Detailed History of Macedonia:
Modern Times

Quick Summary of Macedonian History	Brief
Ancient - Modern	Brief	Detailed
Early 20th Century	Brief	Detailed
1945-’92 From Yugoslav Republic to Independence	Brief	Detailed
’93-’98 Growing Pains	Brief	Detailed
’99-’00 Rumors of Rebellion	Brief	Detailed
’01 Open Rebellion	Brief	Detailed
’02 Reconstruction	Brief	Detailed

Balkan History •

Bullets mark important dates included on the brief history pages.

1945-’92 From Yugoslav Republic to Independence

16 Apr ’45 - The first government of the People's Republic of Macedonia is founded.

The Macedonian alphabet was formalized and fashioned similar to Serbian.

Marshall Josip Broz Tito, a Croatian, became the founder and president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, incorporating six republics: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Macedonia. Yugoslavia means “southern Slavs”. •

’46 - The Faculty of Philosophy was founded, restarting university education in Macedonian.

The first constitution of the People's Republic of Macedonia was adopted.

’63 - A immense earthquake leveled most of Skopje ( ) on the southern side of the Vardar river.

’67 - The Archbishopric of Ohrid ( ) was restored, creating the autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church, which continues to be unrecognized by the Serbian or Greek Orthodox Churches.

The Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded.

’80 - Tito died, giving rise to nationalism within the republics of the federation.

8 Sep ’91 - The majority of voters support independence in an official referendum, and independence is declared.

17 Nov - The Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia is adopted in the face of opposition from ethnic Albanian deputies.

International recognition was slowed by Greek objections to the use of the name, Macedonia, the same as three of its northern provinces, claiming that the country's name implied territorial ambitions.

’92 - Ethnic Albanians showed overwhelming support for their own independence in an unofficial referendum.

Mass, public demonstrations convinced the Macedonian members of the Yugoslav government to resign after failure to win recognition of the country’s independence.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia acknowledged Macedonia’s secession without military intervention.

11 Aug - A “starburst” flag replaced the communist banner, however Greece opposed the use of the symbol of Alexander the Great and his father, Philip of Macedon.

•   •

’93-’98 Growing Pains

’93 - The UN allowed the country to join under the name, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

’94 - Greece imposed trade embargoes, cutting off the only feasible water route, and many land routes, to the open waters of the Aegean Sea, hindering the already fragile economy.

’95 - A newly opened Albanian-language university in Tetovo ( ) was declared illegal, and the rector is jailed, causing unrest in the northwestern region of the country.

6 Oct - The “golden sun” was chosen to replace the earlier flag design.

•

President Kiro Gligorov, the first president of Macedonia, was injured by a car bomb in an assassination attempt. The culprits were never found, but rumors spread about police involvement.

’96 - Ethnic Albanians continue to hold occasional protests in response to restrictions on Tetovo’s ( ) Albanian-language university.

’97 - A constitutional court forbade the use of the Albanian flag, causing many protests. Parliament also adopted a new law restricting the use of the Albanian flag. The forced removal of Albanian flags in Gostivar and Tetovo ( ), caused more unrest. Gostivar’s mayor, Rufi Osmani, was jailed for rebellion concerning the flag-related unrest. Large protests ensued.

•

’98 - Thousands of ethnic Albanians gathered in Skopje ( ) to show support for the ethnic Albanians in Yugoslavia.

A coalition government, including ethnic Albanian representatives, and led by Ljubčo Georgievski as Prime Minister, was elected into power.

’99-’00 Rumors of Rebellion

Feb ’99 - Parliament overrode President Gligorov’s objections and approved amnesty for mayor Osmani and thousands of other prisoners from Gostivar.

Mar - Increased rebel activity in Kosovo, including kidnapping, murdering, and displacing Serbians in Kosovo, provoked a Serbian backlash.

The Serbian practice of killing and displacing of Albanians in Kosovo led to an exodus into neighboring countries, including Macedonia. This put an additional strain on the Macedonian government and economy.

Serbian actions in Kosovo raised fear of invasion and many inhabitants of Skopje ( ) left the city or prepared to leave quickly.

NATO began an embargo and started bombing Yugoslavia for its treatment of Kosovar Albanians. This embargo on a major trade partner and trade route, severely damaged the already fragile economy; jobs were lost and prices skyrocketed.

Jun - Yugoslavia accepted a peace plan, NATO brought in KFOR peacekeeping troops, and some of the Kosovar refugees started returning from Macedonia.

’00 - Macedonian troops were put on high alert along the border with Kosovo due to rising violence in that region.