In Macedonia, everyone was unhappy due to oppression, including both the Turkish and Christian populations. The oppressed Turks had no one to turn to for help, while the Christians were listening to the revolutionary ideas of the Komitaji (Bulgarian and Greek groups). These groups claimed they were protecting their fellow Christians, but their real goal was to make Macedonia part of Greece or Bulgaria, or even make it an independent country, with either Greeks or Bulgarians in control Motives Behind the Macedonian Committees.
The Potential for Change
If the Christians in Macedonia—whether Greek or Slavic—united against the Sultan, they could remove his rule from the region in just six months. However, they do not work together because they hate each other more than they dislike the Turks Private Bosphorus Tours.
Macedonia A Place of Intrigue
Macedonia is full of political plotting. The complaints about the Ottoman government and calls for Christian support in the Balkans are often used to gain political advantage. Many of the massacres of poor Christian peasants in Macedonia were caused by Bulgarian Komitaji, who carried out assassinations to provoke revenge attacks from the Turks. They hoped that these attacks would be so brutal that Europe would intervene in the conflict.
Cold-Blooded Manipulation
The way some Bulgarians, especially the Komitaji, pushed their revolutionary cause was ruthless. They even provoked massacres of their own fellow Bulgarian Christians to make it appear as though the Turks were responsible, in hopes of gaining international attention and advancing their political goals. This was one of the most heartless strategies in history.
