BULGARIAN COMMITEE MEMBER MIHAIL GERDZHIKOV'S ATTEMPTS TO DISRUPT PUBLIC ORDER IN THE PROVINCE OF ADRIANOPLE (1903-1908)

Abstract

In the 19th century, ethnic uprisings began in the Balkans due to the influence of nationalism movements; thus, Greece gained independence in 1830. Other Balkan nations, especially Serbians, started fighting for their independence from the Ottoman Empire by forming gangs. With the Treaty of San Stefano signed after the RussoTurkish War of 1877-1878, the Great Bulgaria which included part of Thrace and Macedonia was established. However, with the intervention of European states, the Treaty of Berlin was signed instead of San Stefano. With this treaty, the borders of Bulgaria were restricted; also, Bulgaria was annexed to the Ottoman Empire as an autonomous principality. Dissatisfied with the Berlin Treaty, the Bulgarians formed large committees and gangs, and took action to re-establish the Great Bulgaria. Many committees were created. In particular, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was distinguished from others by its committee members from the supreme committee in Bulgaria. The committee members were spread to uprising zones. The responsibility for Adrianople Province was given to Mihail Gerdzhikov. Mihail Gerdzhikov was born in Plovdiv in 1877 and had experience as a committee member since he was young. As a student in Geneva, he even established an anarchist society with his friends under Russian influence. Although the society was short-lived, its success spread among the Bulgarian committees and he joined the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. According to the instructions given by the organization, Gerdzhikov, who made secret discoveries in Adrianople Province between 1901 and 1903, became one of the main actors of the Preobrazhenie Uprising, which was carried out in Adrianople Province in 1903 as a continuation of the Ilinden Uprising. During the uprising, he caused great losses to the Ottoman Empire with the gangs he founded, especially in Kirk Kilise (Kirklareli) and Veliko Tarnovo, which were connected to the Province. After the uprising, Gerdzhikov continued his activities in the Province and was closely monitored by the Ottoman State through the Bulgarian commissariat. Long efforts were made to capture him. But Gerdzhikov constantly continued his attempts to infiltrate Adrianople Province in disguise. He engaged in attacks by forming large and small gangs to disrupt the public order of the Province. Gerdzhikov's activities in Adrianople Province continued until the Second Constitutional Era in 1908. With the short-term calm brought by the Second Constitutional Era, Mihail Gerdzhikov put an end to his attacks on Adrianople Province.