During Bulgaria's participation in World War II as a member of the Tripartite Pact (1941–1944), the Kingdom of Bulgaria unilaterally annexed several Yugoslav and Greek territories, including most of Macedonia, the Morava Valley, and Western Thrace. As a result of these annexations, Bulgaria acquired a total of 39,756.6 km2, distributed as follows: the Western Outlands (2,968 km2), Macedonia (23,807 km2), Western Thrace (12,363 km2), the island of Thasos (443 km2), and the island of Samothrace (184 km2). This brought the total area of the Bulgarian state to 150,668.1 km2.Deutscher Schulatlas herausgegeben von der Reichsstelle fur das Schul- und Unterrichtsschrifttum Berlin, 1942, р.15Генчев Н., Външната политика на България (1938 – 1941), С.1998
1941 Occupation of Vardar Macedonia
Between 6 and 17 April 1941, the German Empire and the Kingdom of Italy launched a coordinated invasion and occupation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. As early as 8 April, former Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO) activists were considering a declaration of an Independent Macedonia under German protection, meeting in Galichki Han in Skopje.
On 9 April, Stefan Stefanov and Vasil Hadzhikimov arrived from Sofia and began organizing the Bulgarian Central Action Committee, which was officially established on 13 April. A 32-member committee appointed Spiro Kitinchev as mayor of Skopje, removed the Serbian metropolitan bishop Joseph from the city, and initiated Bulgarian-language broadcasts on Radio Skopje.
On 19 April, the Fifth Bulgarian Army entered the region in accordance with the Provisional Directives for the Partition of Yugoslavia issued on 3 April. The Fifth Army Region, which included the 15th and 17th Infantry Divisions along with additional units, was established. General Nikola Mihov was appointed head of the army region. By 1943, the number of Bulgarian military personnel in the area had risen from 22,000 to 32,000, with many units composed primarily of Macedonian Bulgarians from the region.
On 1 October 1941, a military court was established in Skopje. Separate regional courts were also set up in Bitola, Prilep, Strumica, and Veles, while district courts were established in other towns.
Conquest of Morava Valley
On 19 April 1941, Bulgarian forces entered Yugoslav territory, annexing the Western Outlands and the Morava Valley along the western border with Serbia, in line with Bulgaria's territorial claims under the Treaty of San Stefano. In addition to the directly annexed regions of Pirot and Vranje, the German authorities later requested that Bulgaria deploy troops deeper into the interior of Serbia.
As a result, on 7 January 1942, Bulgarian troops advanced into the region of Šumadija. The occupied zone extended west of the Bulgarian border and included the area north of the Gollak Mountains, east of the Ibar River, and encompassed key towns such as Kraljevo and Kragujevac, along with the territory south of the town of Lapovo.
In July 1943, the Bulgarian occupation zone was significantly expanded, reaching the approaches to Belgrade.
Capture of the Belomorie
On 6 April 1941, Germany launched an offensive against Greece, which was defeated and fully occupied by 30 April. On 13 April, Adolf Hitler issued Directive No. 27, outlining plans for the future occupation of Greek territory. On 20 April 1941, the Second Bulgarian Army entered the Greek Aegean region, advancing into Eastern Aegean Macedonia and Western Thrace. It occupied nearly the entire area between the Struma and Maritsa rivers, with the exception of a narrow demilitarized zone along the Turkish border west of the Maritsa. This zone remained under German control and was reserved for possible transfer to Turkey, should it decide to join the Axis powers.
To the west of the Struma River, including the strategically important city of Thessaloniki, German occupation forces were established. German troops also entered the city of Lerin (Florina), although its control was contested between Fascist Italy and Bulgaria.Bulgaria During the Second World War, Author Marshall Lee Miller, Publisher Stanford University Press, 1975, ISBN 0-8047-0870-3, стр. 123.
Following Italy's withdrawal from the war, the 7th Rila Infantry Division was ordered to occupy the Thessaloniki region. On 5 July 1943, it assumed responsibility for organizing the defense of the White Sea (Aegean Sea) coast, covering the area from the Epanomi lighthouse (on the Chalkidiki Peninsula, approximately 25 km south of Thessaloniki) to the mouth of the Struma River.Йончев, Д. България и Беломорието октомври 1940 – 9 септември 1944 г., Военнополитически аспекти As a result, Bulgarian forces occupied the central parts of Aegean Macedonia, including the Thessaloniki region—though not the city itself or the Chalkidiki Peninsula.
The regional civil governors of the Belomorie region under the Kingdom of Bulgaria were:
Iliya Kozhuharov (12 May 1941 – 20 October 1941) Retired General M.A. Hristo Gerdzhikov (20 October 1941 – c. 20 January 1942)Димитър Йончев, България и Беломорието (октомври 1940 – 9 септември 1944 г.), Военнополитически аспекти.Окръжно № 210 на областния управител на Беломорска област Ксанти, 10 януари 1942 г. ЦДА, ф. 662К, оп. 1, а.е. 30, л. 27‒27 Dr. Stefan Klechkov (c. 20 January 1942 – 18 September 1944)
Treaties and agreements
Between 21 and 22 April 1941, a conference was held in Vienna between German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano. The meeting determined the demarcation line between Bulgaria and the Italian protectorate of Albania. The Italian occupation zone included the cities of Tetovo, Gostivar, Struga, Debar and Kichevo—a total of 4,314 km² with a population of approximately 232,000. Bulgaria, in turn, was granted control over Ohrid and Resen.
On 10 July 1941, a dispute arose between Bulgaria and Italy over a mine near Ljuboten. After German mediation, control of the mine was awarded to Bulgaria. Subsequently, on 12 August 1941, the demarcation line between Bulgaria and Albania was slightly modified, resulting in Bulgaria gaining control of the village of Peštani.
On 24 April 1941, Bulgaria and Germany secretly signed the Clodius–Popov Agreement, which granted Germany unrestricted rights to exploit natural resources in the newly occupied territories. Under the agreement, Bulgaria undertook responsibility for financing German military infrastructure, paying Yugoslavia's outstanding debts to Germany, and administering the annexed regions. However, the agreement also imposed significant restrictions on Bulgarian sovereignty within these territories.
The annexation of Vardar Macedonia, the Aegean region, and the Morava Valley by Bulgaria was not ratified by a formal act of the Bulgarian National Assembly. On 14 May 1941, the National Assembly convened a session at which Prime Minister Bogdan Filov delivered a speech declaring the annexation of the so-called "Newly Liberated Lands." Notably, the German and Italian plenipotentiary ministers—von Richthofen and Count Magistrati—were conspicuously absent. The annexation was never formally recognized by either Germany or Italy, although Bulgaria treated it as a fait accompli during the war. In contrast, the cession of Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria in 1940 had been enacted through a formal international treaty, which had entered into force.
In total, Bulgaria's territory increased by 39,756 km², and its population grew by approximately 1,875,904 people. Of this, Vardar Macedonia accounted for 23,807 km² and 1,061,338 inhabitants.Янев, Иван. Македония и българо-италианските отношения 1941 – 1943 г.
Administrative regulation
An order by Skopje regional governor Anton Kozarov introduced Bulgarian civil administration in the region. Bulgaria implemented its national legislation and established three main administrative centers: Bitola, Skopje, and Xanthi. The dioceses of the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Bulgarian school system were reinstated. The government also took measures to facilitate the return of refugees from Macedonia and Thrace to their native regions.
In Vardar Macedonia, the Skopje administrative region was initially composed of 15 districts: Skopje, Berovo, Boyanovo, Veles, Vranje, Kachanik, Kochani, Kriva Palanka, Kumanovo, Kratovo, Radoviš, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Surdulica, and Štip. In August 1941, three additional districts—Gevgelija, Kavadarci, and Negotino—were incorporated into the region.
According to administrative data, the ethnic composition of the population in the Skopje region was as follows:Македония История и политическа съдба, Том III, Колектив, Издателство „Знание“ ООД, София, 1998 г., стр. 16,17
Bulgarians – 443,933 Serbs – 152,521 Albanians – 106,521 Jews – 3,791 Others – 25,206
The region comprised 141 municipalities and 1,458 settlements, including towns, villages, and hamlets.
The Bitola administrative district included the following districts: Bitola, Brod, Ohrid, Prilep, Resen, and Kruševo. According to a report dated 8 March 1942, the ethnic composition of the Bitola district was:
Bulgarians – 80% Others (including Turks, Roma, Greeks, Aromanians, Albanians, and a small number of Serbs) – 20%
A police administration was established in both the Skopje and Bitola districts. There were three city police departments (in Bitola, Skopje, and Prilep) and 21 district police departments. Additional regional police commandants were established in the major cities of Skopje and Bitola. The total police force numbered 4,797 officers. State Security departments were also attached to both regional and district administrations.
Reorganization of economic, cultural and spiritual life
To facilitate the development of the newly liberated territories, Bulgaria significantly increased its national budget—from 8.46 billion leva in 1940 to 14.39 billion in 1942 (a 1.7-fold increase), and further to 27.58 billion in 1943 (3.3 times the 1940 budget), all at a relatively stable exchange rate to the US dollar from 1941 to 1944.Димо Казасов, Бурни години 1918 – 1944, „Народен печат“ София 1949, стр.691Нинел Кьосева, Историята на една еврейска банка в България, НБУ София 2002 г., стр.3 These vast sums were used to modernize and transform the previously underdeveloped areas: new schools, hospitals, railway stations, ports, civil and industrial buildings were constructed; swamps were drained, roads and irrigation canals were built (notably in the Syarsko Pole); and shipyards were developed in Kavala and on the island of Thassos. Settlements expanded and barren lands left under prior foreign rule were afforested. In 1941 alone, 500 decares were afforested—compared to just 650 decares during the entire Serbian administration from 1918 to 1941. For flood prevention in the Bitola region, 82,128,000 leva were allocated in 1942. Plans were made for the construction of 84 km of new forest roads and the repair of 70 km of existing ones.
The reorganization of cultural life began with the celebration of 24 May, the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and of Slavic Script. On 23 May 1941, prominent Bulgarian intellectuals—including Dobri Nemirov, Elisaveta Bagryana, Stiliyan Chilingirov, and Professor Nikola Stoyanov—arrived in Skopje along with many students and cultural figures. Lazar Tomov, a former VMRO activist and then-chairman of the Ilinden Organization, brought with him the flag of the Vardarski Yunak society, banned in 1918 by Serbian authorities.
Celebrations were held across Vardar Macedonia, including in Bitola, Veles, Prilep, Ohrid, Resen, and other cities. By the end of 1941, 64 cultural, educational, sports, and professional societies had been founded in Skopje, including the Boris Drangov choir, the Vardar and Macedonia sports clubs, a society of reserve officers, among others. A Macedonian-Adrianople society was founded in Prilep, and the Georgi Sugarev choir in Bitola.