Historical and social aspects of Ataturk's activity in Macedonia

The end of the XIX century is filled with struggles of Balkan nations against Ottoman rule, with the greatest benefits for: Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia as the most powerful Balkan countries in this period. On the other hand, rebel activities of Balkan nations were supported by powerful Russia and Austro-Hungary. Britain, on the other side, as a powerful European country balanced the levels of power for gaining a dominant role for trading in the Balkans. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in a period of decline and decay of Ottoman Empire power. This period in world historiography was known by the term Great Eastern Crisis 1875-1878, which in Macedonia and neighboring Balkan countries continues until 1881 year with mass uprisings and revolts of the Macedonian population against Ottoman authorities210. During the entire period of its existence, Ottoman Empire remains a multinational and multi-religious state. Religious communities which existed in Empire have defined as different nations, from which the most dominant role played: Armenian, Greek and Jewish religious community. Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) was an army officer, revolutionary leader and first president of the Republic of Turkey. Ataturk was born in the 1881 year in Solun when Macedonia was under the rule of Ottoman empire. The main point of this paper is the historical and social aspects of military-political activity of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in Macedonia. Ataturk made his first educational steps in Macedonia, where he was born. In 1888 Ataturk’s father died. He spends some time on a farm of his uncle and then he returns in Bitola to finish the military high school. He finished military high school in the period 1895-1899 and then he continued on military academy in Istanbul, which he finished in 1902 year when he is promoted in rank of a second lieutenant, ranked as eight of totally 459 cadets in his generation. In 1905, as a captain, he finished General staff college in which he was ranked fifth from a total of 57 officers. To the rank of captain, first class is promoted in 1907 when he was sent on military service in Third Army which was stationed in Macedonia. The Ataturk activity took place in Young Turk revolution of 1908 in which the young Turk has members of the General staff of Ottoman army: Kemal Ataturk, Ismet Inonu, M. Fevzi Cakmak, Kazim Karabekir, Fuat Cebesoj and others. By using authentic archive documentation taken from the military-diplomatic archives and museums in Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia and other countries we will do our best to explain the historical and social activity of Ataturk in Macedonia. Keywords: Ataturk, Macedonia, historical and social activity, military-political service, Young Turk revolutio