THE SALONICA ISSUE AND THE BALKAN WARS
THE SALONICA ISSUE AND THE BALKAN WARS

Summary/Abstract: Salonica was a Jewish and not a Greek city early in the twentieth century. At the outbreak of the First Balkan War, therefore, the Greek Army was to advance northward, namely to Bitola (Monastir). Still, the Greeks captured Salonica and not Bitola. In fact, the Ottomans made easy the Greeks’ advance by retreating without fighting; for the Ottoman Commander-in-Chief wanted to prevent Salonica from being seized by the Bulgarians. As a result, the city was surrendered to the Greeks on October 27, 1912, albeit the Bulgarian Army’s Macedonian irregulars had entered Salonica earlier. After Salonica was annexed into Greece (thanks to the 1913 Bucharest Treaty), several steps were taken in order to persuade Salonica Jewry to abandon the city. Since, nonetheless, that the Jews were not eager to emigrate, a conflagration destroyed the very centre of Salonica, i.e. the part of the city where Jews had their homes and businesses, on August 5, 1917. It was arson; and the indirect responsibility of the Greek authorities is established long ago.

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