Macedonian State-National Concepts and ... - Makedonika

ighteousness of Russia, we are now standing up together with the whole of
Slavdom, shoulder to shoulder with them, not laying our arms aside as long as the
enemy of Slavdom is not fully defeated”.
In the last issue of Makedonskij Golos (Makedonski Glas), November 20, 1914,
Ëupovski, Peškovski, Ugrinovski and BoÔidarski published an extensive Appeal
of the Macedonians Patriots to the Popular Representatives of Bulgaria,
Serbia and Greece, in which they wrote that one of the main reasons for the
outbreak of “the great European war which has engulfed the peoples of virtually
the entire world” was the Macedonian question itself, and therefore “the desires
of the Macedonians themselves” and “their national aspirations”, which “have been
expressed more than once in the past years” had to be heard; “they are known to
both European diplomacy and the Balkan politicians and statesmen”, in which “it
is clearly and decisively said: Macedonia should be autonomous, united and
independent”. For “Bulgaria has no greater rights to Macedonia than the Serbs or
Greeks who have also at one time, just like the Bulgarians, ruled our fatherland as
conquerors. But conquest by force does not deprive the people of their national
character, of their desire to feel as they feel and not as something else, and to fight
for the recognition of their independence”. After making a detailed survey of
Macedonia’s historical destiny over the centuries, the Appeal warned:
Naturally and logically, Macedonia’s liberation can be achieved only through the
restoration of its independence. And the present partition of the land or the currently
propagated new partition or the annexation of the majority of the Slavonic-Macedonian
land by any state can by no means be an equitable solution; no one will be
satisfied and the Balkan peoples will never be pacified.
Precisely with this in mind, we, the Macedonian patriots, are appealing now, at
this exceptionally important moment, both historically and politically, to you, our
brothers in Slavic blood — Serbs and Bulgarians — and to you, our brothers in the
Orthodox faith — Greeks — reminding you of the great responsibility ordained to
you by destiny, entrusting the settlement of the question of Macedonia to you.
Remember, brothers, an ethnically homogeneous people is a living body which will
be condemned to death if cut into pieces.
Relying again on the statement issued by Russia “for the liberation of all the
Slavs and the satisfaction of their national yearnings” and reminding Serbia,
Bulgaria and Greece that “they can also hope to receive the support of Russia and
the approval of the great powers on the issue of satisfying their state interests which
are not in contravention of the proclaimed principles of the liberation war”, and
also pointing to the attitude of Russia, Britain and France “towards the peoples of
Austria-Hungary and Germany which are subjected to German-Hungarian slavery”,
and which have been “promised full freedom and independence”, the Appeal
spoke out poignantly:
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