Σερβικές κινήσεις στην ανατολική Μακεδονία στα τέλη του 19ου αιώνα και η αντιμετώπισή τους

Abstract

The Bulgarian propaganda in Macedonia at the end of the 19th century alarmed
the Serbs, who, with their claims to the north blocked, belatedly hastened to prove
that the Slavonic-speaking Macedonians were racially related to them. They thus
established schools and consulates in Macedonia, extending their territorial claims
into south and east Macedonia, even as far as Serres (1890) and the village of Staro
in the province of Melnik, with the aim of making it the last centre of Serbian
influence over the surrounding Slavonic-speaking population groups. The concerted
efforts of the Metropolitan of Serres, Grigorios, and the Greek consul, Stomaras,
who acted swiftly and forcefully, thwarted all attempts.
As a result of the Greek-Serbian rapprochement of 1899, the Serbian activities in
the region subsided somewhat. However, the reaction provoked by the terms of the
rapprochement led the Serbian goverment to harden its stance regarding the Serbian
consulate in Serres, which it upgraded by putting a carable diplomat, Avramovic, in
charge of ti; and they increased the number of teachers in the town's Serbian school. The organised resistance to his plans by the Metropolitan of Serres and the Greek
consulate led Avramovic to propose the closure of the Serbian consulate and the
suspension of any activity designed to consolidate Serbian interests in the Serres area.