A LETTER FROM MEMBERS OF THE “DIMITROV” BATALLION IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, AD

A LETTER FROM MEMBERS OF THE “DIMITROV” BATALLION IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR, ADDRESSED TO GEORGI DIMITROV

April 27, 1937

On the day when all peoples celebrate labour, on May the First, we the members: soldiers, commanders and political commissars, of the international battalion which bears your name, address to you our militant anti-fascist greetings. The sons of more than ten nations, among them Spaniards, Poles, Croats, Serbs, Slovenes, Czechoslovaks, Bulgarians, Poles, Macedonians (167) and others fight in the ranks of our Battalion and follow your example in the struggle against Spanish and international fascism.

Although we speak different languages, since we have left the countries which separated us before we came to Spain, we now understand each other and live fraternally. We have been united by a single idea and goal: to destroy fascism, to win freedom and independence for Spain...

Front on Harama, 27 April 1937 G. Dimitrovac, (168) 1 (1. V 1937), p. 3.

(166) The newspaper “Makedonski Vesti” (Macedonian News) reflected the positions of the I.M.R.O. (United) in Bulgaria. Its first issue was published in January 1935 and the newspaper was printed regularly in the course of the next two years.

(167) Several hundred Macedonians took part in the defense of the Spanish Republic. Many of the Macedonian volunteers, before they went to Spain, lived in different countries of Europe and America. The exact number of Macedonians who participated in the Spanish Civil War, has not been fully established, particularly those who came from Pirin and Aegean Macedonia.

(168) The newspaper “Dimitrovac” was put out by the Dimitrov Battalion in the International Brigades which took part in the defense of the Spanish Republic from fascist aggression. The initiative to publish this newspaper was given by Blagoje Parovich,

representative of the Central Committee of the C. P. of Yugoslavia in Spain. The first issue was published on May 1, 1937. Altogether 12 issues were published.

(Page 132, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)

TERRORISM IN THE VILLAGE PATELE (DISTRICT OF LERIN)

October 26, 1934

In the village Patele (329) a Macedonian organization was formed to fight for the liberation of the long-suffering Macedonian people who are groaning under a Greek reign of terror. The government terrorizes the Macedonian fighters and has decided to deport Andreja Cipov. (330) The population of Patele protested against this act and demanded an end to the deportations, and also a release of all the deported fighters

Patele, October 26, 1934

A Macedonian

“Rizospastis” ar. 243 (7173), 1. X1 19J4, s. 3.

(329) Village in the district of Lerin.

(330) Andreja Cipov (1904-1956), well-known Macedonian and Greek revolutionary. In 1933 he become a leader of the I.M.R.O. (United) in Aegean Macedonia and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece. In 1936-1941 he was deported to Akronavplion (Greece). For a short period in 1941 he was secretary of the C.C. of the C.P.G. Participant in the National Liberation Front since 1945.

(Page 268, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)

A LETTER OF PROTEST BY A GROUP OF MACEDONIANS ADDRESSED TO THE GREEK NEWSPAPERS (341)

February 1935

All the Greek people have been following these days the debate in the League of Nations in connection with the complaint of the Greek minority in Albania. We, the undersigned Macedonians, from the bottom of our hearts wish that the complaints of our brothers in northern Epirus may be remedied, since the Macedonians are in the same situation under the bondage of the Greek authorities. We demand the freedom to speak freely in our Macedonian tongue, to open our own schools so that our children will be educated in our own language. We demand that the Greek government should implement the treaties concerning the minorities in regard to the Macedonian minority, which have been disregarded for so many years. Instead of giving us our rights, the Greek governments are interested only in the “hellenization” of our population. On the other hand, with the assistance of their chauvinist newspapers they endeavour to present us Macedonians as “Slavophones” and “pure Greeks”. We protest also against the orgies which are being held by various nationalist organizations. Together with the gendarmes, they frequently arrest Macedonians, accuse them of being “Komitadjis” and subject them to brutal torture. We call upon our brother Macedonians to complain against this situation. Let us demand that an end be put to the terror, let us demand to be given the right for free use of our own language, to open our own Macedonian schools.

“Makedonsko Delo” X/195 (Fevruari 1935), p. 8.

(341) According to a note added by the editorial board of the newspaper “Makedonsko delo” (The Macedonian Cause), the Greek minority in southern Albania protested in the League of Nations against the terror of the Albanian authorities. The League of Nations considered this protest early in 1935. A group of Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia used this case to address a letter of protest to the Greek newspapers against the terror of the authorities in Macedonia under Greek rule. The letter was written in the Macedonian language.

(Pages 271-272, The University of “Cyril and Methodius”, Documents on the Struggle of the Macedonian People for Independence and a Nation-State, Volume II)