How much does an unrealized past that was once a possible future agitate us?
Today the Balkans seem to be dominated by nationalism, violence, and xenophobia—ills that were cultivated after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the intervention of the Great Powers in the region. The peoples of the Balkans have since been squeezed into numerous small state entities, each promoting its own national idea.
But this was not the only possible development. There were dynamic revolutionary movements fighting for united and federated Balkans, where the peoples would actively participate in the management of public affairs. The Balkan federation and the commune form emerged as pieces of the vision of this possible future, captivating the minds and hearts of many revolutionaries, anarchists, and socialists of the time. This tradition has deep roots in the lands of the area known today as Bulgaria.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Foreword by Andrej Grubačić
Foreword to the Greek Edition by Alexandros Schismenos
Introduction
The Balkan Federation in the Bulgarian liberation movement of the 19th Century
The Balkan Federation Project After the Treaty of Berlin
The Form of the Commune in Practice (19th and Early 20th Century)
Appendix 1: "Ridiculous Weep": Hristo Botev in Defense of the Paris Commune
Appendix 2: Ada Kaleh: the Sunken Balkan Island Where People Once Lived Without a State and Masters (Testimony of a Bulgarian Anarchist)
Appendix 3: Photographic Materials
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
