Foreword

Foreword

These is much testimony given about the armed struggle involving the Macedonian people from Greek occupied Macedonia in the period of the anti-fascist war and during the Greek Civil War. Included in this testimony are views, evaluations and polemical articles published by several of the Macedonian leaders who participated in the Macedonian national liberation movement. Included among the contributors are Paskal Mitrevski, Vangel Aianovski-Otse, Mihailo Keramitchiev, Pavle Rakovski, Naum Peiov, Andreia Chipov, and later scientist-historians Dr. Risto Kiriazovski and Todor Simovski, publicist Hristo Andonovski and other historians including Dr. Stojan Kiselinovski and Tashko Mamurovski. Their presentations were based on relevant facts and authentic, first-hand information that defined both the size and intensity of the armed struggle. In addition to that they each offered their opinions, assessments and sometimes divided views, especially regarding fundamental issues such as ethnic equality between the Macedonian and Greek people in a democratically governed Greece, one side, and a United Macedonia, on the other.

Mincho Fotev was one of the leading Macedonian figures in the PLM (People’s Liberation Movement) (SNOF and NOF) from Greek occupied Macedonia. For various reasons, Mincho Fotev never did publish his testimony or make any other contributions and opinions regarding the armed struggle in which he participated from its beginning to its end with DAG’s defeat. But he did leave behind a great deal of relevant information regarding his views and assessments about the Macedonian participation in defending Greece against fascist Italian aggression, about Greece’s capitulation in WW II, about the division of Greek occupied Macedonia by the occupying forces, about Bulgarian propaganda and the creation of a pro-Bulgarian movement and, above all, about the Macedonian national liberation movement in Greek occupied Macedonia from 1941 to 1949.

I was very honoured by the faith the Fotev family placed in me to publish this book and for entrusting me with Mincho Fotev’s accumulated records. The book consists of two authorized documents which Mincho Fotev had written at different periods of

time. The first is entitled “About the counter-bands” completed in April 1969, and the second is entitled “The emergence of the National Liberation Front (NOF) from the Aegean part of Macedonia”, completed in November 1986.

The intent of this book is to bring light to Mincho Fotev’s activities as a revolutionary and as a participant in the PLM. The book intends to highlight his testimony regarding the Macedonian armed struggle, in which the Macedonian people from Greek occupied Macedonia participated during the Anti-fascist struggle and during the Greek Civil War. It will present his testimony regarding the CPG’s attitude towards the Macedonian national movement and its policy towards the “Macedonian National Question”. It will draw attention to Mincho’s testimony regarding the CPY’s position in this struggle and the role the CPM and the leadership of the People’s Republic of Macedonia played. These testimonies will exclusively be based on the materials made available to us, to the extent that we were permitted by Mincho Fotev.

There are no other or different pretensions.

The reader may find that some of Mincho Fotev’s facts, opinions, views and outstanding issues, presented in this book, may vary and conflict with those of other people. But what is represented here are Fotev’s views and assessment of the role of the many leaders and participants in the movement. We hope that both the academic world and the general public will find this book of interest.

The book itself is divided into three parts: Part I deals with Mincho Fotev’s life and work as a revolutionary, Part II deals with the PLM of the Macedonian People from Greek occupied Macedonia, 1941-1949, and Part III includes an index.

We hope that this book, being printed on the 60th anniversary of the exodus of the Macedonian people who were exiled from Greek occupied Macedonia, will contribute to the mourning of this event.