader of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - IMRO known prior to 1902 as Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees (BMARC) . He is considered an ethnic Bulgarian in Bulgaria.
The Ilinden uprising
The Ilinden uprising (Ilindensko Vostanie) was the turning point in the revolutionary struggle of the Macedonian people. It was a true revolution with deep political and social implications. It began on 2 August 1903, and soon spread over the entire region of Macedonia, with various degrees of participation by the local population.
The heaviest fighting took place in the area around Bitola, followed by Ohrid, Kicevo, Florina, Prilep and various other regions, with less pronounced fighting in the Thessaloniki, Seres, Skopje and Odrin regions. The towns of Krusevo, Neveska and Klisura were captured. Other nationalities living in Macedonia also took part in the Ilinden Uprising, a withness to its popular and democratic character. On 3 August 1903, the rebels captured the town of Krusevo and established a revolutionary government, proclaiming the Krusevo Republic - which was the first modern day republic in the Balkans. The Republic existed only for 10 days - August 3rd to August 13th, and was headed by president Nikola Karev.
Amongst the various religious groups in Krushevo a Republican Council was elected with 60 members - 20 representatives from each. The Council also elected an executive body - the Provisional Government, with six members (2 from each religious group), whose duty was to promote law and order and manage supplies, finances, and medical care. The "Krusevo Manifesto" was published. Written by Nikola Karev himself, it outlined the goals of the Uprising, calling upon the population to join forces with the provisional government in the struggle against Ottoman tyranny, in order to attain freedom and independence.
The Turkish government was surprised by the uprising, taking extraordinary military measures to suppress it: 176,000 soldiers, 3,700 mounted troops and 444 cannons were sent to Macedonia. After fierce battles near Sliva and Meckin Kamen, the Turks managed to destroy the Krusevo Republic, committing atrocities against the rebel forces and the local population. As a result, over 200 communities were exterminated, more than 12,000 houses burned to the ground, more than 70,000 people were left homeless, and 8,816 were killed. Some 30,000 people fled their homes to avoid the Turkish reprisal.
Documents
Letter from Nikola Karev to Goce Delchev
1902
'Dear G(otze)
... In Krushevo and Bitola the night blocades appear almost every day, and a lot of affairs throw people in jail. We shouldn't wait anymore, Goce. It is time for us to stand up and fight. We shouldn't wait for freedom from Greeks, neither from Bulgarians, but we Macedonians should fight for our Macedonia, ... As I am concerned, nobody can take away my courage and my patriotism. I am proud to report to you, that all our men are prepared to fight, with guns in their hands.
N(ikola)
“Сами ние да се бориме за наша Македонија”, (Необјавено писмо на Никола Карев до Гоце Делчев) – Nova Makedonija (Skopje) year XXIV no. 7744 (5 May 1968) p. 8.
Notes
- IMRO is the most commonly used name for the organization in which Nikola Karev participated, although it is certain that in his active days, the organization had a different name. What that name was is a matter of considerable dispute between historians from Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. According to Bulgarian and some international historians the name of the organization from 1896 to 1902 was Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees (BMARC), and it was meant only for Bulgarians, while according to ethic Macedonian historians the name of the organization was Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (SMARO) from 1896 to 1905, and it was meant for all ethnic Macedonians. See IMRO for more details.
- Fikret Adanir – Die Makedonische Frage, Wiessbaden 1979
- Константин Пандев (“Национално-освободителното движение в Македония и Одринско” на София 1979, с. 129-130)
External links
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