Adolf Hitler receiving Bulgaria's King Boris III at his headquarterson April 25, 1941 / Photograher: Heinrich Hoffmann
World War II was a time of untold suffering for Greece. The German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation forces caused immense destruction, mass executions, economic misery and national division. Although the German occupation is the best known and most studied, the Bulgarian administration in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (1941-1944) was equally, if not more, cruel. Bulgaria, with its eyes fixed on Macedonia and Thrace throughout its history, took advantage of the successful German invasion and occupation of Greece to realize old expansionist ambitions. The occupation and administration of these areas constituted an organized effort to Bulgarize, to systematically corrupt the population, and to terrorize the Greek element.
The entry of the Bulgarians and the legal framework of the occupation
After the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, the Nazis “ceded” Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace to Bulgaria as a reward for its participation on the Axis side. Although officially the Germans spoke of a “temporary Bulgarian administration” and not of a definitive annexation, Sofia considered the occupation permanent and hastened to incorporate the regions into the Bulgarian state.
The occupation zone initially extended from the Strymon River to the Alexandroupolis–Svilengrad line, covering an area of over 14,000 square kilometers. In the summer of 1943, the Germans allowed the expansion of the Bulgarian military presence to Chalkidiki, but not to Thessaloniki. On May 3, 1941, the Bulgarian cabinet created the so-called "Aegean Administration" based in Xanthi, Thrace, while shortly afterwards the annexation of these areas to Bulgaria was announced.
Bulgarization plan
The occupation was not limited to military control. Sofia's goal was complete ethnological, linguistic and cultural transformation. To achieve this, harsh measures were implemented in three main areas: Church, education and public administration.
Church
The Greek clergy were expelled or murdered; it is estimated that 63 metropolitans and priests were displaced, while 58 were executed. The metropolises of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace were incorporated into the Bulgarian Exarchate. Divine liturgies and services had to be performed in Bulgarian, and the calendar and the liturgical instructions were replaced by Bulgarian standards. Valuable relics, icons and vestments were looted from churches and monasteries.
Education
The operation of Greek schools was banned, while Armenian, Turkish and Jewish schools remained open. The Greek language was strictly forbidden; Bulgarian was established as the official language, and was mandatory for use by civil servants and shopkeepers. Even the inscriptions on tombstones were Bulgarized. At the same time, dozens of Bulgarian schools were established with staff coming from Bulgaria, receiving higher salaries in comparison to other civil servants.
Public administration
Greek officials were removed from public administration, services and funds were confiscated, and positions were filled by Bulgarians. Place names were changed to Bulgarian, while citizens were pressured to even change their names.
Economic bloodletting
Bulgaria's economic policy aimed at the extermination of the Greek element and the enrichment of the settlers. Houses, fields, forests and pastures were confiscated. Greeks were taxed arbitrarily, with taxes that often reached or exceeded the value of their property.
Agricultural production was strictly controlled: farmers were obliged to deliver up to 90% of their harvest. Tobacco was purchased at humiliating prices, while Bulgarian merchants enjoyed complete freedom.
Doctors, pharmacists and lawyers were barred from practicing their profession. Food and animals were requisitioned without any compensation.
Hunger and malnutrition quickly reached dramatic proportions, while the Bulgarians banned the visit of the International Red Cross in order to hide the situation.
Population changes and forced displacements
Since March 1941, even before the Bulgarians entered, about 60,000 Greeks left the region, fearing the worst. By 1944, it is estimated that 170,000-200,000 Greeks had left Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, a particularly high percentage compared to the total population (875,000).
Thousands were taken to forced labor, in the so-called "Labor Battalions." The experience there was tantamount to extermination: long hours of work in miserable conditions, little food and abuse. At the same time, the Bulgarians settled about 100,000 settlers, who took over the homes, fields and property of the Greeks.
The issue of the Jews was particularly tragic. In March 1943, Bulgarian authorities arrested 4,200 Jews from Thrace and Eastern Macedonia and handed them over to the Germans. All were taken to extermination camps in Poland, where they perished.
Atrocities and repression
The daily life of Greeks under Bulgarian occupation was filled with terror. Arrests for trivial reasons, such as using the Greek language or finding a Greek flag. Rapes, robberies and torture by soldiers and settlers. Restrictions on movement after 8 pm. Rationing of food: just 200 grams of cornbread per day for adults and 100 grams for children.
The Drama Uprising of September 1941 led to massive reprisals: 2,500-3,000 civilians were executed, including 350 men in Doxato. This large-scale massacre is remembered in Greek history as one of the darkest moments of the Bulgarian occupation.
The Resistance
Despite the terrorism, the resistance was quickly organized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In the summer of 1941, the communist organization "KKE Drama" formed an armed group in Chaldag (Gr: Ori Lekanis). On September 28, 1941, the first coordinated attacks in the city of Drama and the surrounding villages took place. The Bulgarian response was the massacre of thousands of Greek civilians.
From 1942, guerrilla groups began to operate in Pangaio, Falakro and the forests of Elatia. In 1943, the 26th ELAS* Regiment was formed in the area.
(*ELAS is the acronym for the communist Greek People's Liberation Army)
At the same time, the Pontic Greek chieftains formed their own groups, which later merged into the EAO (National Guerrilla Groups), under Antonis Fostirides (aka by the nom de guerre "Anton Tsaous"). The EAO periodically collaborated with ELAS, but often clashed with it.
The most significant battle with the Bulgarians was at the Papadon Bridge (May 1944), where the EAO fought fiercely against the occupying forces.
The Bulgarian withdrawal
Until the summer of 1944, Sofia still hoped for "de jure" annexation of the Greek territories it occupied. However, with the advance of the Red Army and the overthrow of the pro-Nazi regime in Bulgaria, things changed. On 9 September 1944, power passed to the Patriotic Front and on 28 September an armistice was signed with the Allies.
The withdrawal of the Bulgarian troops was completed on 25–26 October 1944, after pressure from the British, Soviets and Americans. The last Bulgarian settlers left a few months later.
Post-war claims and impunity
At the Paris Peace Conference (1946), Bulgaria requested not only that it not be subject to sanctions, but also that Western Thrace be ceded to it. The request was supported by the Soviet Union and some of its satellites, but was rejected. Greece, despite the suffering it endured, did not manage to gain territorial benefits from the Bulgarian aggression, as the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) had already broken out throughout Greece and the Allied Powers were reorienting their policies to other issues.
Bulgaria never paid reparations for the crimes it committed. It is estimated that 30,000 Greeks were killed in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the period 1941-44, 10,000 were taken hostage to Bulgaria, while over 100,000 were forced to work in Labor Battalions. Thousands died of hunger and disease.
Conclusion
The Bulgarian occupation of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace was a dark page during the Triple Occupation of Greece; it is lesser known than the German atrocities, but equally as bloody. The methods of Bulgarization, the violent deportations, the plundering of the economy and the attempt to alter the identity of the population demonstrate that Sofia did not act as a temporary administrator, but as a would-be conqueror.
Despite the losses and sacrifices, the Greek national identity did not bend. The guerrilla war, the reactions of the population and the final withdrawal of the Bulgarians proved that Macedonia and Thrace were not prepared to submit to any foreign occupation.
Future generations must never forget the victims and must discuss these horrific events. History must not be forgotten, because only in this way can such crimes be prevented.
The entry of the Bulgarians and the legal framework of the occupation
After the German invasion of Greece in April 1941, the Nazis “ceded” Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace to Bulgaria as a reward for its participation on the Axis side. Although officially the Germans spoke of a “temporary Bulgarian administration” and not of a definitive annexation, Sofia considered the occupation permanent and hastened to incorporate the regions into the Bulgarian state.
The occupation zone initially extended from the Strymon River to the Alexandroupolis–Svilengrad line, covering an area of over 14,000 square kilometers. In the summer of 1943, the Germans allowed the expansion of the Bulgarian military presence to Chalkidiki, but not to Thessaloniki. On May 3, 1941, the Bulgarian cabinet created the so-called "Aegean Administration" based in Xanthi, Thrace, while shortly afterwards the annexation of these areas to Bulgaria was announced.
Bulgarization plan
The occupation was not limited to military control. Sofia's goal was complete ethnological, linguistic and cultural transformation. To achieve this, harsh measures were implemented in three main areas: Church, education and public administration.
Church
The Greek clergy were expelled or murdered; it is estimated that 63 metropolitans and priests were displaced, while 58 were executed. The metropolises of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace were incorporated into the Bulgarian Exarchate. Divine liturgies and services had to be performed in Bulgarian, and the calendar and the liturgical instructions were replaced by Bulgarian standards. Valuable relics, icons and vestments were looted from churches and monasteries.
Education
The operation of Greek schools was banned, while Armenian, Turkish and Jewish schools remained open. The Greek language was strictly forbidden; Bulgarian was established as the official language, and was mandatory for use by civil servants and shopkeepers. Even the inscriptions on tombstones were Bulgarized. At the same time, dozens of Bulgarian schools were established with staff coming from Bulgaria, receiving higher salaries in comparison to other civil servants.
Public administration
Greek officials were removed from public administration, services and funds were confiscated, and positions were filled by Bulgarians. Place names were changed to Bulgarian, while citizens were pressured to even change their names.
Economic bloodletting
Bulgaria's economic policy aimed at the extermination of the Greek element and the enrichment of the settlers. Houses, fields, forests and pastures were confiscated. Greeks were taxed arbitrarily, with taxes that often reached or exceeded the value of their property.
Agricultural production was strictly controlled: farmers were obliged to deliver up to 90% of their harvest. Tobacco was purchased at humiliating prices, while Bulgarian merchants enjoyed complete freedom.
Doctors, pharmacists and lawyers were barred from practicing their profession. Food and animals were requisitioned without any compensation.
Hunger and malnutrition quickly reached dramatic proportions, while the Bulgarians banned the visit of the International Red Cross in order to hide the situation.
Population changes and forced displacements
Since March 1941, even before the Bulgarians entered, about 60,000 Greeks left the region, fearing the worst. By 1944, it is estimated that 170,000-200,000 Greeks had left Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, a particularly high percentage compared to the total population (875,000).
Thousands were taken to forced labor, in the so-called "Labor Battalions." The experience there was tantamount to extermination: long hours of work in miserable conditions, little food and abuse. At the same time, the Bulgarians settled about 100,000 settlers, who took over the homes, fields and property of the Greeks.
The issue of the Jews was particularly tragic. In March 1943, Bulgarian authorities arrested 4,200 Jews from Thrace and Eastern Macedonia and handed them over to the Germans. All were taken to extermination camps in Poland, where they perished.
Atrocities and repression
The daily life of Greeks under Bulgarian occupation was filled with terror. Arrests for trivial reasons, such as using the Greek language or finding a Greek flag. Rapes, robberies and torture by soldiers and settlers. Restrictions on movement after 8 pm. Rationing of food: just 200 grams of cornbread per day for adults and 100 grams for children.
The Drama Uprising of September 1941 led to massive reprisals: 2,500-3,000 civilians were executed, including 350 men in Doxato. This large-scale massacre is remembered in Greek history as one of the darkest moments of the Bulgarian occupation.
The Resistance
Despite the terrorism, the resistance was quickly organized by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In the summer of 1941, the communist organization "KKE Drama" formed an armed group in Chaldag (Gr: Ori Lekanis). On September 28, 1941, the first coordinated attacks in the city of Drama and the surrounding villages took place. The Bulgarian response was the massacre of thousands of Greek civilians.
From 1942, guerrilla groups began to operate in Pangaio, Falakro and the forests of Elatia. In 1943, the 26th ELAS* Regiment was formed in the area.
(*ELAS is the acronym for the communist Greek People's Liberation Army)
At the same time, the Pontic Greek chieftains formed their own groups, which later merged into the EAO (National Guerrilla Groups), under Antonis Fostirides (aka by the nom de guerre "Anton Tsaous"). The EAO periodically collaborated with ELAS, but often clashed with it.
The most significant battle with the Bulgarians was at the Papadon Bridge (May 1944), where the EAO fought fiercely against the occupying forces.
The Bulgarian withdrawal
Until the summer of 1944, Sofia still hoped for "de jure" annexation of the Greek territories it occupied. However, with the advance of the Red Army and the overthrow of the pro-Nazi regime in Bulgaria, things changed. On 9 September 1944, power passed to the Patriotic Front and on 28 September an armistice was signed with the Allies.
The withdrawal of the Bulgarian troops was completed on 25–26 October 1944, after pressure from the British, Soviets and Americans. The last Bulgarian settlers left a few months later.
Post-war claims and impunity
At the Paris Peace Conference (1946), Bulgaria requested not only that it not be subject to sanctions, but also that Western Thrace be ceded to it. The request was supported by the Soviet Union and some of its satellites, but was rejected. Greece, despite the suffering it endured, did not manage to gain territorial benefits from the Bulgarian aggression, as the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) had already broken out throughout Greece and the Allied Powers were reorienting their policies to other issues.
Bulgaria never paid reparations for the crimes it committed. It is estimated that 30,000 Greeks were killed in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the period 1941-44, 10,000 were taken hostage to Bulgaria, while over 100,000 were forced to work in Labor Battalions. Thousands died of hunger and disease.
Conclusion
The Bulgarian occupation of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace was a dark page during the Triple Occupation of Greece; it is lesser known than the German atrocities, but equally as bloody. The methods of Bulgarization, the violent deportations, the plundering of the economy and the attempt to alter the identity of the population demonstrate that Sofia did not act as a temporary administrator, but as a would-be conqueror.
Despite the losses and sacrifices, the Greek national identity did not bend. The guerrilla war, the reactions of the population and the final withdrawal of the Bulgarians proved that Macedonia and Thrace were not prepared to submit to any foreign occupation.
Future generations must never forget the victims and must discuss these horrific events. History must not be forgotten, because only in this way can such crimes be prevented.
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