The Pawn that would be King: Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1946-49 by James Richard Horncastle M.A., University of New Brunswick, 2011 B.A., St. Thomas University, 2009 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © James Richard Horncastle 2016 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2016 Approval Name: James Richard Horncastle Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title: The Pawn that would be King: Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1946-1949 Examining Committee: Chair: Ilya Vinkovetsky Associate Professor Andre Gerolymatos Senior Supervisor Professor Thomas Kuehn Supervisor Associate Professor Dimitrios Krallis Supervisor Associate Professor Garth Davies Internal Examiner Associate Professor School of Criminology Amikam Nachmani External Examiner Professor Department of Political Science Bar-Ilan University Date Defended/Approved: December 7, 2016 ii Abstract The Macedonian Question has confounded academics, politicians and the people of the Balkans since the nineteenth century. While countries have resolved the territorial component of the Macedonian Question, the critical and confusing problem surrounding the ethnic and linguistic identity of the people of the region continues to be the source of international debate. Part of the reason for this confusion is because the history of the Macedonian Question is shrouded in nationalist polemics. The role of the Macedonian Slavs involvement in the Greek Civil War is particularly contentious and embedded in nationalist polemics, which has impacted academic inquiry. This dissertation argues that the preponderance of Macedonian Slavs within the communist forces during the Greek Civil War influenced the actions of all the major actors involved, and has been a significant factor in shaping the modern Macedonian national identity. Equally important was that the Macedonian people’s cognizance of their contribution to the conflict initially allowed them to pursue political and social objectives that would have been impossible under conventional circumstances. Ultimately, regional and international politics prevented the most idealist sections of the Macedonian Slavs from achieving their goal of an independent Macedonian state. Those elements that followed the Yugoslav vision, which developments in the Greek Civil War helped facilitate, however, did achieve the goal of an independent Macedonian political entity. This dissertation demonstrates that one cannot gain a comprehensive understanding of the Greek Civil War without examining the role of the Macedonian Slavs and Macedonian Question in the conflict. Keywords: Macedonian Question; Greek Civil War; Cold War; Guerrilla Warfare; Nationalism; Conflict Studies iii Dedication To my grandparents. iv Acknowledgements Anyone that has gone through the process of writing a PhD knows that it is not an easy process. While it is my name on my dissertation, there are a number of people who deserve recognition for their valuable contributions. I will always remain indebted to my senior supervisor, Dr. Gerolymatos, for both his support and valuable feedback throughout the process. It was Dr. Gerolymatos who suggested that I examine the Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War. While I had previously examined aspects of the Macedonian Question, it was his passion and knowledge about the Greek Civil War that helped convince me to pursue this topic, for which I remain grateful Furthermore, he provided me with valuable teaching and research experience while I completed my dissertation. This gave me the chance to acquire the tools needed to be both a scholar and a teacher. Without his support, I would not be here today. Moreover, all my colleagues in Hellenic Studies provided me with an effective and positive environment with which to conduct this research. Dimitris Krallis, Eirini Kotsovili, and Evdoxios Doxiadis both provided valuable insight and suggested avenues of research that have helped me complete this dissertation. I would also like to thank my committee members for not only helping guide the research process, but also taking time away from their work in order to do so. Additionally, the staff of Hellenic Studies and the Department of History bears special mention. Specifically Maria Hamilton, Colleen Pescott, and Chris Dickert created a pleasant work environment that made it a pleasure to go to work and helped me navigate the various pitfalls associated with bureaucracy. Finally, Ruth Anderson has proven delightful to work with and has patiently guided me through the various steps needed to complete this dissertation. This project could not have been completed without extensive archival research. While research was conducted at several archives, a specific mention must be made of the Diplomatic and Historical Archives in Greece. These documents were, in many ways, v the most important for my research. Specifically the director, Photini Tomai- Constantopoulou, helped me significantly and I appreciate her help in dealing with this difficult subject. Finally, I wish to thank my friends and family for putting up with me throughout the dissertation writing process. Jack Adam MacLennan, my best friend and an exceptional scholar, helped me throughout the writing process. Jimmy Peterson, Sukhjit Chohan, and Khash Hemmati were always there for me and helped make SFU another home for me. My family was always there for me, through all the peaks and valleys of writing a dissertation, and I cannot thank them enough. Lastly, my girlfriend Salma, whose patience and understanding while I finished this dissertation is something for which I am eternally grateful. vi Table of Contents Approval ............................................................................................................................. ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. vii List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................... ix Note on Terminology ......................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 1.1. Historiography .......................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 25 1.3. Primary Sources ..................................................................................................... 32 1.4. Chapter Breakdown ............................................................................................... 37 Chapter 2. Historical Background ........................................................................... 39 2.1. The Balkans during the Ottoman Period ................................................................ 40 2.2. The Emergence of Nationalism and the Nation-State ............................................ 43 2.3. The Unredeemed Territories and Mutual Competition ........................................... 49 2.4. The Balkan Wars, the First World War, and their Impact on the Macedonian Question ................................................................................................................. 57 2.5. Greece, the Asia Minor Catastrophe, and the Macedonian Question, 1919- 1923 ....................................................................................................................... 61 2.6. Communism, IMRO and a distinct Macedonian Identity (1919-1941) .................... 66 2.7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 70 Chapter 3. The Second World War and the Development of the Macedonian National Movement within Yugoslavia, and the impact it had on Greece ......................................................................... 71 3.1. Yugoslavia and the Problem of Macedonian Nationalism, 1941-Summer 1944 ....................................................................................................................... 72 3.2. The KKE on the Macedonian Question, 1943-44 ................................................... 90 3.3. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 94 Chapter 4. The Macedonian Question and its impact on the Dekemvriana ......... 96 4.1. Yugoslavia and the Macedonian Question ............................................................. 98 4.2. The CPY and the KKE, late 1944 ......................................................................... 107 4.3. The KKE on the road to the Dekemvriana ........................................................... 114 4.4. The Dekemvriana, and the CPY’s decision to reverse its decision to aid the KKE ...................................................................................................................... 128 4.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 135 vii Chapter 5. Towards a Civil War: The Macedonian Question in the Bulgarian-Greek-Yugoslav Interparty Dynamic ................................. 137 5.1. The CPY’s efforts at Nation-Building in Macedonia, 1945-1946 .......................... 138 5.2. NOF and its development in 1945 ........................................................................ 162 5.3. The Greek Government and KKE-CPY Relations ................................................ 171 5.4. The Return of Zachariadis, and the Macedonian Question during the KKE’s drift towards Civil War: 1945-mid 1946 ................................................................ 184 5.5. The Macedonian Question and the Civil War ....................................................... 203 5.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 208 Chapter 6. The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War, January 1947-June 1948 ..................................................................................... 210 6.1. The CPY and the Macedonian Question, November 1946-June 1948 ................ 211 6.2. The KKE and the Macedonian Question, 1946-1948 .......................................... 221 6.3. NOF’s Submersion within the KKE, and Internal Dissent, 1946-1948 ................. 230 6.4. The Slavophone Macedonians and the Greek Government, 1946-1948 ............. 234 6.5. The Macedonian Question in the Lead up to the Tito-Stalin Split ........................ 244 6.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 252 Chapter 7. The Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War after the Tito- Stalin split, July 1948-September 1949 ............................................... 254 7.1. The KKE’s Initial Reaction to the Tito-Stalin Split ................................................ 254 7.2. The CPY’s reaction to the Cominform’s effort to use the Macedonian Question ............................................................................................................... 268 7.3. NOF’s status in the wake of the Tito-Stalin Split .................................................. 273 7.4. The Culmination of Greek Government Policy ..................................................... 277 7.5. The CPY breaks from the KKE ............................................................................ 283 7.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 285 Chapter 8. Conclusion and Impacts ...................................................................... 287 8.1. Summary of Findings ........................................................................................... 288 8.2. Legacies of the Macedonian Question in the Greek Civil War ............................. 291 8.3. Avenues of Future Research ............................................................................... 296 8.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 298 References ................................................................................................................ 300 viii List of Acronyms AJ Archive of Yugoslavia ASKI Contemporary Social History Archive AVNOJ Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia ASNOM Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia BCF Balkan Communist Federation BCP Bulgarian Communist Party BRCC Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Community BWP Bulgarian Workers’ Party CC Central Committee CPA Communist Party of Albania CPM Communist Party of Macedonia CPS Communist Party of Serbia CPY Communist Party of Yugoslavia DAG Democratic Army of Greece EAM National Liberation Front EDES National Republican Greek League EKKA National and Social Liberation ELAS Greek People’s Liberation Army EPON United Panhellenic Organization of Youth FYROM Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia IMRO Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization IMRO Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United) (UNITED) IMXA Institute for Balkan Studies KKE Communist Party of Greece MRO Macedonian Revolutionary Organization NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NLA National Liberation Army NOF National Liberation Front PDGFG Provisional Democratic Government of Free Greece PEEA Political Committee of National Liberation ix SMC Supreme Macedonian Committee SNOF Slav National Liberation Front UDBA State Security Administration UDIA Diplomatic and Historical Archive UN United Nations UNSCOB United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans USSR Union of Soviet Social Republics x