Conclusion

Conclusion

Mincho Fotev comes from a revolutionary family of fighters streaching back to the Ilinden Uprising. His entire immediate family has actively participated in the national liberation armed struggles in Greek occupied Macedonia in both World War II (1941-1945) and in the Greek Civil War (1945-1949). Several of his family members lost their lives in these wars.

Mincho Fotev was one of the organizers, an active fighter and a member of the immediate PLM leadership of the Macedonian people in Greek occupied Macedonia, from 1941 to 1949. In his position he occupied and duties he performed, Fotev was well aware of the facts and was capable of making judgments in regards to the Macedonian national liberation movement in Greek occupied Macedonia, the Greek Monarcho-Fascist perpetrated terror against the Macedonian people, the fascist occupation and the divisions existing in Macedonia during the fascist occupation, the Bulgarian propaganda and the pro-Bulgarian counter-band movement, the existence of various organizations, and the PLM’s rise and achievements. For the objective and subjective internal reasons as to why DAG was defeated and why the Macedonian population fled its homeland, which had far-reaching tragic consequences for the compact existence of the Macedonian people in their own country in Greek occupied Macedonia, Fotev has his own explanation. The reasons why these things happened, according to Fotev, were because of internal weaknesses and divisions, relations with the Communist Party of Greece, relations with the Communist Party of Macedonia and with the People’s Republic of Macedonia, the role played by the Yugoslav Communist Party, and the dominant role played by the world powers such as Britain, the US and the USSR.

In any case, as a revolutionary, Mincho Fotev has left behind an authentic account of events with historical significance, which took place during the long decade in which the Macedonian people’s armed liberation struggle took place in Greek occupied in World War II and in the Greek Civil War. He also left us relevant information on hundreds of Macedonian leaders and activists who participated in the Macedonian political organizations NOF, NOMS and AFZH and lost their lives.

Mincho Fotev also left for us polemic texts describing his views, opinions and assessments of the other leaders and participants in the movement, as well as the views of researchers and historians, in order to contribute to the objective clarification of events and to explain the role of individuals in the Macedonian national liberation movement in Greek occupied Macedonia. According to Fotev, there are also events that were simply invented and that documents were written to make them look real. Unfortunately, one of our regrets is that Fotev did not give us his own views, for example, on the organizations MAO, TOMO, and KOEM, to name a few.

Based on the data and opinions that Mincho Fotev left behind in written form we can see that he covered a wide variety of subjects, events and people, especially from the period 1945 to 1949. We can also say that, to some extent, his views are different than those of Dr. Risto Kiriazovski. His disagreements with historian Risto Kiriazovski, who was also a participant in the movement, arise from the different approaches they took in their presentation and evaluation of the movement.