Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation facts for kids
The Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation (ITRO) was a Bulgarian group that worked for change. It was active in parts of Western Thrace, Greek Macedonia, and southern Bulgaria. This happened between 1920 and 1934. The group aimed to help Bulgarians living in these areas.
Art. 1. The Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation has the goal of uniting all the disgruntled elements in Thrace to the river Struma, regardless of their nationality, to win, through a revolution, a full political independence. Art. 2. The organisation is against any attempts and wishes for divisions and conquests of Thrace, from each ever state.
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Why Was the ITRO Formed?
The ITRO was created because of a difficult situation for Thracian Bulgarians. After World War I, in May 1920, the region of Western Thrace was given from Bulgaria to Greece. This change caused many problems for the Bulgarians living there.
Things got even harder after 1922. The Greek army faced a big defeat in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Many Greek refugees then moved into Greece. A lot of them settled in Greek Macedonia and Western Thrace. To give these refugees homes, the Greek government moved thousands of Bulgarians from Western Thrace to islands in the Aegean Sea.
Later, with help from the League of Nations (an international group that worked for peace), these Bulgarians returned home. But they found their homes were now occupied by the Greek refugees. This very tough situation led the Bulgarians to form the ITRO. They felt they needed to fight for their rights and homes.
Who Led the ITRO?
The ITRO was first led by Tane Nikolov. He was a well-known leader from another group called the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO). Under his leadership, ITRO groups started attacking Greek military posts in the region.
The ITRO also worked with Muslims (especially Turks) in Western Thrace. They all shared a goal: to create an "independent Thrace." They hoped the League of Nations would oversee this new independent region. Their slogan was "Thrace for the Thracians!"
What Did the ITRO Do?
By the end of 1922, the Greek government began sending many Bulgarians into Bulgaria. This made the ITRO's activities grow into a larger uprising. The organization eventually took full control of some areas near the Bulgarian border.
However, in the summer of 1923, the Turks stopped working with the ITRO. This happened after the Treaty of Lausanne was signed. This treaty guaranteed the rights of Turks in the region. By this time, most Bulgarians had already moved to Bulgaria.
In the same year, the Bulgarian government officially banned the ITRO. Tane Nikolov then disbanded the group. But it was quickly re-established by another leader, a voivoda (a type of military commander) named Dimitar Madzharov.
Even though ITRO groups still sometimes entered Western Thrace, their main focus changed. They now worked to protect the Bulgarians who had become refugees in Bulgaria. The organization became very powerful in the Haskovo and Kurdzhali districts. This is where most of the refugees had settled. The ITRO helped them find new homes and even collected taxes from tobacco sellers.
How Did the ITRO End?
The ITRO's strong presence started to cause problems for the Bulgarian government with other countries. So, in 1927, the ITRO was formally disbanded again. But just like before, it was immediately reformed. This time, it was called the Committee for Free Thrace. This committee continued its work until 1934. It was finally disbanded for good by the government of Kimon Georgiev.
See also
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation
- Internal Dobrudjan Revolutionary Organisation
- Internal Western Outland Revolutionary Organisation
Sources
- Регионaлизмът кaто тaктикa в нaционaлното освобождение.Принос към идеятa за нaционaлно помирение.Спaс Тaшев. "Македония", брой 7, 17 февруари 1999 г.
- ГРУПАТА "ЗОРА" И ВОЙВОДАТА ДИМИТЪР МАДЖАРОВ ВЪВ ВЪТРЕШНАТА ТРАКИЙСКА РЕВОЛЮЦИОННА ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ /ВТРО/. Емилия-Боряна Славкова
