Marking the 100th anniversay of the Battle of Kumanovo

[Crn Volk]

Vecer: Serbs in Macedonia to mark Battle of Kumanovo anniversary, says DPSM leader
03 October 2012 | 11:17 | FOCUS News Agency
Home / Southeast Europe and Balkans

Skopje. Serbs in Macedonia will mark the anniversary of the Kumanovo Battle in an appropriate manner, said Ivan Stoilkovic, leader of the Democratic Party of the Serbs in Macedonia, as cited by Macedonian Vecer daily.
“We will be together in Zebrnjak to mark the 100th anniversary since the Battle of Kumanovo, at the presence of state leaders from Serbia and Macedonia, so as to commemorate this date, which is important not only for the Serbian but also for the world history,” Stoilkovic remarked.
In his words, the organisation of the event meets with big support from both countries.

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n288965

[Crn Volk]

Some info on the battle;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kumanovo

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Serbian_artillery_Battle_of_Kumanovo.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Ottoman_troops_Battle_of_Kumanovo.jpg

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f3023

Dnevnik, Macedonia: Celebrating Kumanovo battle recalls the Macedonian tragedy
24 September 2012 | 20:03 | Dnevnik daily
Home / Opinion

Centennial celebration of the battle of Kumanovo in the First Balkan War, which soon will be organized at the Serbian-Macedonian state level, is not debatable, but can not forget that it caused the Macedonian people the greatest tragedy - division into ethnic territories. This is what Macedonian historians believe, Dnevnik daily wrote. The text says:
"Reactions have occurred, after information that the battle in which the Serbian army defeated Turkey will be marked by the plaque in Zebarnyak. It is expected Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to attend the ceremony. It is still not clear at what level Macedonia will be represented. Serbian Ministry of Diaspora in March announced that the celebration will be organized in cooperation with the Macedonian state and the organization of Serbs in Macedonia. Similar events with smaller dimensions were so far organized by Serbian companies in the country and the Serbian Embassy in Skopje. It is not yet clear what will be the scenography of the ceremony.
According to historian Nikola Zhekov in order Serbia to celebrate the territory of Macedonia, they should not forbid the celebration of ASNOM in the monastery St. Prohor Pcinski which is now on Serbian territory.
"This is a political question that must find a common language," Zhekov said.
On all previous interstate meetings Serbia explained that the problem is the Serbian Orthodox Church, which owns the monastery.
Celebration of the battle is significant for Macedonia because the result of the two Balkan wars is practically the split of Macedonia between neighboring countries - Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria. The then regimes of these countries soon began systematic denial of the Macedonian people, pursuing a policy of denationalization and assimilation. However the results of these two wars have shattered the hopes of the Macedonian people that the exemption from Turkish rule will form an autonomous and independent Macedonia. Instead, the historiography of these countries indicated that they had a "liberating nature" and the Macedonian people are not mentioned at all.
"As a state, so far we have shown tolerance for the celebration of the memory of wars. I want to recall that a few years ago Bulgarian cemeteries were settled in our country. For this reason, and this celebration will show that we treat reasonable and do not contribute to the divisions and do not break neighborly relations. Our presence in the celebration would not be arguable, and the tragic consequences of this war should not be forgotten," Zhekov said. According to him, in history there are no dilemmas about the Balkan wars.
"Around them there is no conflict and Science has said the word. These wars were the greatest tragedy of the Macedonian people. These Macedonians participated in the hopes that they will receive an autonomous and independent state. But finally, after London and Bucharest Treaty, we have come to see tragedy. Our volunteers participated in the ranks of the Serbian, Bulgarian and Greek army with that hope. But in the end they were all deceived. Therefore we can not celebrate these wars since they became a war to win new territories from neighboring Balkan countries," Zhekov says.
Before the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, the then King Peter I Karadjordjevic addressed to the Serbian people saying that Skopje is one of the historic core of Old Serbia and one of the capitals of the Nemanjic dynasty. The appeal states that brothers Serbs in blood, language, customs, consciousness and desire live there. One hundred years later, the attitude towards the Balkan wars cause different attitude among Serbian historians. In the Serbian historical literature in many places could be found that the Balkan wars of liberation were and are fought for the release of "South or Povardarska Serbia" and "release of Serbian lands from Ottoman occupation." Information about the celebration posted on the website of the Serbian Ministry of Diaspora stated: "After the battle, the Serbian army entered Skopje, the Kingdom of Serbia in the 14th century." Organizing these celebrations in Zebrnyak always includes a special team of the Serbian government for keeping the traditions of the liberation movement.

Propaganda for the Balkan Wars

Srdjan Milosevic, Serbian historian of the younger generation, in a recent interview stated that he personally believes that the Balkan Wars had a different character from that which they have been assigned in the propaganda.
"They were expansionary, but there were liberating features to such an extent as has been considered as liberation from the local population. This is one measure. Another measure is the answer to the question - what's next after these wars. In short, it can not be said that the winners can boast with their results, in any aspect" Milosevic stated.

[Crn Volk]

Bugarash will you be attending the celebrations?

[ioan assen]

Srdjan Milosevic, Serbian historian of the younger generation, in a recent interview stated that he personally believes that the Balkan Wars had a different character from that which they have been assigned in the propaganda.
"They were expansionary, but there were liberating features to such an extent as has been considered as liberation from the local population. This is one measure. Another measure is the answer to the question - what's next after these wars. In short, it can not be said that the winners can boast with their results, in any aspect" Milosevic stated.
That is especially true for Serbia which took only Bulgarian populated areas. The Balkan states cant boast with their results because the country that made the most for the victory took the least, eventhough the majority of the most liberated areas was Bulgarian.

[Bugarash 1893]

Serbian army parade in Sofia

http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/430593_2894002080762_1145656136_n.jpg