History of Strumica

In the First Balkan War of 1912 the Turks were defeated by the joint effort of the Balkan allies Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro, and driven out of Macedonia, including Strumica. Bulgaria captured the town of Strumica. In the Second Balkan War (1913), which was among the Balkan allies for partition of Macedonia, Bulgaria was defeated. However, according to the Bucharest Peace Treaty (28. 07. 1913) Strumica stayed under the rule of Bulgaria. The Greek armies, stationed in Strumica, were revolted by the decision for withdrawal and set the town on fire. It burned from 8th until 15 August 1913, when more than 1900 public buildings, private houses and other constructions were burnt. Strumica stayed under the rule of Bulgaria until 1919, (when with the Versailles Peace Treaty the First World War was over) then entered the Kingdom of SHS (Serbs, Croatians and Slovenians, from 1929 – Kingdom Yugoslavia). Macedonian people had no rights in that Kingdom and were assimilated by Serbia. In the Second World War Strumica was captured by the German army on 6 April 1941 and, by means of the agreement for alliance with Bulgaria, Strumica was turned over under occupation of the Bulgarian armies on 18 April 1941. Macedonian people, including the people in Strumica, were discontented with the occupation of the fascist countries and initiated military actions