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Just prior to independence the irredtentist movement in Macedonia was hinged upon the remaining Ottoman territory in the Balkans prior to the first Balkan War. All maps showing "ethnic" or "real" Macedonia basically show the Ottoman territory of Macedonia. That map here shows that. There were claims on Alexander the Great but it was second to righting the wrongs of the "injustice" done during the Second Balkan war where Macedonia was "ripped apart by invading forces". Independence in the early 90s was seen as the first step to unifying all the remaining parts. The whole antiquisation and glorifying of ancient history pretty much gained strength as a result and as a response to Greece. Greece at that time claimed that all things Macedonian as Greek and that Tito invented the ex-YU Macedonian ethnicity as a way to destabilize Greece. There was also the embargo embargo Greece imposed on Macedonia. The embargo was pretty much done to convince Macedonia to change its name. It was pretty poo poo living there during that time. There was literally nothing going well in the country and the elimination of subsidies and major trade partners with the dissolution of Yugoslavia forced the country into complete poverty. And yeah, those are pretty much ideal conditions that lead to grandiose nationalistic delusions. I can say that then, and especially now, most Macedonians view that whole antiquisation and building of giant statues of Alexander as an embarrassment and terrible ways to spend money. Most don't care about being descendants of ancient Macedonians but they also think Greece are assholes. There is also a feeling that have been calling themselves Macedonians long enough that, Alexander the Great or not, they don't want to give in to Greece. Macedonians just want to be able to enter NATO and the EU if they are able without Greece cockblocking them all the loving time. To Macedonians, Greece's veto power in those organizations means that Macedonia cannot have a non poo poo actual European future and that they'll be stuck in being so very, very Balkan. In the pejorative sense of the word Balkan and all the baggage that it entails.
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Feb 9, 2013 02:39
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 22:59 |
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