ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mihailo Minoski was born on October 18, 1938, in the village Dolgaets, Prilep Region. He received his MA in Philosophy at the University of “Sveti Kiril and Metodi” in Skopje in 1975, and acquired his Doctorate of Historical Sciences in the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade in 1981. From 1986, until his retirement he worked as a professor at the Institute of History in the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.

Minoski has published over 200 scientific papers in the field of historical sciences. This includes books, articles, press releases, reviews, etc. Included among his best accomplishments are the books “Liberation movements and uprisings in Macedonia (1564-1615)”, 1972 (212 pages); “Austro-Hungarian policies towards Macedonia and the Macedonian Question (1878-1903)”, Skopje, 1982 (376pages); “Federal ideas in Macedonian political thought (1887-1919)”, Skopje, 1983 (372 pages); “The USA and Macedonia (1869-1919)”, Skopje, 1994 (227 pages); “AVNOJ Yugoslavia and the Macedonian National Question (1943-1946)”, Skopje, 2000 (398 pages); “Macedonia in international agreements, I, (1913-1940)”, 2006 (618 pages), and “Macedonia and Bulgaria, historical confrontations”, Skopje, 2008.

Mihailo Minoski is a member of the Center for Strategic Research (CSI) Council at MANU. In 2008 he was awarded the “October 11” lifetime achievement award in science.

ABOUT MINCHO FOTEV

Mincho Fotev (1922-1987) was born in the town Rupishsta, Kostur Region. He was born to a “working family”. As a youngster he joined the Communist Youth Union of Greece and later the CPG. He served several prison sentences for his work and for his involvement with communist activities. Immediately after the Italian occupation of Western Greek occupied Macedonia, he actively became involved in the resistance movement and was one of its leading figures. Among other things, he served as an officer in ELAS. Later, during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), he was one of the founders of Macedonian liberation organizations (NOF, NOMS and AFZH), a member of the NOF Main Board, President of NOMS since its inception, Assistant Commissar in DAG General Headquarters, and member of the KOEM Main Board... In September 1949, the top Macedonian leaders, including Mincho Fotev, were arrested by the CPG and accused of being the main culprits for DAG’s defeat. After that they were interned in the USSR. Mincho Fotev spent two years sentence in the Moscow prison “Liublianka”, after which he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in Siberia (Varkuta). In 1956, after the normalization of relations between the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Yugoslav Communist Party, he and the other leaders were released and repatriated in the People’s Republic of Macedonia. Mincho Fotev died in Skopje in 1987.

Acronyms

AFZH - Women’s Anti-Fascist Front ASNOM – Anti-Fascist Assembly of National Liberation of Macedonia BRP(k) – Communist Party of Bulgaria CPG - Communist Party of Greece CPM - Communist Party of Macedonia CPY - Communist Party of Yugoslavia CVG - Greek Civil War DAG – Democratic Army of Greece EAM – National Liberation Front ELAS – National Liberation Army of Greece EON – National Youth Organization EPON – All Greek National Youth Organization KOEM – Communist Organization of Aegean Macedonia KOS - Counter-intelligence Sector of JAN NKVD – People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs NOBG - Peoples Liberation Struggle in Greece NOBM - Peoples Liberation Struggle in Macedonia PLM – People’s Liberation Movement NOF - Peoples’ Liberation Front NOMS - Peoples’ Liberation Youth Organization OKNE - Communist Youth Organization of Greece ONOO – Local People’s Liberation Council OZNA – People’s Defense Division PAO - Pan-Hellenic Liberation Organization PDEG – Pan-Greek Democratic Union of Women PDOG – International Federation of Democratic Women POJ - Partisan Units of Yugoslavia PRM – People’s Republic of Macedonia SID - Information Services of the Yugoslav Ministry of Foreign Affairs SNOF - Slavo-Macedonian National Liberation Front SKP(b) – Communist Party of the Soviet Union UDBA - Directorate of State Security USSR – United Soviet Socialist Republics