Inter-War Macedonia
Yiannis D. Stefa
I. Macedonia and Greek Polities
between the Two World Wars
Political Instability and Military Intervention,
922-1926
“Theimter-war prion Greece, with the exception
‘of Elestherios Venizelos” fryers in power (928-
1932, was characterized by ait polital instability
and recurrent min interventions. In Macedonia
and nothem Grease geera the presence of the
bulk of the Gres army was a key factor or the
snecess of any dynamic aerpt a seizing power.
fae, during the frst years after the Asia Minor di
aster, state authority in Macedonia was in the hands
‘the mutary, This was largely devo the abrona
ondiions ereatd by the coatinuing tension it
‘Thrace, whete the Gresk and Turkish aries stood
facing eachother vel nto 1923, the uneasy Grek
Bulgarian fone, a well asthe activity of various
“unlawl”elemen's inthe re ofthe army. The
Ueeyear venture in Asia Minor had distracted the
stenton of Gree sate authority fom Macedonia
‘nd penited veining ofthe alonomist activity
ofthe Bulgaria-haed Ineral Macedonian Revol
‘ionary Organizatien (MRO). In aditon to omit
incursions and esrionage, Muslim bands appeared
and bigandage was rampant. The situation event:
|y came under contol ater the signing ofthe Treaty
of Lausanne and the ensuing exchange of popla-
Following tbe 1922 revolution, nonhem Greece
vas declared in sate of emergency. The extaori-
rary conditions span, the peesence of Ceneral
‘Theodoros Pangals, commander of the “Evos
Army’, n Thessaloniki tended o encourage teint.
‘vention ofthe miliary in the civil domain, Papgalos
Fimeelf attempted, not always succesfully, to deat
‘with economic ad ober Toca sues, His many a=
tivities outside the scope of his ofice 35 well as his
‘obvious bid for leadership, soon put him at odds with
the leaders of the evolutionary repime in Ans,
Colonels Nikolaos Patras and Silanes Gomtas,
{ndledobisemoval ftom he commando he Eos
‘Amy in June 1923, Yet the goverament did not
asia to employ anny units ia oder subdue arly
sens of socal unrest, such as 4 communist a
lemplata general skein August 1923
Aer extemal security was restored, militar in
tereenes in polities remained a tumbling Block in
the way of normal politcal conditions. Only thee
faye afer the proclamation of general election, 00
the night of 2122 October 1923, a revolt broke out
guna the Gonata goverment it was oreanize by
2 motley combination of royalist elements and di
rumled Venizlistoficer represented by men ike
General Panagiotis Gargalidis, who bad jst been
replaced in the command of the Thessalonik-bsed
‘Third Army Corps. in Thessaloniki the government
uthois had known of the pot fr sometime and
‘hey were able to res those involved without delay.
Inthe et of Macedonia, despite the suppor of nos
ofthemajorunits the rebels failed acter fve ays,
thus providing the government wih precious time 10
‘organize it faction, Colonel Georgios Kondts
‘who wasto makes name fr himsel both as suppres
sor and succesfl rganigs of miliary coups, as
sent by the government to del with the sation,
Taking advantage ofthe rebels’ ination, Kondylis
was ablto restore contol ote army in Wester and
Central Macedonia and, after skirmish on 28 Oc-
tober 1923, he free thee ores east othe Sinton
tosuendr Therebels failure to gin contol che
Macedonian capital proved fata simular Cale
would ost the Venizais side dea twelve years ter.
‘The so-called. countersevoltion of Oewber
played ito the hands of the hardliners in the Ve
zeit camp, A wave of purges in he armed forces
helped consolidate the nuence of the Miliary
League, a network of predominantly republican of
fiers which had been setup in 1923 n Thess,
Cerin of is members, suchas Evipdis Baris
and Stephans Saraphis, woud ltr play asignifcant
role in developments aecting Macedonia, What was
‘more, General Pangals was able to lage a comeils Pastis der fe 1922 Ren, ening rdf knee mle a lath Gree
buck othe command of the Army andthe polite!
forefont. There follow elections forthe Fourth
CConsiuent Assembly, from which the ant-Veni-
alist patiesabsttned. In Macedonia, Venizelos’
Liberal Party headed the ols, Despite strong protests
fiom within and without Greece, the Jewish voters of
Thessaloniki, like the Muslims in Thrace, ad 10
‘exercize their righ as prt of separate electoral
college electing fied mamber of represanatives. A
Socialist candidate from Ponts, loamisPasslids,
fue leader of the postwar Left in Greoe, was
‘returned in Thessaloni, Th Communist Party til
named the Socialist Labeur Party» contested al the
‘constituencies but failed return «canddae*
Although Greece was poclimed a Republic by
‘he Papanastsiow governnenton25 March 1924, the
activity of the Miltary League and the antagonism
between ts fictions intersted. The inability of su
cessive govemments to deat effectively with the
situation in the armed frses encouraged phenomena
‘finsubordination and dance of political authority.
“Meanie, folowing the massive infu of refuges
andthe concomitant decline of wage levels snd ving
standards, Macedonia faced unprecedented social ur-
"est In autumn 1924 idl ation spread om the
Intativeof the tobaceo workers unions and bloody
General Tenors Panga commander of he
reo Gch syd fe dae‘leans Paani prominn pti of
caret nh cd tenn te
“Scop he Macedo spa
“ping by Pare.
incidents occumedin Kavala, These evens provided
‘Kondylis then minster ofthe Interior, with an oppor-
tung to aise the question ofthe protection ofthe
‘prevailing social order against the ‘communist
smnace’* The same "menace was employed by Pa-
‘als to jos the imposition of his dictatorship in
Sane 1925, Pangabs owed the succes of his coup
most emizely to he support e had secured among
{he units in northem Greece. The Military League of
‘Thesaloniki, whit comprised 500 to 600 officers,
‘backed him inthe bli that the orgnize of the
Eros Army should be able to restore stability and
effective government. On 25 June 1925, Pangalos’
associates pu the Sd Comps and th Cops, in Thes-
soni and Kaval respectively, under thei contol
‘The coup succeeded, although in Athens it had
secure the suppor: of only one regiment
Pangalos’ austrian repime soon degenerated
amidst series of sandals and mismanagement ofthe
county's economicand foreign affairs. Atleast some
ofthe military factions that had originally supported
him began o distance themselves, and, before long,
to challenge the regime, On 8-9 Api 1926 an abor-
{ve atom against the dictatorship took place in
‘Thessaloniki, in which leading par was played by
‘IANNIS STEFANDIS
the dictator's former supporters, Lt Colnels
Karakouphas and Babirzs, The allerpt file be
cause the aril and airforce units backed out tthe
last mo- men. Eventually, the oficesepanizaions
shado-ted. Pangalos who was easly topple in
‘August 1926."
“The Period of Normalization: the Beumenical
CCabloet and Venizelog’ Four Years
Greece entered on amore normal politcal cease
ater the elections of November 1926, held with
txemplary onder and feedom of expression. Este,
{he prospect ofthe refugees abstaining from the vote
In been averd al the last moment thelr orgatza-
‘ons hd threatened to boyot the election ifatlest
ato their claims for compensation was not inme-
Giaely satisfied. ‘The refugee vote secured the
‘Venilit patie «comfortable edge ove ther op-
‘ponents in Macedonia although they fl short a
Absolute majority matioawide In contrast tothe 1923
lection, there were no separate clctoral colleges for
‘etmicelgious communities. The application or
the fist time, ofthe proportional representations
tem fciliied the election “of ten Communist,
‘epi, of whom were returned by Macedeian
scien!
‘The term ofthe soled Feumenical Cabin, set
‘up withthe participation ofboth Venizlist and an
Verizalist pares in December 1925, is geacally
regan asa petiod of postive achievement. Aer
the dslusionment caused by the authoritarian ex
periment of Pangals, the military appeared inc'ined
to desist frm furor interventions Macaconia
sonsierable progres was made in the fell of
refugee setlement. In Thessaloniki the cous
Second university was founded, onthe iniaive of
‘Alexandros Papanastasiou. From the outset, this in-
Sttution developed a distinct progressive charac as
‘frum fornew ideas and modernizing trends as
also period of lative social peace. Only at the lst
‘tage in Jone 1926, a ske was started by tobacco
‘workers and soon spread to othe aes, There were
clashes withthe gendarmerie resulting inthe Kling
‘fsx workers in Kavala, The situation was defied
‘only fer strong pressure inpartiament, which Ito
‘theseuing up of acommiteeto deal withthe worsers!
‘gicvances. The communist movement also sent
‘rough a evo of desine: despite its success ithe
1026 lectons, the Communist Party of Greece
(KKE suffered fom successive crises of leadership.
a ese