1995-10-01a- CIA Conference Report: THE CHALLENGE OF ETHNIC CONFLICT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE 1990S GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES 01-Oct-95

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During the second Balkan War (1912-13) the Greeks early 13th century. According to legend, the Serbs
and Serbs, with the help of the Romanians, invaded were defeated at the battle of Kosovo and later fled
Bulgaria and took land from: it. Romania seized north into what is today Greater Serbia.7 Historically,
Dobrudja (Dobrogea) while the Serbs and Greeks however, the Serbs came from the north and were con-
divided Macedonia between them. Not only did they centrated along the Morava valley in what is today the
take the land, but also they instituted policies aimed at heartland of the Serbs.$ It is important to note that it
eradicating the Bulgarian presence and claim. Serbia was church policy to have geographical diocese
renamed northern Macedonia South Serbia and out- within which an official language was used. There is
lawed both the Bulgarian language and church (those no question that Kosovo was within the territorial
used by the Macedonians themselves) and replaced domain of the Serbian Orthodox Church, but that does
them with the Serbian language and church. It was not mean that the population living there was Serbian.
hoped that the Macedonians of South Serbia would The Battle of Kosovo, the role of Krali Marko, or
become Serbs. Greece was far worse in its treatment other folktales should not be accepted as a justification
of Macedonians. Slavic Macedonians (and Bulgarians for Serbian aggression against ethnic Albanians who
in Thrace) were forced to accept Greek names and call compose about 90 percent of that region today.
themselves Greeks or flee the country. A policy of
Hellenization was instituted throughout the region. A propaganda campaign against ethnic Albanians was
part and parcel of Serbian policy long before the cur-
Between the second Balkan War and World War II, rent crises in Krajina and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
pasolicies ofwropnySerbianization, cdHellenization, Macnd aethnic
cles werbanzacti ced in bh Macedonia Serbian propoganda claimed that the Patriarsija Con-
and Thrace. The region was also ethnically cleansed vent in Pee was burned to the ground by Albanians
of Macedonians and Bulgarians, as was Greek Thrace, and that the Serbian nuns there had been raped. I was
which had a Slavic majority. In addition to this, hun- there one year after the alleged fire and rape, and the
dreds of thousands of Greeks from the Pontic region Serbian nuns in the convent knew nothing about such
of Turkey were resettled into those parts of Macedonia an event. The convent was still standing, and there
under Greek control. was no damage to it whatsoever. Claims were also
made that Albanians killed, raped, and tortured Serbs
The Greek objection to the recognition of a Republic in the region, yet the local Serbs in Kosovo declared
of Macedonia derives from more than issues related to to me that that was a rare occurrence. Many Serbs of
an ancient conqueror. Greece fears the demand for the Prizren, Pec, Orahovac, and Djakovica (in the western
return of the homeland by a free Macedonia and repa- part of Kosovo), on the other hand, told me that pov-
rations for past atrocities. Greece also fears that the erty forced Serbs to sell their homes and move to Ser-
ethnic Macedonians will demand their homes back. 6 bia proper. Some laughed at the fact that many Serbs
This is potentially one of the most serious issues in who sold their homes to ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
Eastern Europe, as it can involve Greece, Bulgaria,
Serbia, Macedonia, and even Albania in a real war. 7 Part of the claim is also that Prince Marko (Krali Marko) was a
More is said on this later. Serb and that he was killed at this battle. According to their own
sources, he came from Prilep (in Macedonia). As such, he is
claimed by Macedonians as a Macedonian and by Bulgarians as a
The Serbs and Kosovo Bulgar. He may also have been a Vlah, a people renowned for their
A similar situation exists in Kosovo, a land claimed military abilities at the time. One need recognize that Albanians
by both ethnic Albanians and Serbs. Geographical evi- also have epic songs about this battle inwhich three Albanian
debce (sch as plaenams) leandrbs. i eraicatin- princes were killed, not only a Serbian one. We should not be dis-
dence (such as place names) clearly indicates a conti- cussing the right to rule Kosovo, as argued by Serbs and Albanians,
uous settlement of the region by ethnic Albanians. The based on 13th century battles or folk songs, or we will have a Bul-
Serbian claim is based on a war that took place in the garian-Macedonian-Serbian war as well as aSerbian-Albanian one.
S This is most likely the Kingdom of Morava (Moravia) referred to
in the ancient texts regarding the brothers Kiril (Cyril) and Metod
(Methodius), not Moravia in the Czech Repubhic.
6 Macedonians from Greek (Aegean) Macedonia fled to the Ser-
bian-controlled areas of Macedonia as well as to Bulgaria, Austra-
lia, Canada, and the United States after 1913.
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