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Miloš Žikić, PhD
Institute for Contemporary History, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

 

BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND BULGARIA: THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION AND PROPAGANDA STRUGGLES IN NORTH AMERICA (1929–1941)

Vol. XLIV, 2/2026, pp. 377–402
https://doi.org/10.29362/ist20veka.2026.2.zik.377-402

 

ABSTRACT/RESUME:

This paper examines the development of the Macedonian Question in North America from 1929 to 1941. The efforts of the Yugoslav diplomatic and consular representatives, as well as representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in their struggle with the Macedonian Political Organization (MPO) and other proponents of Bulgarian-Macedonian propaganda from 1929 to 1937 included campaigns in the press, the formation of independent Macedonian churches by dissatisfied Bulgarian priests, the establishment of associations based on the ideology of integral Yugoslavism, winning over prominent members of the MPO, and inserting trusted individuals into this organisation. On this occasion, the Yugoslavs benefited from divisions among Macedonian emigrants and the consequences of the Great Depression. However, these efforts ended unsuccessfully, both due to the hostile attitude of the majority of the Macedonian diaspora towards the Yugoslav state and a certain lack of interest on the part of official Belgrade. The Yugoslav stance was also influenced by the process of improving relations with Sofia during the mid-1930s, and, in connection with this, the dissolution of the IMRO in Bulgaria. The conclusion of the Pact of Eternal Friendship with Bulgaria in 1937 led to the cessation of Yugoslav efforts to suppress pro-Bulgarian propaganda in North America, and to a reduction in its activities to monitoring. In addition to the policy of Yugoslav-Bulgarian friendship, reports on the harmlessness of the MPO and the deterioration of the political situation in Europe also contributed to this.

 

KEYWORDS: Macedonian Question, emigration, Macedonian Political Organisation (MPO), Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO), Yugoslavia, Bulgaria

 

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