Todoroska: Macedonia gained nothing after the armistice in the Great War – suffered losses and remained divided

Professor Katerina Todoroska from the Institute of National History at the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje pointed out that for North Macedonia, Armistice Day in World War I does not hold significant meaning, as the Macedonian people emerged from the war with heavy human losses but without the desired autonomy or independence.

Todoroska explains that after November 11, 1918, Macedonia remained divided among Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece, with tensions and conflicts continuing even after the war formally ended.

“What we, as Macedonians, gained from World War I were massive human losses, without any benefits for the Macedonian people, as Macedonia remained divided under the same territories and rulers as before. After 1918, Macedonia was split between Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece, becoming known as Southern Serbia and the Vardar Banovina. This situation would only be rectified in the Vardar region after World War II,” Todoroska told Kosovo Online.

She assesses that the territory of what was then Macedonia was one of the most significant areas where World War I took place. In 1913, a year before the Great War began, it had been divided in Bucharest between Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece. 

Bulgaria, she notes, was dissatisfied with what it had gained and saw World War I as an opportunity to reclaim territories it felt were unjustly withheld in the Treaty of Bucharest.
“Bulgaria did not initially join the Central Powers but entered the alliance in 1915 and immediately began moving into Macedonian territories, which it believed had been denied to it in the Bucharest Agreement,” the professor said.

As she adds, upon Bulgaria’s entry, a Macedonian Military District was established.

She notes that what was happening in those areas was also happening in Kosovo – Bulgaria sought, with the help of its allies, to bring under control all the territories it intended to annex.

“Hoping their support would correct what Bulgaria perceived as a mistake – receiving only a small portion of Macedonia from the great powers in 1913,” Todoroska stated.

She says that at the time, Macedonia was divided, with Macedonians conscripted into three armies: one army from Bulgaria, another from Serbia, and the third from Greece.

The professor notes that all Macedonian soldiers, regardless of which side they fought for, shared a common goal – to achieve autonomy and ultimately reunite.

She says that while some sought an independent state with full autonomy, others, more aligned with Bulgaria, advocated for autonomy with the possibility of joining Bulgaria.

The non-military Macedonian population, Todoroska emphasizes, wanted an independent and sovereign Macedonian state.

“What is important to note is that the Macedonian civilian population supported those forces and fighters who fought for an independent Macedonia, but not as part of Bulgaria, only as an independent territory, a state with the sovereignty envisioned by the Ilinden leaders and the Ilinden Organization established in Bulgaria in 1920. Despite being under Ottoman, Serbian, and Bulgarian rule, the Macedonian people supported these ideals, believing that their sacrifices had earned them the right to their own state,” Todoroska clarified.

However, she concludes that for Macedonians, World War I and Armistice Day brought nothing but significant loss and suffering.

During the war, the Bulgarian army committed numerous atrocities against Macedonians, especially in Strumica, Gevgelija, and Doiran.

Todoroska says that the armistice and the end of the war did not mean an end to suffering for the Macedonian people, as military skirmishes and violent confrontations continued after November 11.

She adds that, upon withdrawing, the military left behind mines and explosive devices buried in fields and farmland, making agriculture unsafe.

She explains that this was part of the imperial powers' post-war agenda – to prevent local populations from producing food and keep them dependent.

“World War I was devastating for both the Balkans and the world, considered one of the bloodiest conflicts, especially given the technological limitations of the time. In an era without advanced tools like today’s nuclear weapons, the war primarily boosted military industry, strengthening the economies of powerful states with the resources and manpower to invest in military production. Developing military industries drives overall economic growth, and history shows us that, even today, war is a highly effective means to boost a nation’s economy if it acts as an aggressor,” Todoroska concluded.