The Resurfacing of the “Titanic” in the Balkan Bermuda Triangle: Political Conflicts over History between Sofia, Skopje and Athens before and after 1989
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Stefan Troebst
Abstract
The article argues that the epochal year of 1989 caused an unexpected shift in the Cold War conflict of the Balkan triangle of Bulgaria-Greece-Yugoslavia/ Macedonia. With the emergence of the new Republic of Macedonia in 1991, the former Bulgarian-Yugoslav controversy over Macedonia, its history, language, ethnic composition etc. abated, whereas a new and even more bitter conflict over the same issues (plus name and national symbols) sprang up between Greece and what is now internationally called FYROM, “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.” While the signing of a Bulgarian-Macedonian treaty on friendship, good neighbourhood and cooperation in 2017 was no longer a surprise at that time, the signing of a “Final Agreement for the Settlement of Differences” between Athens and Skopje in 2018 definitely was. Since then, the southernmost post-Yugoslav republic has figured as the “Republic of North Macedonia.” And, unusually for bilateral treaties, both documents contain detailed provisions outlining how the divergent interpretations of history - Balkan, national, regional - should be harmonised
Abstract
The article argues that the epochal year of 1989 caused an unexpected shift in the Cold War conflict of the Balkan triangle of Bulgaria-Greece-Yugoslavia/ Macedonia. With the emergence of the new Republic of Macedonia in 1991, the former Bulgarian-Yugoslav controversy over Macedonia, its history, language, ethnic composition etc. abated, whereas a new and even more bitter conflict over the same issues (plus name and national symbols) sprang up between Greece and what is now internationally called FYROM, “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.” While the signing of a Bulgarian-Macedonian treaty on friendship, good neighbourhood and cooperation in 2017 was no longer a surprise at that time, the signing of a “Final Agreement for the Settlement of Differences” between Athens and Skopje in 2018 definitely was. Since then, the southernmost post-Yugoslav republic has figured as the “Republic of North Macedonia.” And, unusually for bilateral treaties, both documents contain detailed provisions outlining how the divergent interpretations of history - Balkan, national, regional - should be harmonised
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
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International Conflicts Employing History as Its Instrument: What they are and how to Measure them?
- Historical Memory as a Variable: Two Analytic Frameworks 11
- How (and why) to Measure Conflicts of Memory? 31
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History as an Instrument of Politics in Central and Eastern Europe
- Between Orwell and Fukuyama. Poland and its Neighbours: Disputes over History 43
- Overcoming Conflicting Memories: History in the Polish-German Relations after 1989 55
- Heritage Burnt, Heritage Born – Paradox of “Space of Memory” in Conflicts: Ukraine’s Experience Reconsidered 71
- The Accession Policy and Identity Conflict 79
- Narrating Conflicts in Post-Truth Era: Facing Revisionist Russia. Ukraine and Georgia in a Comparative Perspective 91
- The Dynamic Character of the Conflictual Historical Narrative (on the Example of the Georgian-Turkish Relations) 125
- The Politics of Graves – Negotiations, Practice and Reactions about Fallen German Soldiers of World War Two and Their Resting Places in Russia 133
- Peaceful Foreign Policy and Remembrance of War Effort. The Conceptualisation of Willingness to Defend in Finland and Its Connections to Previous Armed Conflict, 1960s–1989 147
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History and Politics beyond Europe
- Shadows of the Past. Japanese Imperial Policy and Its Influence on Contemporary Domestic and Foreign Policy of Japan 159
- Disputes over Public Memory of U.S. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Case of Smithsonian’s Enola Gay Exhibitions (1994–2003) 189
- Japan’s Power in East Sumatra and South Sumatra 201
- From Allies to Enemies; Putting the Israeli- Iranian Conflict in Historical Context 213
- History and its Impact on Contemporary International Relations: The Case of Rwanda 231
-
Successes and Failures: Methods of Getting Out of Historical Conflicts
- The Resurfacing of the “Titanic” in the Balkan Bermuda Triangle: Political Conflicts over History between Sofia, Skopje and Athens before and after 1989 245
- Israeli-Polish Political Dispute over the Amendment of the Act of the Institute of National Remembrance 259
- Historical Commissions: A Mean to Overcome Traumatic Historical Experiences? 275
- Possibilities of Building a Memory Dialogue between Russia and Poland Concerning Soviet Repression 291
- List of Contributors 301
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
International Conflicts Employing History as Its Instrument: What they are and how to Measure them?
- Historical Memory as a Variable: Two Analytic Frameworks 11
- How (and why) to Measure Conflicts of Memory? 31
-
History as an Instrument of Politics in Central and Eastern Europe
- Between Orwell and Fukuyama. Poland and its Neighbours: Disputes over History 43
- Overcoming Conflicting Memories: History in the Polish-German Relations after 1989 55
- Heritage Burnt, Heritage Born – Paradox of “Space of Memory” in Conflicts: Ukraine’s Experience Reconsidered 71
- The Accession Policy and Identity Conflict 79
- Narrating Conflicts in Post-Truth Era: Facing Revisionist Russia. Ukraine and Georgia in a Comparative Perspective 91
- The Dynamic Character of the Conflictual Historical Narrative (on the Example of the Georgian-Turkish Relations) 125
- The Politics of Graves – Negotiations, Practice and Reactions about Fallen German Soldiers of World War Two and Their Resting Places in Russia 133
- Peaceful Foreign Policy and Remembrance of War Effort. The Conceptualisation of Willingness to Defend in Finland and Its Connections to Previous Armed Conflict, 1960s–1989 147
-
History and Politics beyond Europe
- Shadows of the Past. Japanese Imperial Policy and Its Influence on Contemporary Domestic and Foreign Policy of Japan 159
- Disputes over Public Memory of U.S. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Case of Smithsonian’s Enola Gay Exhibitions (1994–2003) 189
- Japan’s Power in East Sumatra and South Sumatra 201
- From Allies to Enemies; Putting the Israeli- Iranian Conflict in Historical Context 213
- History and its Impact on Contemporary International Relations: The Case of Rwanda 231
-
Successes and Failures: Methods of Getting Out of Historical Conflicts
- The Resurfacing of the “Titanic” in the Balkan Bermuda Triangle: Political Conflicts over History between Sofia, Skopje and Athens before and after 1989 245
- Israeli-Polish Political Dispute over the Amendment of the Act of the Institute of National Remembrance 259
- Historical Commissions: A Mean to Overcome Traumatic Historical Experiences? 275
- Possibilities of Building a Memory Dialogue between Russia and Poland Concerning Soviet Repression 291
- List of Contributors 301
