The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1944–1949

James Horncastle

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2019
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798881885144
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: European History
• Index: History

In this study of Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, the author examines how their participation in the conflict, and the attempts by other groups to manipulate them, gave rise to modern issues that continue to affect politics in the region today. The Macedonian Question has confounded academics, politicians and the people of the Balkans since the nineteenth century. While the countries have resolved the territorial component of the Macedonian Question, the critical and confusing question 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 book 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 is a significant factor in shaping the modern Macedonian national identity.

Table of contents

• Contents
• List of Abbreviations
• Note on Terminology
• 1 An Ongoing Question
• 2 Historical Background
• 3 The Second World War and the Development of the Macedonian National Movement within Yugoslavia, and the Impact It Had on Greece
• 4 The Macedonian Question and Its Impact on the Dekemvriana
• 5 Toward a Civil War
• 6 The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War, January 1947–June 1948
• 7 The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War after the Tito-Stalin Split, July 1948–September 1949
• 8 Conclusion and Legacies
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author