This is from an article of the Journal "Democratic Army" (Vol. 10) published by the end of 1948 on the exact topic ("The Democratic Army and Slav-Macedonians") written by Vice-Colonel (of the Democratic Army) Pantelis Vajnas. At the beginning it says 25k Slav-Macedonians fought by the side of ELAS including reserves. (ELAS was the military arm of the party during occupation 1942-1945).
Then it presents estimations of losses. Lastly it says that by January 1948 the Slav-Macedonians enlisted in the Democratic Army reach 11k.
Percentages are not provided.
stories told from macedonia
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Before I start quoting Wikipedia on the numerical strength and ethnic make-up of the Democratic Army of Greece (the Greek acronym being DSE while the Macedonian for the same is DAG, i.e. Demokratska Armija na Grcija) during the Greek Civil war, I'd like to concede that I am in no way an expert on the subject. It seems there is no real consensus on the overall numerical strength of the DSE fighters during that time. Some English entries, like the following on the Democratic Army, of Greece, specifically, say that at its height, it had a strength of around 50,000 men and women. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Army_of_Greece
The same entry also states the following:
An article written by Nikos Zachariadis expressed the KKE's strategy after the envisioned victory of the Democratic Army of Greece regarding what was then known as the "Macedonian Issue": "The Macedonian people will acquire an independent, united state with a coequal position within the family of free peoples’ republics within the Balkans, within the family of Peoples’ Republics to which the Greek people will belong. The Macedonian people are today fighting for this independent united state with a coequal position and is helping the DSE with all its soul...." The policy of self-determination for Macedonia within a People's Republic was reiterated during the 5th KKE Central Committee meeting held in January 1949, which declared that the "Macedonian people participating in the liberation struggle would find their full national re-establishment as they want giving their blood for this acquisition... Macedonian Communists should pay great attentions to foreign chauvinist and counteractive elements that want to break the unity between the Greek and Macedonian people. This will only serve the monarcho-fascists and British imperialism...." This statement can be explained due to the large number of Slavomacedonian fighters (60%) amongst the DSE fighters.
The following numbers come from the English Wikipedia entry on the more general subject of the Greek Civil War, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Civil_War#Origins:
Despite setbacks, such as the fighting at Konitsa, the DSE reached the height of its power in 1948, extending its operations to Attica, within 20 km of Athens. It drew on more than 20,000 fighters, both men and women, and a network of sympathizers and informants in every village and suburb. Among analysts emphasising the KKE's perceived control and guidance by foreign powers, such as USSR and Yugoslavia, some estimate that of the DSE's 20,000 fighters, 14,000 were Slavic Macedonians from Greek Macedonia.
Macedonian Wikipedia on the subject of DAG or the DSE gives a total number of 35,000 men and women to the DSE's overall fighting force. It also states that 20,000 out of this number were recruited from Aegean Macedonia and that 14,000 of these 20,000 recruits from Aegean Macedonia were ethnic Macedonians. https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94...B8%D1%98%D0%B0
In addition Macedonian Wikipedia states that 20,000 out of the 50,000 killed during the Greek Civil war were ethnic Macedonians.
Although I haven't been able to find any numbers for the Vlah involvement in the Greek Civil war, I'll keep looking and re-visit this thread when I do. I don't think I imagined seeing them mentioned the other week but, at the moment, all info on their participation in the civil war seems to have disappeared.
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Originally posted by nushevski77 View Post
A final story that isn't really isn't associated to my family; in the mid 1960's when my dedo was mandatory serving in the greek army he was in solun since one of his duties was to deliver mail and he met this old man who was also in the army they were talking and the old man could tell that my dedo wasn't greek but macedonian and told him to be proud of who he is and never forget that; he also told him how after the second balkan war most of aegean macedonia and solun was supposed to go to bulgaria but bulgaria had to withdraw most of its troops from the region since it was also fighting romania at the same time. so during that time the greek government sent its army and king to solun at the time and the army executed the king in the city of thessaloniki/solun since they believed in some stupid way that if their king died their it would somehow give them a claim to aegean macedonia/whatever part that bulgaria was occupying at the time (I know it sounds outlandish but crazy stuff happens during war, I tried to figure it out and wikipedia has no real info on the man who killed their king just that he was a drunk and a lot of mystery so I believe this that the army killed their own king to get the land.)
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Originally posted by Statitsa View PostWhat? No mention of any Vlach - Macedonian - Romanians? (sarc)
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Originally posted by nushevski77 View PostThese are my stories although being born in the diaspora I for some reason have such an affinity to my ethnic roots/homeland as on the other hand my cousins couldn't care less maybe I'm just different or their just happy to be Canadians and leave all this stuff behind them but I feel its doing a disservice to not remember the people who fought for and suffered for the macedonian cause and although I make no impact on whats hapening right now with the political situation in the country I guess I try to do my part and educate those who are unaware of the macedonian struggle.
It was probably due to the fact that my siblings and I live with my Baba and Dedo in the same house that the influence of Macedonian culture was always there, but in saying that nobody in my family ever really tried to make me a patriotic Macedonian, it's just been something I have always been interested and passionate about.
Your cousins could always gain an interest in being Macedonian in the future.
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They didn't just share ideologies, as two similar political parties do. They were tools of the same party, yet they were formed in different periods and for different scopes.
For instance, communists believe that DSE was far more organized, it was a real army, and at some point they took the fatal decision that they would not act as guerillas (which was often criticized as cowardly behavior) but as a tactical army that would give great field battles.
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National Liberation Front (EAM) was the Resistance Group of the Communist Party during Occupation (1941-1944).
The Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) was the military formation (literally an army) of the Communist Party during the Civil War (1946-1949).
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Automatic translation from Greek wikipedia. This is more detailed on the ethnic and social composition of Democratic Army of Greece (Section 3)
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The Greek Civil War was indeed about Macedonia. It was not only about Macedonia, but it was certainly about control of Macedonia.
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This is a semi-official list by the Communist Party, listing all incidents of beheadings or dead bodies of rebels exposed in public view. As you can see there's a total of 129 incidents and according to the map, less than 10 (?) in Macedonia. The map also indicates whether the Greek Civil War was about Macedonia.
Το 1944 τα προσχήματα των Βρετανών αφεντάδων μας είχαν τελειώσει. Εν όψει των επικείμενων εκλογών και του δημοψηφίσματος για τον βασι...
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Originally posted by Stojacanec View Postit makes sense, 28,000 people don't escape their homeland in the middle of the night for nothing.
The official Greek position was that these children had been forcibly taken from their parents by the Communists to be brought up under a socialist system. The abduction of children is referred to by Greek historians and politicians as the Paidomazoma (Παιδομάζωμα), alluding to the Ottoman Devşirme.
From Wikipedia:
At the fifth Plenum of KKE (i.e. The Communist Party of Greece) on January 31, 1949, a resolution was passed declaring that after KKE's victory, the Slavic Macedonians would find their national restoration within a united Greek state. The alliance of the Democratic army with the Slav Macedonians, caused the official Greek state propaganda to call the communist guerillas Eamovulgari (from EAM plus Bulgarians) while the communists were calling their opponents Monarchofasistes (Monarch fascists).
Some interesting facts about napalm:
Napalm was invented on Valentine's Day 1942 in a top-secret Harvard University weapons research laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Professor Louis Fieser tested the first napalm bomb on the Harvard College soccer field that Independence Day. It went on to support the Allies in Europe, incinerate 64 of Japan's 67 largest cities, and help America win World War II: the Bomb got the press, but napalm did the work.
Napalm describes any form of thickened hydrocarbon: torturously hot and sticky when ignited, stable at high and low temperatures, cheap, easy to transport, and simple to prepare. It is one of the most devastating weapons ever invented.
Air force commanders around the world embraced incendiary gel after they observed its effectiveness. Greek bombers used U.S. napalm to annihilate civil war enemies in 1948...
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thanks for the insight. I am always interested to hear peoples accounts and stories especially from the Aegean side.
it makes sense, 28,000 people don't escape their homeland in the middle of the night for nothing.
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Go to hell you piece of garbage. If there is a god, you and your entire tribe will get what is coming to them one day.
Originally posted by AmphipolisThis is unreadable. Please, re-edit it and put some paragraphs.
Крв да му ебам племе гадно.
Originally posted by Tomche Makedonche View PostDon’t ever say sorry to that Пичка. Ever.
Thank you for sharing. Be inquisitive, our old folks have all the knowledge, it is our duty to make sure we help them pass on as much as they can. It is then our duty to make sure we do the same.
Originally posted by nushevski77okay sorry aboout that will do
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although being born in the diaspora I for some reason have such an affinity to my ethnic roots/homeland as on the other hand my cousins couldn't care less maybe I'm just different or their just happy to be Canadians and leave all this stuff behind them but I feel its doing a disservice to not remember the people who fought for and suffered for the macedonian cause
Thanks for the snippets of your own family history.
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