The Bulgarian Educational Politics in Vardar Macedonia, 1941 - 1944, Spas Tashev

Introduction

The problem of the Bulgarian Educational Policy as an element of the Bulgarian State Presence [3] in the region along Vardar river in 1941-1944 has been treated only by the Skopian Historical School [4]. So far the most voluminous (and both fact-rich and biased) is Rastislav Terzioski's [5] book. In addition, it is possible to find some relevant information in the illegally published Macedonist pro-Yugoslavian communist periodicals of the time [6], in some Serb-oriented literature [7], in memoirs of distinguished Tito's lieutenants and so on.

The memoirs of Bulgarian communist leader Tzola Dragoitcheva, printed in communist period were the most detailed source, though partial and silent on many facts (due to the obvious purpose not to undermine the "prestige" of the Bulgarian communist party) [8]. In recent years several interesting studies were presented to the Bulgarian reading public [9]. However, neither of the authors had paid any special attention to the educational policy of Bulgarian Kingdom towards Vardar Macedonia in 1941-1944. Yet this is precisely the most apt issue that could help us to reveal the real attitude and mechanisms of the action of the Bulgarian state. In this study the Skopie culture club and the national social clubs are not discussed because they were neither part of the state policy nor did they enjoy any official support [10]. All the data in this work is revised to coincide (completely or approximately) with the figures published by Mr. Terzioski. This is done with the sole objective to avoid the useless disputes with the Skopie history writers: the primary concern of the historian should be not the establishment of the pointless array of numbers and facts but their correct and logical structuring and explanation. [*]

The present author is keen to suppose that the present publication will not cause admiration among the supporters of pre-1989 regime or among those figures home or abroad who benefited from the regime. To Marxist critics I am tempted to remind Lenin's words: "The war is non-party-coloured, varied, complicated thing. It must not be approached with common pattern... Even in an imperial phenomenon there may national-liberation, progressive elements might exist ".

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3. The term "Bulgarian State Presence" is used here as synonym of ''the Bulgarian rule' or 'the liberation'. During the war the ultimate Bulgarian rule was problematical even from the German perspective. The final state borders had to be decided with the signing of piece treaties after the war . (The Bulgarian prime-minister of the time noted in his diary: on July 13, 1943 - "when the final borders will be determined" and on August 6, 1944 - "our army to stay in Thrace and Macedonia until the final settlement of the territorial matters" (Bogdan Filov, Dnevnik, Sofia 1990, p. 589, 725).

4. K. Angelovski, Some aspects of the Bulgarian denationalization Educational policy in occupied Macedonia (1941-1944), Prosvetno delo, issue XXXIII, 3-4, Skopje 1977, p. 179-199.

5. Dr. Rastislav Terzioski, Denationalization activity of the Bulgarian Educational institutions in Macedonia, Skopje 1974. The same author, Some messages of the Bulgarian Authorities of invasion about the similarity in the region of Bitola and Prilep 1941-1943, Publicity of INI, XXIII, 2-3, Skopje 1979, p.172-202.

6. People's voice. A publication of the Prilep's Organization in NOV 1941-1943, Skopje 1990, p. 305.

7. Jovan Pavlovski, The trial like a last havoc, Tetovo 1977, p.392, Dr. Velimir Brezovski, The war of liberation in Macedonia in 1943, Skopje 1971, p. 413 etc.

8. Tzola Dragoitcheva, That is the truth, Sofia 1981, p.128.

9. Dobrin Mitchev "Anti fascist struggle in Vardar Macedonia 1941-1944" -. Makedonski pregled, 1995, No 2. Dimitar Yontchev, Bulgaria and the region of the Aegean Sea (October 1940 - 9 September 1944). Military and Political aspects, Sofia 1993; Dimitar Mintchev, The Bulgarians action committees in Macedonia 1941., Sofia 1995.

10. More details on this question in K. Tzurnushanov, The Macedonism and the resistance of Macedonia against it, Sofia 1992, p. 213-232.

* In the original Bulgarian version of this publication the authentic spelling was preserved in every quatation. The author presumes that the present written norm in Skopje is a third regional form of the Bulgarian language. This view is based not only on academic linguistic arguments: the personal experience confirmed the author's opinion that in the practice there is no perseption of any existence of a separated, non-Bulgarian, Macedonian language. This 'language' is easy understandable in every Bulgarian region: both in Pirin Macedonia (in the South-West) and Dobrudzha (in the North-East).