Greek Atrocities in Macedonia by Risto Stefov

"Ethnic cleansing" maybe a modern term but its meaning is well understood by the Macedonian people living in northern Greece. Ever since Greece occupied part of Macedonia, in the early 20th century, Macedonian people have experienced first hand ethnic cleansing.

This series of articles will present evidence of atrocities perpetrated by the Greek State against the innocent Macedonian civilian populations prior to, during and after the Balkan wars. Most of the information contained in the articles is obtained from the 1913 Carnegie Inquiry and from Greek sources.

NOTE: In the letters that follow, many of the soldiers wrote about "Bulgarians" in Macedonia. I just want to remind the reader that there were no civilian Bulgarians (outside of Bulgarian government officials) living in Macedonia in 1913. The Bulgarian civilians the soldiers referred to were Macedonians who were either parishioners of the exarchate Church or who did not speak Greek. Anyone who could not speak Greek or Turkish was assumed to be Bulgarian

The following are EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF GREEK SOLDIERS found in the mail of the nineteenth regiment of the Greek seventh division, captured by the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] in the region of Razlog.

Letter 1

RHODOPE, 11th July, 1913.

This war has been very painful. We have burnt all the villages abandoned by the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church]. They burn the Greek villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Patriarchate Church] and we the Bulgarian [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church]. They massacre, we massacre and against all those of that dishonest nation, who fell into our hands, the Mannlicher rifle has done its work. Of the 1,200 prisoners we took at Nigrita, only forty-one remain in the prisons, and everywhere we have been, we have not left a single root of this race.

I embrace you tenderly, also
your brother and your wife,
SPILIOTOPOULOS PHILIPPOS.

Letter 2

Mr. Panaghi Leventi,
Doctor
Aliverion Euboea.

I also enclose herewith, the letter of congratulation from my commandant, Mr. Contoghiri in which he praises my squadron, which on the occasion of the short stay of a few days of our division, received the order at five o'clock, to march to the north of Serres. During the march, we engaged in a fight with the Bulgarian comitadjis [Macedonian revolutionaries] whom we dispersed, after havil1g killed the greater part. We burnt the two villages of Doutlii and Banitza [Banitsa], the homes of the formidable comitadjis, and passed everything through the fire, sparing only the women, the children, the old people, and the churches. All this was done without pity or mercy, executed with a cruel heart, and with a condemnation still more cruel.

Merocostenitza, 12th July, 1913.
The outposts of the Army.
Love to you and also the others.
(signature unreadable)
sergeant.

Letter 3

Mr. Sotir Panaionnou,
in the village of Vitziano, parish lthicou
Tricala de Thessalie.
River Nesto, 12th July, 1913.

Here at Vrondu (Brodi) I took five Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] and a girl from Serres. We shut them up in a prison and kept them there. The girl was killed and the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church]also suffered. We picked out their eyes while they were still alive.

Yours affectionately:
COSTI.

Letter 4

Bulgarian Frontier, 11th July, 1913.
DEAR BROTHER JOANI:

Here is where the archicomitadjis [Macedonian revolutionaries] live. We have massacred them all. And the places we have passed will remain in my memory forever.

SER. CLETANIS.

Letter 5

RHODOPE, Bulgarian Frontier,
11th July, 1913.

BROTHER MITZO:

And from Serres to the frontier, we have burnt all the Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church].
My address remains the same: 7th Division, 19th Regt. ; 12 Battalion at Rhodope.

JOAN CHRISTO TSIGARIDIS.

Letter 6

NESTOS, 13th July, 1913.
Village Banista [Banitsa],

If you want to know about the parts where we are marching, all are Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church], and everyone has fled. Those who remain are "eaten" by the Mannlicher rifle and we have also burnt a few villages. The Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] suffered the same fate at the hands of the Servians [Serbians].

S. NAKIS.

Letter 7

In the desert, 12th July, 1913.

...in Bulgarian territory, we are beating the Bulgarians who are continually retreating, and we are on the point of going to Sofia. We enraged them by burning the villages, and now and again when we found one or two, we killed them like sparrows.

Your brother GEORGE (name unreadable)
I am writing you in haste.

Letter 8

Zissis Coutoumas to Nicolas Coutoumas.

With the present I give you some news about the war that we have made against the Bulgarians. We have beaten them and have reached the Turkish-Bulgarian frontier. They fled into Bulgaria and we massacred those who remained. Further, we have burnt the villages. Not a single Bulgarian [Macedonian associated with the Exarchate Church] has been left. God only knows what will come of it. I have nothing more to write you. I remain, your Son Zissis Coutoumas. Many compliments from Thimios. He is well as also the other young men here.

l2th July, 1913.

Letter 9

M. Zaharia Kalivanis,
Erfos-Milipotamos,
ethimo, Crete.
RHODOPE, 13th July, 1913.
Seal of the Commandant of Public Safety, Salonica

We burn all the Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church] that we occupy, and kill all the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] that fall into our hands. We have taken Nevrocop and were well received by the Turks, many of whom came to our ranks to fight against the Bulgarians. Our army is in touch with the Servian [Serbian] and Roumanian [Romanian] armies, who are 32 kilometers from Sofia. With regard to ourselves we are near the ancient frontier.

S. Z. KALIYANIS.

Letter 10

July 15th, 1913.

MY BROTHER SOTIR:

Thanks to God, I am well at the moment of writing you. We are at present on the Bulgarian- Thracian frontier. As far as the war is concerned, I can not tell you anything about the situation and what takes place. The things that happen are such that have never occurred since the days of Jesus Christ. The Greek army sets fire to all the villages where there are Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] and massacres all it meets. It is impossible to describe what happens. God knows where this will end. The time of...has come for us to start eating one another.

Love from your brother
PANAGHIS BEGLIKIS.
I am writing you in haste.

Letter 11

Bulgarian Frontier,
12/VII/1913.
Everywhere we pass, not even the cats escape. We have burnt all the Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church] that we have traversed. I can not describe it to you any better.

Your loving brother
GEORGES (corporal).
My address is as follows:
To Corporal
Sterghiou George,
12th Squadron, 3d Battalion, 19th Regt.
7th Division-if away, send on.

Letter 12

RHODOPE, 13th July, 1913.

My DEAR LEONIDAS:

Keep well, as I am. That is what I wish you. I received your letter, which gave me great pleasure. 1 also received one from Aristides, who is well, and writes that he has also been enrolled, which pains me, because my sufferings are such that could not be consoled by tears, because everything is lost, because you can not imagine what takes place in a war. Villages are burnt, and also men, and we ourselves set fire and do worse than the Bulgarians.

Your affectionate brother,
THOMAS ZAPANTIOTIS.

Letter 13

Mr. Demetrios Chr. Tsigarida
For the Greek Army, at Mexiata as souvenir of the Hypati-Phtiotis.
Turco-Bulgarian war. COPRIVA ( ?),
11th July, 1913.
Seal of the Commandant of the 19th Regt.

I was given 16 prisoners to take to the division and I only arrived with 2. The others were killed in the darkness, massacred by me.

NICO THEOPHILATOS.

Letter 14

IN BULGARIA, 13th July, 1913.

What a cruel war is taking place with the Bulgarians. We have burnt everything belonging to them, villages and men. That is to say we massacre the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church]. How cruel! The country is inundated with Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church]. If you ask how many young Greeks have perished, the number exceeds 10,000 men.

Your Son, TSANTILAS NICOLAOS.

P.S. Write me about the enrolments that are taking place. They are surely on the point of enlisting old men. Curses on Venizelos.

Letter 15

To Georgi D. Karka (Soldier)
First Section of the Sanitary Corps, 9th Division.
Arghirocastro, Epirus.
The River Nestor,
12th July, 1913.

DEAR BROTHER GEORGI:

Thank God I am quite well after coming through these five engagements. Let me tell you that our division has reached the river Nestor, that is to say, the old Bulgarian Frontier, and the Royal Army has passed this frontier. By the King's orders we are setting fire to all the Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church], because the Bulgarians burned the beautiful town Serres, also Nigrita and a lot of Greek villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Patriarchate Church]. We have turned out much crueler than the Bulgars-we violated every girl we met. Our division took 18 pieces of artillery in good condition and two worn out pieces, altogether 20 cannon and 4 machine guns. It is impossible to describe how the Bulgars went to pieces and ran away. We are all well, except that K. Kalourioti was wounded at Nigrita and Evang the Macedonian got a bayonet wound while on outpost duty, but both are slight cases. Remember me to our countrymen and friends, although after coming through so much, thank God I am not afraid of the Bulgars. I have taken what I had a right to after all they did to us at Panghaion.

My greeting to you,
N. ZERVAS.
(Some illegible words follow.)

Letter 16

M. Aristidi Thanassia, Kamniati.
Commune of Athanamow; Trikala, Thessaly.
14 July, 1913.

DEAR COUSIN:

I have received your letter of the 1st and I am very glad that you are well, as, after all, so are we up to now. Let me tell you, Aristidi, all we are going through during this Bulgarian War. Night and day we press on right into Bulgarian territory and at any moment we 'engage in a fight; but the man who gets through will be a hero for his country. My dear cousin, here we are burning villages and killing Bulgarians, women and children [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church]. Let me tell you, too, that cousin G. Kiritzis has a slight wound in his foot and that all the rest of us, friends and relations are very well including our son-in-law Yani. Give my greeting to your father and mother and your whole household, as well as my cousin Olga.
That is all I have to say,

With a hearty hug.
Your brother,
ANASTASE ATH. PATROS.

Letter 17

M. George P. Soumbli,
Megali Anastassova,
Alagonia, Calamas.
Rhodope, 12th July, 1913.

DEAR PARENTS:

*** We got to Nevrokop, where again we were expected, for again we fought the entire day, and we chased them (the enemy) to a place where we set on them with our bayonets and took eighteen cannon and six machine guns. They managed to get away and we were not able to take prisoners. We only took a few, whom we killed, for those are our orders. Wherever there was a Bulgarian [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church] village, we set fire to it and burned it, so that this dirty race of Bulgars couldn't spring up again. Now we 'are at the Bulgarian frontier, and if they don't mend their manners, we shall go to Sofia.

With an embrace,
Your son,
PERICLI SOUMBLIS
7th Division, 19th Regiment, 12th Company, Salonica.

Letter 18

M. Christopher Kranea,
Rue Aristotle et de l'Epire 48.
Athens.
Rhodope, 14th July, 1913.

DEAR BROTHER CHRISTOPHER:

I am writing from Rhodope, a Bulgarian position, two hours away from the old Bulgarian frontier. If God spares me I shall write again. I don't know how much further we shall go into Bulgarian territory or if we are to have any more fights, as I don't know what further resistance we shall have to meet. If this war is to be the end of me, I pray the Almighty to comfort you greatly; and above all my mother and the relatives; but I hope that God will preserve my life. The money you speak of has not come yet. I have sent a few "bear-leaders" into a better world. A few days back my god-father Vassil Christon, tried his hand at shooting eight comitadjis [Macedonian revolutionaries]. We had taken fifty whom we shared among us. For my share I had six of them and I did polish them off. That is all I have to say.

Greeting from your brother,
DIM. KRANEAS.

Letter 19

M. Georges N. Yrikaki,
Vari-Petro, Cydonia,
Canea, Crete.
Macedonia, July 12, 1913.

DEAR GEORGE:

*** After that we went forward and occupied the bridge over the Strouma. A lot of Bulgars [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] were hidden in different spots. After we had occupied the bridge we found numbers of them every day, and killed them. The Bulgars have burned the bridge to stop our advance towards Serres.

With greetings,
F. VALANTINAKI.
This is my address-
STILIAN V ALANTINO,
19th Regiment, 3d Battalion, 9th Company, 7th Division. Macedonia.

Letter 20

To A. M. Nicolas Hartaloupa,
Ksilokastro, Tricala, Corinth.
Rhodopian Mountains, 18/7/1913.

DEAR BROTHER NICOLAS:

I am very well and I hope you are as well as I am. We have turned up close to the Bulgarian frontier. We are constantly pressing on and putting the enemy to flight. ...
When we pass Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church] we set fire to them all and lay them waste.

With an embrace, Your brother,
A. V. THODOROPOULOS. (Same address.)

Letter 21

To Mme. Angheliki K. Lihouidi,
Manastiraki, Acarnania,
Ksiromera-Vonitza.
Rhodope, July 13, 1913.

DEAR MOTHER:

I send you my greetings. I am in good health. *** We have to-such is the order -burn the villages, massacre the young, only sparing the aged and children. But we are hungry. ***

With greeting,
Your son,
JEAN LIHOUIDIS.

Letter 22

To M. Christo Tchiopra,
Petrilo, Arghitea,
Karditza, Thessaly.
The River Nestor,
July 13, 1913.

DEAR KINSFOLK:

My greeting to you. I am well and hope you are in good health. *** This is something like real war, not like that with the Turks. We fight day and night and we have burned all the villages.

With greetings,
KAMBAS NICOLAOS.

Letter 23

Independant Cretan Regiment,
12th Company,
To Corporal Em. N. Loghiadi. Leaskoviki, Epirus.
Dobrisnitza, 12th July, 1913.

*** today I am answering your letters of the 22nd of May and the 21st of June. *** We have had a little engagement near the Strouma with the refugees from Koukouch [Kukush] and Lahna [Lagadina]. The guns mowed them down on the road. We did not succeed in occupying the bridge, which they burned in their retreat toward Serres.
This letter is being sent from Mehomia.

Greeting from,
E. N. LOGHIADIS.

Letter 24

To M. Dimitri Koskinaki,
Skardelo, Milopotamo,
Retimo, Crete.
Nevrokop, July 12, 1913.

DEAR COUSIN:

I am well and I hope you are, too. *** We burned all the Bulgarian villages [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church] on our route and we have almost reached the old frontiers of Bulgaria.

With an embrace,
Your cousin,
S. KALIGHEPSIS.

Letter 25

11 July, 1913.

I have not time to write much; you will probably find these things in the papers. *** It is impossible to describe how the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] are being treated. Even the villagers- it is butchery-not a town or village may hope to escape being burned.
I am well and so is cousin S. Kolovelonis.

With a loving embrace,
Your brother,
N. BRINIA.

Letter 26

The Bulgarian Frontier,
11th July, 1913.

DEAR BROTHER ANASTASE:

I hope you are well. Don't worry, I am all right. We have had a lot of engagements, but God has spared my life. We had a fight at Nevrokop and took 22 cannon and a lot of booty. They can't stand up to us anywhere, they are running everywhere. We massacre all the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] that fall into our clutches and burn the villages. Our hardships are beyond words.

Your brother,
NICOLAS ANGHELIS.
I embrace you and kiss my father's hand.

Letter 27

Dobrountzi,
13th July. 1913.

DEAR BROTHER:

All the villages here are Bulgarian [Macedonian villages associated with the Exarchate Church], and the inhabitants have taken to flight as they did not wish to surrender. We set fire to all the villages and smash them up,-an inhuman business; and I must tell you, brother, that we shoot all the Bulgarians [Macedonians associated with the Exarchate Church] we take, and there are a good number of them.

With an embrace,
Your brother,
Al. D----GEAS. (Illegible.)

Letter 28

Banitza [Banitsa], 11th July, 1913.

My DEAR LEONIDAS:

I can't find paper to write to you, for all the villages here are burnt and all the inhabitants have run away. We burn all their villages, and now we don't meet a living soul. I must tell you that we are close upon the old frontiers of Bulgaria. We have occupied the whole of Macedonia except Thrace. ***

I want an immediate answer.
This is my address,
CORPORAL GEORGE KORKOTZI,
19th Regiment, 3d Battalion, 11th Company, 7th Division-wherever we may be.

References:

George F. Kennan. "The Other Balkan Wars" A 1913 Carnegie Endowment Inquiry in Retrospect with a New Introduction and Reflections on the Present Conflict. Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment For International Peace, 1993. p.p. 307-314

For comments regarding this article contact the author at rstefov@hotmail.com