On October 2, 1903, in Mirtsshteg, a small place in Shtaerska, Austro-Hungary
and Russia concluded a Program for reforms in Macedonia called "The
Mirtsshteg reforms". The Program anticipated two inspectors from Austro-Hungary
and Russia to help the main inspector in Macedonia, Hilmi-pasha control
the work of the Turkish administration. A foreign general reorganized
the gendarmerie, a Committee consisted of Christians and Moslems considered
the damages of the Uprising and so on. Autonomy for Macedonia (in accordance
to the so-called "Revelski meetings" between the Russian and the English
Souveren in Rovel in 1908) was proposed, but, because of the Young Turk
Revolution, Russia and England invalidated their intentions for making
any reforms in Macedonia.
| The Young Turk Revolution |
The sultan Abdul Hamid II suspended the Constitution and persecuted
the "Young Turks". In 1891, in
Geneva "the young Turks" organized a Committee out of the country lead
by Ahmed Riza. On July 3, l908, the commandant of the Turkish garnison
in Resen, Niyazi-beg revolted
and occupied the bigger part of Western Macedonia. Enver-beg from the
garnison of Thessaloniki joined the revolted Niyazi-beg. The formations
of the Sultan, sent to defeat the revolted, disobeyed and their commandant
Shemsi-pasha was killed in Bitola. Then, Bitola and Thessaloniki were
occupied. On July 25, 1908 the political prisoners (most of them Macedonians),
from Thessaloniki, were released. On July 22, the "Young Turks" sent
an ultimatum to Abdul Hamid to recur the Constitution. The military
units sent against the "Young Turks" disobeyed and, on July 24, 1908,
the Sultan recurred the Constitution. A Two-house Parliament (senate
and assembly) was established and the Sultan remained only a religious
prominent ("padi-shah"). In 1909, the Sultan, with a counteraction,
conquered the power in Consantinople. The "Young Turks" reorganized
themselves in Thessaloniki and, with the Third Army Corpus located in
Macedonia, with a reformed gendarmery and volunteers (1.200 Macedonians
commanded by Yane Sandanski, Todor Panitsa and Hristo Chernopeev among
them) came in Consantinople, fighting for the constitutional forces
commanded by Mahmut Shefket-pasha. After three days of fighting Abdul
Hamid was deposed and the Great Assembly of the People replaced him
with his brother the Sultan Mehmed V. The Macedonian volunteers were
returned to Thessaloniki by ship. But, in the period from 1909 to l910,
the parliamentarian majority passed a row of laws, which suppressed
the liberating aims of the enslaved people. The systematic settlement
with Moslem colonists (Muhadzjiri) brought from Bosnia and Herzegovina
started in Macedonia, as well as the disarming of the population. The
right wing of the IMRO, headed by Todor Alexandrov, renewed its armed
activities, but, at the same time, Serbian and Greek bands devastated
throughout Macedonia. As a result of the Vrhovistic and the Turkish
terror, Pere Toshev and Dobri Daskalov were killed. There were provocative
assassinations over the Moslems followed by massacres over the innocent
Macedonian population (Shtip-1911), assassinations in Bitola, Kichevo,
Krushevo, Ohrid, Thessaloniki. In l912 an explosive machine was thrown
at the Bazaar in Kochani and 500 people suffered, as well as in Doyran.
