BULGARIA, YUGOSLAVIA AND THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION (WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE MEETING TODOR ZHIVKOV–JOSIP BROZ TITO IN1963–1967)

Abstract

The article, based on primary sources, deals with the Macedonian question, which arose after the signing of the Berlin Treaty, under which the “great powers” redistribute their spheres of influence in the Balkans. This issue continues to exist as a separate aspect of the Balkan relations even today, when the tendencies towards integration on a global scale are becoming more and more pronounced. During the two Balkan Wars and the First World War, this problem became increasingly closely linked to the policies of the three neighboring Balkan states – Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 – the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and Greece. With the end of the Second World War, the main discussions on this issue were led by a “new” socialist Bulgaria and a federal Yugoslavia of the victorious charismatic leader Josip Broz Tito. Eventually, the idea of ​​a South Slavic federation between the two countries to “resolve” the Macedonian question in a common state formation collapsed with the ensuing conflict between Stalin and Tito in the summer of 1948 and the adoption of the Cominform Bureau Resolution. Although to the Stalin’s death (5.03.1953) the Bulgarian-Yugoslav’crash by the political area is stands in the lead from ideological motives but the sparks of Macedonian question are visible at that time. The destalinization and the new policy of USSR for improving of Soviet-Yugoslav relations reflect over the development of Bulgarian-Yugoslav relations. In 1955–1956, the Bulgarian Party and political state organization takes a step towards the self-criticism of wrong position concerning the Macedonian question, originated on the X party plenum. Side by side with the furious attack against Yugoslav revisionism, after the second change for worse of relations between Belgrade and Moscow in the end of 1957 Bulgarian leaders come out with open attitude towards Macedonian question. The culmination in the giving a new meaning to Bulgarian position towards the Macedonian question occurs after the serial overcame of Soviet-Yugoslav relation’s crisis in 1962. During the Bulgarian communist party’s March plenum the accent are the wrong position towards the Macedonian question and the overcome.