Struggle for national liberation and autonomy

A crucial event in the political history of Macedonia was the establishment of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (also known as the Secret Macedonia and Adrianopole Region Revolutionary Organisation). Its foundations were laid in Thessalonica on 23 October 1893 for the purpose of organising a resistance movement for liberation and the establishment of an autonomous state of Macedonia. The idea was to establish a new organisation with members who had been born or were living in Macedonia, so that its activities would not be taken advantage of by some other nation. After several unsuccessful rebellions at the close of the 19th century, the Ilinden Uprising organised by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation began on 2 August 1903. Fighting in the areas of Krushevo, Neveska and Klisura resulted in the establishment of the Krushevo Republic. Although the republic lasted only ten days it had a government and other bodies and was the first republic in the Balkans.