Paskal Mitrevski
Encyclopedia
Paskal Mitrevski (1912–1978), also known as Paskal Mitrovski or Paschalis Mitropoulos, was a Greek-born partisan from the Greek province of Macedonia (Aegean Macedonian) and former President of the Macedonian National Liberation Front.
. On September 13, 1946, Mitrevski wrote a letter in which he stated "We did not leave a single issue unresolved or in the dark" in regards to the Macedonian issue and the existence of the National Liberation Front. By this time Mitrevski had entered talks with Markos Vafiadis
regarding the complete merger of the Communist Party and the National Liberation Front. This was achieved but the National Liberation Front remained a semi-autonomous entity within the KKE.
Mitrevski was a staunch supporter of the NOF and criticised the regional leadership of the KKE. Eventually a rift occurred between Mitrevski and Mihajlo Keramitčiev and many factions of the National Liberation Front were divided. This was in turn over the dismissal of NOF leaders such as Vangel Ajanovski-Oče and Lambro Colakov from the Executive Council by General Ioannidis. In turn this matter was taken to the Politburo
of the party on February 20–21, 1948 where Mitrevski and the leader of the "Anti-Fascist Women's Front" , Vera Nikolova, publicly criticised each other. As it was obvious that the party was in serious internal strife, Mitrevski proposed that Stavros Kochopoulos become leader of the party rather than Mihajlo Keramitčiev, who had the support of rival factions. Soon mistrust and suspicion grew about Mitrevski's role in NOF and the Communist Party. Many claimed that he was "motivated solely by his own personal ambitions". He attended the general meeting of the politburo on July 10 which adopted a motion denouncing the NOF and indirectly the Macedonian contribution to the war effort; Mitrevski refuted these claims but to no avail. The fits which had occurred between him and Keramitčiev was seen as potentially fatal to the party and he was removed as leader of NOF on August 8, 1948. Stavros Kochopoulos officially became president while Vangel Kojčev was made secretary. By December, however, it had been decided by Nikos Zachariadis that the membership of the secretariat should be expanded and Mitrevski was reinstated. On the initiative of Zachariadis, Mitrevski was reinstated as President of the National Liberation Front on April 1, 1949.
. He was arrested on October 3, 1948 on accusations that he was an "agent of Tito
".
Involvement with the National Liberation Front
In 1943 Mitrevski joined the Slavic-Macedonian National Liberation Front until it was disbanded in 1944. On April 23, 1945 he founded the Narodno Osloboditelen Front or National Liberation Front (NOF) along with Mihajlo Keramitčiev, Georgi Urdov, Atanas Korovešov, Pavle Rakovski and Minčo Fotev. He soon became the representative of NOF to the Greek Communist Party (KKE) and Democratic Army of GreeceDemocratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
. On September 13, 1946, Mitrevski wrote a letter in which he stated "We did not leave a single issue unresolved or in the dark" in regards to the Macedonian issue and the existence of the National Liberation Front. By this time Mitrevski had entered talks with Markos Vafiadis
Markos Vafiadis
Markos Vafiadis ]], Ottoman Empire, 1906 – Athens, Greece, February 23, 1992) was a leading figure of the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War.-Pre-war life:...
regarding the complete merger of the Communist Party and the National Liberation Front. This was achieved but the National Liberation Front remained a semi-autonomous entity within the KKE.
Mitrevski was a staunch supporter of the NOF and criticised the regional leadership of the KKE. Eventually a rift occurred between Mitrevski and Mihajlo Keramitčiev and many factions of the National Liberation Front were divided. This was in turn over the dismissal of NOF leaders such as Vangel Ajanovski-Oče and Lambro Colakov from the Executive Council by General Ioannidis. In turn this matter was taken to the Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
of the party on February 20–21, 1948 where Mitrevski and the leader of the "Anti-Fascist Women's Front" , Vera Nikolova, publicly criticised each other. As it was obvious that the party was in serious internal strife, Mitrevski proposed that Stavros Kochopoulos become leader of the party rather than Mihajlo Keramitčiev, who had the support of rival factions. Soon mistrust and suspicion grew about Mitrevski's role in NOF and the Communist Party. Many claimed that he was "motivated solely by his own personal ambitions". He attended the general meeting of the politburo on July 10 which adopted a motion denouncing the NOF and indirectly the Macedonian contribution to the war effort; Mitrevski refuted these claims but to no avail. The fits which had occurred between him and Keramitčiev was seen as potentially fatal to the party and he was removed as leader of NOF on August 8, 1948. Stavros Kochopoulos officially became president while Vangel Kojčev was made secretary. By December, however, it had been decided by Nikos Zachariadis that the membership of the secretariat should be expanded and Mitrevski was reinstated. On the initiative of Zachariadis, Mitrevski was reinstated as President of the National Liberation Front on April 1, 1949.
Minister in the Provisional Government
Four days after his reinstatement as President of the National Liberation Front on April 5, 1949, Paskal Mitrevski was appointed as the Minister for Food in the Provisional Government along with Krste Kačev who was appointed as the Director of National Minorities in the Ministry of the Interior. By mid 1949 only one of the three major factions in the NOF was in support of Mitrevski. After the collapse of the Democratic Army of Greece, Mitrevski fled to Bureli, AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. He was arrested on October 3, 1948 on accusations that he was an "agent of Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
".
See also
- National Liberation Front (Macedonia)
- Slavic-Macedonian National Liberation Front