Macedonia and Greece

John Shea uses claims to the name “Macedonia” as a backdrop for discussing tensions in the region and the development of the Macedonian state.  In the face of Greek arguments to the contrary, Shea sets out historical, political and ethnic and linguistic arguments to demonstrate the reality and necessity of a separate Macedonian ethnos.

Shea is an ardent Macedonian apologist.  He is at his strongest when defending the distinctive characteristics separating Macedonians from Greeks.  He convincingly describes the long history of Macedonia as a separate ethnos, exposes the fallacy of Greek ethnic purity, and demonstrates both linguistic and geographic cohesion among Macedonian people.  Many of these arguments can be traced back centuries and even millennia, but one need not look any further than the Congress of Berlin in 1878 to recognize that Macedonia has long been recognized as an ethnos worthy of its own name and geography.

His consistent and rigorous allegiance to pro-Macedonian arguments is admirable, but wooden adherence to some of the more questionable Macedonian claims detracts from the otherwise excellence of the book.  For instance, Shea’s pejorative reference to the “so-called” Bulgarian Empire of Samuil presupposes a different, more appropriate name, despite well documented historiography supporting the Bulgarian terminology.  The author would have been better off perhaps acknowledging the difficulties of the Macedonian nationalist position, which could have been done without sacrificing any of its merit.

The last three chapters are likely to prove most interesting for future readers.  Macedonia Today provides a brief sketch of the Republic of Macedonia, including geography, economy, social issues and political developments, including tensions between Macedonians and Albanians.  The Course and Meaning of the Greek Embargo against Macedonia observes a particular event, working through the actions, motivations, and outcomes with respect to the parties concerned.  Macedonia in the South Balkans: Theories about War shines a speculative spotlight on the potential for violence in the region and the possible roles of surrounding countries in the event of war.

Almost fifteen years have passed since the writing of this book.  Violence flared in the region at the end of the decade with war in Kosovo and related disruptions in Macedonia. Greeks remain intransigent about the name of the country.  Still, the Republic of Macedonia continues its efforts to forge a lasting nation on the world stage.  John Shea’s work is a valuable reference and a tribute to the perseverance of an emerging nation.

The book includes useful maps and a detailed index.  Welcome to Macedonia keeps a reference copy of this book in its office for use by Miracle Max subscribers.

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Macedonia and Greece: The Struggle to Define a New Balkan Nation

Table of contents:

Introduction

1. Two Ancient and Separate Nations
2. Origins of the Macedonian Population
3. The Hellenization of the Macedonians
4. The Great Ethnic Mix of Greece
5. Aegean Macedonia
6. The Development of a Macedonian National Consciousness
7. The Macedonian Language: The Mother of Written Slavic Languages?
8. Macedonia Today
9. The Course and Meaning of the Greek Embargo Against Macedonia
10. Macedonia in the South Balkans: Theories About War

Notes

Index

List of Maps:

• The Ancient Macedonian Kingdom
• Slavs in the Balkans
• Language Distribution in the Balkans in the Nineteenth Century
• Macedonia in the Early Part of the Twentieth Century
• The Republic of Macedonia
• The Balkans in the Early 1900s

Bibliographic entry:

Shea, John.  Macedonia and Greece: The Struggle to Define a New Balkan Nation, Jefferson: McFarland, 1997.

ISBN 978-0-7864-3767-2