Treaty of Niš (1923)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Niš was a treaty signed on March 23, 1923 by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and the Kingdom of Bulgaria
which obliged the Kingdom of Bulgaria to suppress the operations of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) carried out from Bulgarian territory. As a result of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine Bulgaria was in a grave situation having lost territory to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Greece and Romania and the right to maintain an army of no more than 20,000 combined with heavy reparations to those countries. The treaty was an attempt to normalize relations with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and gain its support on the Bulgarian claims to Western Thrace
and Southern Dobruja
but knowing the Bulgarian weakness the latter reduced the negotiations to technical issues and the Bulgarian responsibilities to fight the IMRO.
on behalf of Kingdom of Bulgaria. By this treaty Bulgaria undertook the obligation to suppress the operations of the IMRO carried out from Bulgarian territory.
The treaty become known to the public on May 7, 1923 after the ordinance of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria
.
. The plan of the Central Committee was to move the second subsidiary organization and members away from Bulgaria and by that to preserve the organization and members in case the Bulgarian government undertook repressive measures. Three days after the conference in Niš was over, Todor Aleksandrov
took new precautions and prepared constitutive documents to a new secret structure called Railway Secret Organization (RSO) as a new subsidiary organization of IMRO.
The IMRO had a prominent role in assassinating Aleksandar Stamboliyski due to his signing of the Treaty of Niš. The assassins also cut off his hand, representing their opposition to his signing of the Treaty of Niš.
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was established as an independent state when the Principality of Bulgaria, an Ottoman vassal, officially proclaimed itself independent on October 5, 1908 . This move also formalised the annexation of the Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia, which had been under the control...
which obliged the Kingdom of Bulgaria to suppress the operations of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) carried out from Bulgarian territory. As a result of the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine Bulgaria was in a grave situation having lost territory to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Greece and Romania and the right to maintain an army of no more than 20,000 combined with heavy reparations to those countries. The treaty was an attempt to normalize relations with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and gain its support on the Bulgarian claims to Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
and Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja is an area of north-eastern Bulgaria comprising the administrative districts named for its two principal cities of Dobrich and Silistra...
but knowing the Bulgarian weakness the latter reduced the negotiations to technical issues and the Bulgarian responsibilities to fight the IMRO.
Treaty
The treaty was signed after its text was first discussed and agreed at the Conference of Niš held in period March 1 — March 17, 1923. There was a leak of information through which the IMRO was informed about the preparation of the treaty during the conference in Niš. The treaty was signed by Aleksandar StamboliyskiAleksandar Stamboliyski
Aleksandar Stamboliyski was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923. Stamboliyski was a member of the Agrarian Union, an agrarian peasant movement which was not allied to the monarchy, and edited their newspaper...
on behalf of Kingdom of Bulgaria. By this treaty Bulgaria undertook the obligation to suppress the operations of the IMRO carried out from Bulgarian territory.
The treaty become known to the public on May 7, 1923 after the ordinance of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria
Council of Ministers of Bulgaria
The Council of Ministers is the main authority of the executive power in the Republic of Bulgaria. It consists of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria and all the specialized ministers....
.
Aftermath
Based on the informations that "leaked" during the Niš Conference, the IMRO undertook immediate measures, based on a secret circular letter № 384, to create a second subsidiary organization in the border revolutionary districts in the MacedoniaRepublic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. The plan of the Central Committee was to move the second subsidiary organization and members away from Bulgaria and by that to preserve the organization and members in case the Bulgarian government undertook repressive measures. Three days after the conference in Niš was over, Todor Aleksandrov
Todor Aleksandrov
Todor Aleksandrov Poporushov also transliterated as Todor Alexandrov also spelt Alexandroff, was a Bulgarian freedom fighter and member of the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees since 1897 and later of the Central Committee of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary...
took new precautions and prepared constitutive documents to a new secret structure called Railway Secret Organization (RSO) as a new subsidiary organization of IMRO.
The IMRO had a prominent role in assassinating Aleksandar Stamboliyski due to his signing of the Treaty of Niš. The assassins also cut off his hand, representing their opposition to his signing of the Treaty of Niš.