Imagining macedonia: analysis of Macedonian question in the context of national identity building

Modernist theoretical studies based on nations and nationalisms date back to early 1980s. Plenty of study on the origins of nations, development of national movements, rise of national sentiments in time of crisis, have been completed. Besides the success of modernist nationalism theories in order to understand spesifically 19th century national movements, it provided academic background for postmodern approaches which came into prominence during 1990s, therefore it still sustains explanatory power. Modernist theories, on the one hand explains national movements coordinated by nationalist intellectuals to grasp the political power via separation from a dynastic regime, on the other hand, national homogenization processes pursued by nation-states eliminating different cultural identities. Postmodernist approaches provide background for explaining reconstruction of identities toward future oriented goals, and their fluid, shifting, contextual and relational natures. The main aim of this study is, by benefiting from these theoretical accounts, the comprehension of identity change of communities, national movements and nation-state formation during destabilization and conflict processes. To analyze the argument that identities may take a form to change in decentralization processes, and shift dramatically in times of conflicts, primary sources such as travel-writing, memoirs, declarations, archives, constitutions, amendments were used; and secondary sources providing national and foreign archive references were reevaluated. The starting point of the research is that Macedonia's peaceful secession from Yugoslavia, nonacceptance to membership despite fulfilling the UN conditions, disapproval from international institutions, and confliting claims with neighbor states taken as a problematique that create study's assumption of Macedonian nationalism and Macedonian national identity which were not accepted by international community. Examining nonaccepted claims of Macedonian nationalism, the question, "when" are the Macedonian identity constructed, asked for instead of the question "who are the Macedonians" examined heavily in the related literature. Therefore, the Late Ottoman Era, which signifies the proliferation of nationalisms into today's North Macedonian territory, is the starting date of the study. "The Macedonian revolutionary" movement, which emerged during political instability period and its shifting identities are examined due to its future oriented goals and structured relations. Mobilization of different committees during Macedonian struggle and shifting identities of villagers are evaluated through concepts of ideology and rationality. Assimilation policies in "divided" Macedonia after Balkan Wars, debates on the existence of distinct Macedonian nation in Comintern, and different Macedonian imaginings evaluated until WWII partisan struggle. Macedonian nationalisms that clarify the image of nation-state in both international community and the national society after the independence, and Macedonia's struggle with the image of Illirida internally and violation of Greek borders by Macedonian state practices which deteriorates state "perception" (Migdal, 2004) are examined. The study concludes that ongoing instability and conflict periods within Macedonia's Long Twentieth Century since the Late Ottoman Era has created different Macedonian identity imaginings. Macedonian supranational identity in late 19th century is different from imagining among young generation during late 1930s, 1944 ASNOM Council, and constructed Slavic and Antic Macedonian national identities following the independence during globalization and Europeanization era. Keywords: Nation Building, Nationalism, Modernist Theory, Postmodern Approach, Macedonia