October 1912 - End of Balkan War.
1912 TURKISH PLAN -DANISH PRINCE ON THE MACEDONIAN THRONE!
GRACIOUS AND HONOURABLE IN DEFEAT - The Ottoman Turks after being defeated by Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia and Montenegro in the Balkan War of 1912 offered to make Macedonia an eventual independent Kingdom with a Danish Prince on the throne and with Salonica as its capital.
It would have solved the Macedonian question immediately and established long lasting peace and stability in the Balkans. But alas it was not to be.
HARALD THE GREAT !
The first Balkan War began in October 1912 and would eventually lead to the partition of Macedonia by late 1913. The Ottoman Turkish Empire, which had ruled Macedonia for nearly 500 years, was defeated by Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, who then helped themselves to the spoils of war.
But the Ottomans tried to salvage the situation as best as possible by offering a Macedonian principality, in effect the eventual path to an independent Macedonian kingdom ruled by a Danish prince but under initial Turkish suzerainty. Salonica would be the capital. But the offer was rejected by Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria who were hellbent on grabbing native Macedonian lands.
France, Germany, Britain were the traditional patrons of the monarchies of Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. A proposed Macedonian kingdom faced fierce opposition.
Greece "liberating" Salonica, Macedonia in 1912 is like saying that Christopher Columbus "liberated" Native American Indians in 1492. We know what that so called brutal "liberation" was? Colonialism ! Native indigenous Macedonians swapped the Ottoman Empire, which at least offered a Macedonian kingdom when it was defeated in 1912, for Greek, Bulgar and Serb colonialism. It's like Native American Indians swapping the Spanish for George Washington ! Not much of a difference !
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