Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of A country which was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire since 1317. A nationalist movement, IMRO (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization), was founded in 1893. After the first Balkan Wars (1912–13), Macedonia was partitioned mostly between Serbia and Greece, with a small part being retained by Bulgaria. Thus occupied by Central Powers (Bulgaria) and Allied Powers (Serbia, then Greece), it was the scene of fierce fighting during World War I. An Allied force landed at Salonika in October 1915 and, in September 1918 under General Franchet d'Esperey, advanced against Bulgaria. After the war the Treaty of Neuilly confirmed northern Macedonia as part of Serbia, while southern Macedonia and Salonika remained Greek. In the following years, a large population movement transformed the ethnic composition of the population. Most notably, after the Treaty of Lausanne around 350,000 Muslims living in Macedonia were expelled to Turkey, and replaced by 550,000 Greeks from Asia Minor. Despite continued activism by IMRO terrorists from Bulgaria between the wars, hopes for Macedonian independence remained unfulfilled. After World War II, northern Macedonia became a republic within the Yugoslav federation.

After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, it declared its independence in 1993 with the provisional title of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). This created an extremely tense relationship with the Greek government, since FYROM developed rival claims for ethnicity and statehood. This rivalry was epitomized in a dispute about the state's name, as Greece objected to the use of Macedonia, whose historical heritage it claimed. The two countries eventually recognized each other in 1995, and the Greek economic blockade against the Republic was lifted. The ethnic make up of the Republic continued to change, as Albanian refugees poured in from Kosovo and Albania, increasing the size of the (discriminated against) Albanian minority to 25 per cent. Tensions were increased through the worsening economic situation, which escalated as a result of international sanctions and then War against its main trading partner, Yugoslavia. As the situation in Kosovo escalated and War erupted in 1999, Macedonia became an important stronghold for the moderate Kosovan opposition, but also for the rebel Albanian force, the UČK (Kosovo Liberation Army). Emboldened by the recognition of Albanian rights in Kosovo from 1999, the Albanian minority in Macedonia became more assertive. Following violent clashes between the Macedonian police force and Albanian rebels, NATO followed the plea of the Macedonian government and increased its presence there. A civil war was narrowly avoided in 2001 when parliament agreed concessions granting linguistic and limited political autonomy to the Albanian minority. In return, UČK rebels agreed to give up their arms to NATO troops.