The Bloody Christmas (Bulgarian: Кървава Коледа, Kărvava Koleda; Macedonian: Крвава Коледа, Krvava Koleda) or the Bloody Bozhik (Bulgarian: Кървав Божик, Karvav Bozhik; Macedonian: Крвав Божиќ, Krvav Božiḱ) was a campaign in which several hundred people of Macedonian Bulgarian descent were killed as collaborationists by the Yugoslav communist authorities in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia from 7 to 9 January 1945.[1][2] Thousands of others who retained their pro-Bulgarian sympathies and pro-Bulgarian views, suffered severe repression as a result.[3] However many people with various degrees of allegedly being pro-Bulgarian orientation (in the most cases they were pro-Independence and anti-Yugoslav) were also arrested, sentenced on fabricated charges and imprisoned.
After the end of the Second World War, Bulgarians in the so-called "new lands" in Vardar Macedonia, briefly annexed to Bulgaria during the war, were persecuted using charges of "great-Bulgarian chauvinism". This chapter of Macedonian history was a taboo subject for conversation until the late 1980s, and, as a result, decades of official silence created a reaction in the form of numerous data manipulations for nationalist and communistpropaganda purposes.[4][5] To wipe out the Bulgarophile sentiments of parts of the local population, the Yugoslav communists started a process of nation-building.[6]
From the start of the new Socialist Republic of Macedonia, accusations surfaced that new authorities were involved in retribution against people who did not support the formation of the new ethnic Macedonian identity.[7] The number of dead "traitors" and "collaborators" due to organized killings of Bulgarians during Bloody Christmas and afterwards is unclear, but some sources put the number of victims at 1,200.[8] The idea was to weaken the Bulgarian intelligentsia in Macedonia, to eradicate Bulgarian self-consciousness of parts of the population, and to speed-up the process of Macedonisation.[9] At the end of 1944, a law was passed for the protection of the Macedonian national honour, which legalized the persecution of people who openly expressed Bulgarian self-consciousness. Special courts were also set up to protect Macedonia's national honour.
During the terror of January 1945, on the road between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, and on the hills of Galičica mountain near the village of Oteševo and other villages, more Bulgarians were executed.[10] Most of the bodies were disposed of in Lake Prespa. Nearly all inhabited places in Vardar Macedonia provided victims for the campaign.[11] In several cities in Vardar Macedonia which were set up people's courts, issuing death sentences over citizens charged of "great-Bulgarian chauvinism". In Skopje. in 1945 alone, 18 trials were held with 226 defendants, 22 of whom were sentenced to death. In Štip in the same period, seven Bulgarians were sentenced to death. Ten Bulgarians were sentenced to death in Prilep and in Veles. In Bitola, nine were sentenced to death.[12]
According to Bulgarian sources, between 1945 and 1947 over 4,700 Bulgarians were massacred or went missing.[13] As a result of the purge, up to 100,000 people were deported, displaced, imprisoned, persecuted or sent to concentration camps in Yugoslavia.[14][notes 1]
^Additionally, some 100,000 people were imprisoned in the post-1944 period for violations of the law for the "protection of Macedonian national honor," and some 1,260 Bulgarian sympathizers were allegedly killed. (Troebst, 1997: 248-50, 255-57; 1994: 116-22; Poulton, 2000: 118-19). For more see: Roudometof, Victor (2002) Collective Memory, National Identity, and Ethnic Conflict: Greece, Bulgaria, and the Macedonian Question. Westport: Connecticut: Praeger. p.104. ISBN0-275-97648-3
Citations
^The most poignant example of Communist Party of Macedonia excess was Bloody Christmas: a series of pro-Bulgarian Macedonian purges that started in January 1945. For more see: James Horncastle, The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, 1944–1949, Rowman & Littlefield, 2019, ISBN1498585051, p. 107.
^Bechev, Dimitar (2009) Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia. Scarecrow Press. p.287. ISBN0810855658
^Poulton, Hugh (2000) Who Are the Macedonians?. C. Hurst & Co. p.118. ISBN1850655340
^Kostov, Chris (2010) Contested Ethnic Identity: The Case of Macedonian Immigrants in Toronto, 1900-1996. Peter Lang. p.84/ ISBN3034301960
^Ramet, Sabrina P. (2005) Thinking About Yugoslavia: Scholarly Debates About the Yugoslav Breakup and the Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. p.281. ISBN0521616905
^Zahariadis, Mickolaos (2005) Essence of Political Manipulation: Emotion, Institutions, and Greek Foreign Policy. Peter Lang. p.85. ISBN0820479039
^Djokić, Dejan (2003). Yugoslavism: Histories of a Failed Idea, 1918-1992, C. Hurst & Co. p. 122. ISBN1-85065-663-0
^Phillips, John (2004) Macedonia: Warlords and Rebels in the Balkans. I.B. Tauris. p.40 ISBN186064841X
^Michev, D. (1994) The Macedonian Question and the Bulgarian-Yugoslav Relations 1944-1949. (in Bulgarian) Sofia:St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House. pp.80-82
^(1992) Macedonianism and Macedonia's Resistance Against It Kosta Tsarnushanov. Sofia: (in Bulgarian) St. Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House. Chapters 25 and 26
^Serafimov, Tsanko (2004) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Macedonia and Macedonian Affairs (in Bulgarian) Orbel. p.298.
^Gotsev, Dimitar (1998) The New National Liberation Struggle in Vardar Macedonia 1944-1991. Sofia:Macedonian Scientific Institute. p.3
^Rae, Heather (2002) State Identities and the Homogenisation of Peoples. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. p.227. ISBN052179708X
External linksedit
Statistics of Yugoslavia's Democide. Estimates, calculations, and sources by R.J. Rummel.
April 15, 2024
bloody, christmas, 1945, bloody, christmas, bulgarian, Кървава, Коледа, kărvava, koleda, macedonian, Крвава, Коледа, krvava, koleda, bloody, bozhik, bulgarian, Кървав, Божик, karvav, bozhik, macedonian, Крвав, Божиќ, krvav, božiḱ, campaign, which, several, hun. The Bloody Christmas Bulgarian Krvava Koleda Kărvava Koleda Macedonian Krvava Koleda Krvava Koleda or the Bloody Bozhik Bulgarian Krvav Bozhik Karvav Bozhik Macedonian Krvav Bozhiќ Krvav Boziḱ was a campaign in which several hundred people of Macedonian Bulgarian descent were killed as collaborationists by the Yugoslav communist authorities in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia from 7 to 9 January 1945 1 2 Thousands of others who retained their pro Bulgarian sympathies and pro Bulgarian views suffered severe repression as a result 3 However many people with various degrees of allegedly being pro Bulgarian orientation in the most cases they were pro Independence and anti Yugoslav were also arrested sentenced on fabricated charges and imprisoned After the end of the Second World War Bulgarians in the so called new lands in Vardar Macedonia briefly annexed to Bulgaria during the war were persecuted using charges of great Bulgarian chauvinism This chapter of Macedonian history was a taboo subject for conversation until the late 1980s and as a result decades of official silence created a reaction in the form of numerous data manipulations for nationalist and communist propaganda purposes 4 5 To wipe out the Bulgarophile sentiments of parts of the local population the Yugoslav communists started a process of nation building 6 From the start of the new Socialist Republic of Macedonia accusations surfaced that new authorities were involved in retribution against people who did not support the formation of the new ethnic Macedonian identity 7 The number of dead traitors and collaborators due to organized killings of Bulgarians during Bloody Christmas and afterwards is unclear but some sources put the number of victims at 1 200 8 The idea was to weaken the Bulgarian intelligentsia in Macedonia to eradicate Bulgarian self consciousness of parts of the population and to speed up the process of Macedonisation 9 At the end of 1944 a law was passed for the protection of the Macedonian national honour which legalized the persecution of people who openly expressed Bulgarian self consciousness Special courts were also set up to protect Macedonia s national honour During the terror of January 1945 on the road between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa and on the hills of Galicica mountain near the village of Otesevo and other villages more Bulgarians were executed 10 Most of the bodies were disposed of in Lake Prespa Nearly all inhabited places in Vardar Macedonia provided victims for the campaign 11 In several cities in Vardar Macedonia which were set up people s courts issuing death sentences over citizens charged of great Bulgarian chauvinism In Skopje in 1945 alone 18 trials were held with 226 defendants 22 of whom were sentenced to death In Stip in the same period seven Bulgarians were sentenced to death Ten Bulgarians were sentenced to death in Prilep and in Veles In Bitola nine were sentenced to death 12 According to Bulgarian sources between 1945 and 1947 over 4 700 Bulgarians were massacred or went missing 13 As a result of the purge up to 100 000 people were deported displaced imprisoned persecuted or sent to concentration camps in Yugoslavia 14 notes 1 See also editLaw for the Protection of Macedonian National Honour Macedonian nationalism Macedonian Bulgarians Bulgarians in North Macedonia Gotse Delchev BrigadeReferences editInformational notes Additionally some 100 000 people were imprisoned in the post 1944 period for violations of the law for the protection of Macedonian national honor and some 1 260 Bulgarian sympathizers were allegedly killed Troebst 1997 248 50 255 57 1994 116 22 Poulton 2000 118 19 For more see Roudometof Victor 2002 Collective Memory National Identity and Ethnic Conflict Greece Bulgaria and the Macedonian Question Westport Connecticut Praeger p 104 ISBN 0 275 97648 3 Citations The most poignant example of Communist Party of Macedonia excess was Bloody Christmas a series of pro Bulgarian Macedonian purges that started in January 1945 For more see James Horncastle The Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War 1944 1949 Rowman amp Littlefield 2019 ISBN 1498585051 p 107 Bechev Dimitar 2009 Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Macedonia Scarecrow Press p 287 ISBN 0810855658 Poulton Hugh 2000 Who Are the Macedonians C Hurst amp Co p 118 ISBN 1850655340 Kostov Chris 2010 Contested Ethnic Identity The Case of Macedonian Immigrants in Toronto 1900 1996 Peter Lang p 84 ISBN 3034301960 Ramet Sabrina P 2005 Thinking About Yugoslavia Scholarly Debates About the Yugoslav Breakup and the Wars in Bosnia and Kosovo Cambridge U K Cambridge University Press p 281 ISBN 0521616905 Zahariadis Mickolaos 2005 Essence of Political Manipulation Emotion Institutions and Greek Foreign Policy Peter Lang p 85 ISBN 0820479039 Djokic Dejan 2003 Yugoslavism Histories of a Failed Idea 1918 1992 C Hurst amp Co p 122 ISBN 1 85065 663 0 Phillips John 2004 Macedonia Warlords and Rebels in the Balkans I B Tauris p 40 ISBN 186064841X Michev D 1994 The Macedonian Question and the Bulgarian Yugoslav Relations 1944 1949 in Bulgarian Sofia St Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House pp 80 82 1992 Macedonianism and Macedonia s Resistance Against It Kosta Tsarnushanov Sofia in Bulgarian St Kliment Ohridski University Publishing House Chapters 25 and 26 Angelov Veselin 2003 Macedonian Bloody Christmas Sofia Galik Publishing House pp 179 201 ISBN 9548008777 Serafimov Tsanko 2004 Encyclopedic Dictionary of Macedonia and Macedonian Affairs in Bulgarian Orbel p 298 Gotsev Dimitar 1998 The New National Liberation Struggle in Vardar Macedonia 1944 1991 Sofia Macedonian Scientific Institute p 3 Rae Heather 2002 State Identities and the Homogenisation of Peoples Cambridge U K Cambridge University Press p 227 ISBN 052179708XExternal links editStatistics of Yugoslavia s Democide Estimates calculations and sources by R J Rummel Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bloody Christmas 1945 amp oldid 1217147516, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
