Excellent post. But read my previous post and this one slowly and carefully.
First, I haven’t mentioned a religious state – though majority of it would be Orthodox Christians.
Second, discrimination of minority Muslims, Jews and Gypsies can’t be the policy of it. Of course, there ought to be measures of protection against disloyalty, but not against any religion. So disloyal should be suppressed on the basis of disloyalty, not on the basis of their Gypsyness, Jewishness or Muslimness. BTW, I know some good Gypsies, Muslims and Jews. (I don’t deny there are some not so good – though I’ve never seen a really harmful Gypsy, they are easy to handle.)
Third, in case all mentioned joined, the state couldn’t be referred as Slavic – we’d be a minority ethnic group.
Fourth, history. Late 19th and early 20th century in the Balkans should be carefully studied from the perspective of each of our nations. You’d see the influence of „YoungTurks“ and their religious syncretism (masonic? read also about a false Jewsih Messiah Shabatay Zvi). Bad blood against Serbs and Bulgars and Bulgars and Greeks has been carefully crafted – Bulgarian priests educated in Constantinopolis, in the very Patriarchy in late 19th century were inducing Bulgars in second Balkan war and WW1 to digg eyes of the frescoes in Serbian Churches. I know Serbia did attack Bulgaria once somewhere in the late 19th century (probably 1885), and we were rightfully defeated. Bulgaria did attack Greece in the Second Balkan war, aiming Thesalonica, and was rightfully defeated. I’ll get back to Macedonia later.
The consequence of the First Serbian uprising 1804 – 1815 was the independence of Greece 1824 (or 1832?). Ottoman Empire was needed by West to survive, so new independences were to be managed carefully. Autocephalia of Church of Greece was accompanied with modern nationalism and very bad relations towards the Patriarch of Constantinopolis.
Adrianopolis was liberated – by the Bulgars AND SERBS – the first Serbian Army under the command of (than) Gen. Stepa Stepanovic was on Adrianopolis. After the success, hysteria against Serbs was instigated, so they were even the proposals to capture Serbian Army as war prisoners, which didn’t happen. Head of Bulgarian military resigned for such a behavior (Alas, I don’t know his name). Serbian First Army returned in Serbia. Adrianopolis was returned to Turkey – control of Bosphorus and Dardanelles by Western powers was defended.
That time, Bulgars were ruled by kings of German origin – Koburg (sp?), and were under the strong influence of Germans. Greeks were consicutivelly ruled by two Anglo – German dinasties of kings. Serbs were ruled first by Austrian influenced Obrenovic, than by France influenced Karadjordjevic. Name of British FM during that time was Benjamin Disraeli. Greece did not participate in WW1. They alone had their war with Turkey in 1922-1924 – read about it, and about how they were trapped first to attempt a foolish aim and than left alone to be crushed by Turks, whom expelled and killed 1,5 million Greeks from Asia Minor in 1924, after they already killed 1,5 million and expelled 1,5 Armenians in 1917 (during the revolution in Russia). See how that’s connected with pro-Russian alliance in Russo-Turskish war in 1878 (even Georgians and Armenians joined Russ, not to mention Bulgars and Romanians). In 1924 Greeks were alone, while they made a fundamental error – Turks had nowhere to go, so they had to stand against the vigorous attacks of Greeks.
The first genocide was that one against the Assyrians in British mandated part of Ottoman Empire back in 1903.
All of these were crafted before, it all does have ideological foundation. These three nations were directed exactly in the opposite directions – ideologically, economically, militarily. That’s what’s called BALKANIZATION. Now read those verses from Old Testament about fall of a divided a home and tying a strong to robb his home.
The point is – the elites of Greeks, Serbians and Bulgars were each directed towards a different western power. Most of it was achieved by education, by scholarship, by so called “culture” than by commerce. So each of us become alienated from each other and we became pathetic servants fascinated by the west, but waiting pathetically help from Russia during the hard times. The elites also alienated themselves from their own people.
Since there is strong Serbophilia among the common Greeks (peasants, labor class), not among the elite, and having in mind the character of Greeks (their Imperial past, their wars with Turkey, their war against Italians, their resistance to Hitler, their wars in Cyprus) I see Greeko-Serbian alliance the easiest to achieve, just by taking the soul searching in mind. Having in mind precaucosness and carefulness of Bulgars, they (you) won’t invest in it hard before it’s already visible and at hand. Once they see brothers are waiting for them to be part of equal and strong, they’ll rush to join, but not before. We need elites being willing and aware of that, and that’s the most difficult part. And to avoid covert operations as already happened before regarding Adrianopolis and else.
Macedonia was actually the apple of quarrel. Yes, its’ artificial. Most of them were Bulgars, with Serbian and Greek population as well. Late Pres Kiro Gligorov also mentioned the influence of strong Ottoman military there in the late 18th and 19th century to their ethnic composition. But we shouldn’t wonder what are we to do with them. Let us be careful. Let FYROM exist as it’s now. Let them dragged in step-by-step. Once Greeko-Serbian (but not anti-FYROM or anti-Bulgar) alliance exist, they’ll rush to join, too, along with Bulgars, maybe even earlier, but not later.
We first need to see it in our minds. We first need to see how obvious and logical it is. All of us. Operationalization, help of Russia, time, that’s all of secondary importance. It’s the idea that is important first.
I’m also not sure how much time do we have. The events are happening fast.
We wont renounce Kosovo, but the West will recognize it outside U.N. We’ll take the northen part of it in a limited war and we’ll get one frozen conflict. It would have the impact to Bosnia, Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro and Bulgaria (you mentioned Deli Orman). So all will see how logical our alliance is. Or Bulgars will stand alone if Turkey is up against them to help Muslims in Deli Orman? Just like Cyprus did it, alone, with “help” of Britain and U.S.?
