'WE found Florina one of the most interesting towns in the Balkans. Long under the rule of the Turk, it possessed a distinctly Oriental aspect which gave it charm. It nestled at the foot of some high hills which had been the scene of heavy fighting in the dispute for its possession. The town itself had suffered little, if any, in the fighting. Its long main street followed a valley, turning and twisting. Booths and bazaars lined the thoroughfare and in places vines had been trained to cover it. There were innumerable tiny Turkish cafés, yogart shops, little shops where beaten copperware was hammered out, other booths where old men worked on wooden pack-saddles for burros. There were artisans in silver and vendors of goat's-wool rugs. The streets were always alive with "the passing show," for the normal population of fifteen thousand souls had been greatly augmented by the influx of refugees from Monastir. There was an air of unreality about the place, an indefinable theatricalism which gave one the sense of being part of a play, a character, and of expecting, on rounding a corner, to see an audience and then to hear the playing of the orchestra.
It was while on duty at the hospital at Florina that I made the first run into Monastir. My journal for December 2 reads:
"At one o'clock this afternoon received orders to proceed to Monastir en raison de service. My passengers were two corporals. It has been a cold, overcast day, the clouds hanging low over the snow-capped mountains. A cold, penetrating wind hit us in the face as we drew away from the hospital.
"Where the Florina road joins the main caravan road to Monastir, we passed from Macedonia into Serbia. Here we turned sharply toward the north. The flat fields on either side were cut up with trenches, well made, deep ones, from which the enemy was driven less than a fortnight before, and shallow rifle pits which the French and Serbs had used in the advance. Even now, so soon after their evacuation, they were half filled with water. Everywhere there was evidence of big gun-fire and in one place where we crossed a bridge the ground for yards about was an uninterrupted series of craters. For the first time in the war I saw piles of enemy shells and shell cases showing that his retreat had been unpremeditated and hasty. In one place stood a dismantled field piece.
ROBERT WHITNEY IMBRIE*
*From Behind the Wheel of a War Ambulance. Courtesy of Robert M. McBride & Company of New York.
Εκδήλωση προς τιμήν των ευεργετών αδελφών Δημητρίου, οι οποίοι είχαν ιδρύσει πολλά εκπαιδευτήρια στο Μοναστήρι. Τα αδέλφια Θεοχάρης και Ιωάννης Δημητρίου, αν και εγκατεστημένοι στην Αλεξάνδρεια, έχτισαν στη γενέθλια γη στο Μοναστήρι το Κεντρικό Παρθεναγωγείο και το Ελληνικό Δημοτικό Νοσοκομείο, παρέχοντας ετήσια επιχορήγηση για τη συντήρηση των ιδρυμάτων. Παράλληλα χορήγησαν χρήματα για την ανακαίνιση πολλών ακόμη δημοτικών σχολείων. Στη φωτογραφία διακρίνεται πλήθος κόσμου, που έχει συγκεντρωθεί για να τιμήσει τους ευεργέτες. Διακρίνονται πολλά παιδιά, εκπρόσωποι του κλήρου, προεξάρχοντος του μητροπολίτη, και της ελληνικής κοινότητας, καθώς και κάποιες γυναίκες. Στο στολισμένο μετάλλιο, το οποίο κρατούν μικρά παιδιά, αναγράφεται 'ΤΟΙΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΙΣ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΑΙΣ ΑΔΕΛΦΟΙΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ Η ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΚΟΙΝΟΤΗΣ ΕΥΓΝΩΜΟΝΟΥΣΑ'.
Demonstration in honor of benefactor brothers Dimitriou, who established many schools in Monastiri. Those brothers, Theoharis and Ioannis DImitriou, were living in Alexandria, the built in mother earth Monastiri the Central Girls in Alexandria and the Greek municipal hospital, providing annual funding for the maintenance of institutions. They also granted money for the renovation of many more elementary schools. In the photo distinguished crowd of people which concentrated to honor the brothers. Many kids are in the crowd, representatives of the clergy, and from the Greek committee, and women. In the decorated medal, which hold it the small children, there is an inscription that says ‘ The Greek committee is grateful to the benefactor brothers Dimitriou’
Άποψη του Ελληνικού Νοσοκομείου ''Ευαγγελισμός'' της πόλης του Μοναστηρίου. Μπροστά από το κτίριο είναι συγκεντρωμένο πλήθος Μοναστηριωτών. Το κτίριο του Νοσοκομείου ήταν δωρεά των Αδελφών Δημητρίου ή Πινίκα, πρωτοϊδρύθηκε το 1829 και συντηρούνταν από τον ευεργέτη Αδάμ Νικαρούση. Το πρώτο αυτό κτίριο κατεδαφίστηκε το 1900 και στη θέση του ανεγέρθη το καλλιμάρμαρο Νοσοκομείο ''Ευαγγελισμός''. Ειδική γιορτή προς τιμήν των δωρητών του νοσοκομείου γινόταν κάθε χρόνο ανήμερα της γιορτής του Αγίου Δημητρίου.
Στην πάνω δεξιά γωνία διακρίνεται, μέσα σε μετάλλιο,
πορτραίτο ενός άνδρα πιθανότατα ενός από τους ιδρυτές αδερφούς.
During the last 10 days of October 1912, the Bulgars were in Eastern Makedonia and Thrace, and the Serbs, after the battle of Kumanovo, were advancing in the Northern Makedonia and they were entering the plains of Pelagonia. They set camp by the Erigonas river in a thrilling place for their history's " Bakirno-Gumno".
The Greek army was in the Western Makedonia and already occupied Thessaloniki, while the 5th Army under Mat8aiopoulos had stoped in Vevi by Florina. Between the Serbs and the Greeks, in the middle in Monastiri were still the Turks. The following story was taken from the book ""About the Vlachs of the Hellenic areas"" by T.M. Katsougiannis, who based his account from the memories of A. Naltsas, a Makedonian chieftain.
After the falling of Skopia, on 13/26 of October 1912, the Turks were backing toward South with their 6th and 7th Army.
The Russian console from 18/31 of October was following the operations, giving diplomatic advices to prince and heir to the Serbian throne. On the 19th of October (1st of November), after a telegramm by the Greek army asking the Serbs to attact and notifying them about their advance toward Monastiri, the Russian console advice the Serbs to attact first in order to arrive in Monastieri first.
The Turk general Zakci Pasha, on the night of 19 th of October, 1st of November (old calendar), came in an understanding with the Russian console, who advice him to leave towards the West, towards Ioannina the only place where the Turks had still chances of surviving.
The idea was that in such a way he could be able to help the rest of the Ottomans of Essat Pasha, and maybe save for the Empire, Epirus and Albania. 20,000 golden Turkish coins were given to Zakci Pasha by the Russian console, according to others the money went to Tzavit Pasha commander of the 5th Army in Monastiri.
The money were drawn from the Ottoman Bank in Skopia, for the goverment of Russia, and they were given to the Russian console by the vice director of the Bank Italian, Vernazza, and were send with a military car accompanied by one officer and two soldiers.
The Russian boy wanted to make sure that monastiri will become a Slav city, and that maybe Greece still could lose the war in Ioannina, with the help of the armies from Monastiri going in there !!!
Macchiavelian designs by the Russian Slavs.
In such a way the 5th, 6th and 7th Armies rather than fight with the Serbs by whom were not pressed at all, had to fight with the Greeks in Vevi and Florina with their 18th Army.
After the battle of Perlepes on 20-24 of October (2-6 of November) 1912, the Turks retreat towards Monastiri where part of them surrended to the Serbs and the remain moved towards Korytsa, ( 10,000 soldiers), under Tzavit Pasha and towards Ioannina (15,000 soldiers under Zecki Pasha).""
The Serbian advancement began on the 1st of November and by the 5th of November the town of Monastiri, was theirs.
The casualties were very low, and everybody was ready for the defeat, including the Turkish leaders.
The Turks had arrested earlier 400 Greeks in Monastiri, "just in case". However once things started getting really bad for the Ottomans, the Turkish population decide to free the hostages and ask for safe haven in the houses of the Christian neighbors.
5th to 6th of November was the last night for the Turks in Monastiri, and on the 7th the Serbs were entering Monastiri.
Were entering in a town that wasn't theirs, they were entering in a town that were not welcome at all.
And they KNEW it.
Few days later Konstantine heir to the Greek throne was entering Monastiri with prince George, Alexander, and Paul, it was a different atmosphere and everybody thought for the best for the Greek cause.
After 6-7 months full with historical events, the Greek-Serbian alliance against Bulgaria, was signed on May the 19th 1913 while on the 16th of June we have the beginning of the second Balkan war against Bulgaria and then on the 28th of July we have the Bucarest treaty.
Two of the terms of that treaty are of a particular attention for the Greeks, especially the Vlachs.
The first was the sacrifice, sell-out of Monastiri and the areas around it. The second one the ""recognition"" of a Romanian artificial minority within the new lands and especially the granting of special scholastic and ecclesiastical privileges ( without the knowledge of the Church).
Katsougiannis he put it clear :
"We believe that both of those sacrificies were basically the result of Ignorance by the Hellenes regarding the Kutso-Vlachian element, it's ancestry, and it's role that it played, in the formation of the modern History of Hellenism, ignorance for which were responsible the intellect, the science, and the diplomacy of Greece and which contributed to a lesser estimation of reality."
Now those are some heavy words !!!
Venizelos went to Bucarest thru Monastiri. Both ways. And coming back told to the Greek majority, that there was nothing that could be done. He also told them, that ""I hope that you'll enjoy yourselves with the Serbs, but if you wish I can place you in Florina in order to have a New Monastiri"".
And now toward the recognition of the minority status for the Romanians. It became clear, that it was the result of the Romanian propaganda, working around Monastiri during the Makedonian struggle. But as it was proven in Bucarest, it's ultimate target wasn't the anexation of a piece from Makedonia to Romania.
Nooooooooo the Romanians KNEW that they had not a chance for something like this.
Their ultimate target was the establishment of rights, rights that at a certain moment they could use as a leverage during the division of the Ottoman empire.
It was a trade off. It was a sell-out. We gave Monastiri to the Serbs, and we recognize an UN-EXISTING Romanian-Kutso-Vlachian minority, especially by giving them the ecclesiastical autonomy.
What did we gain ?
A NEW Greece, without Monastiri, and with plenty of Unexisting Romanians, just to be nice to the allies.
Venizelos had his new Greece, and we, the Vlachs had a new home to the South.
The point to be made here is also something else.
Venizelos DID NOT HAVE the authority to make such a deal.
( See Paparrhgopoulos history of the Hellenic nation "Karolidis supplement" volume 6th part 2nd, page 153-154 and note page 153). The Romanians got him out of guard, and gave them the easy victory hoping in something more concrete, something other than just the talking by the Romanians.
It never came. And in such a way we had also the end of the Romanian propaganda and attempts by them to anexate parts of Makedonia. The question though about Romanian territorial intentions did not end till the communist era. Too late, too many killings in between, and with the Romanians out of the Makedonian scene without any farther involments. And the SKOPIANS ?
Ah........those SKOPIANS !! They were nowhere to be found around those days. Just ask the Serbs and the Bulgarians, they'll tell you all about it.
Πέρα από αμφιβολίες και από διαφωνίες
μια είναι μόνο μια και όχι δυό Μακεδονίες.(χ2)
Τρεις χιλιάδες χρόνια τώρα, ξέρουν όλοι οι λαοί
πως του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, είναι Γη Ελληνική.
...
Το αστέρι της Βεργίνας έχει σύμβολο χρυσό σου
Αϊ Δημήτρη καβαλάρι Στρατηγό Σαλονικιό σου(χ2)
Τρεις χιλιάδες χρόνια τώρα, ξέρουν όλοι οι λαοί
πως του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, είναι Γη Ελληνική.
Μάνα μου Μακεδονία άλλη ίδια δεν υπάρχει
ο Παύλος ο Μελάς το γράφει κι όλοι οι Μακεδονομάχοι(χ2)
Τρεις χιλιάδες χρόνια τώρα, ξέρουν όλοι οι λαοί
πως του Αλεξάνδρου η χώρα, είναι Γη Ελληνική.
