Jewish Communities and the Status of Salonika after the Balkan Wars

Jews were the largest group in Salonika, being about 61000 out of 158000 inhabitants (according to the census of 1913, Greeks were about 40000, self-declared Ottomans 46000). They enjoyed a relatively privileged position in the Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, Jews held the control of economic life in the town, especially as far as trade and the developing industrial activities are concerned. Therefore, the possible redefinition of the status of the town deeply affected their interests When the First Balkan War broke out, Salonika became the object of desire of the Balkan States, especially Greece and Bulgaria, who claimed it for historical as well as economic reasons. The Greek army managed to reach the town a few hours before the Bulgarian army, so Greece became the most qualified pretender to sovereignty. Nevertheless, it was not till the end of the Second Balkan War that the matter of the status of Salonika was decided. During the Balkan Wars four possibilities emerged for the town: to create an autonomous state, to internationalize the town, the permanence within the Ottoman Empire or the incorporation in a Balkan State. The issue had both political and economic relevance. Jewish communities in the town were at first convinced that permanence in the Ottoman Empire would be the best solution to preserve their economic and social weight. When it became clear that this was not possible, they turned to support the hypothesis of internationalization. The Jewish communities of Salonika tried to establish contacts with the European governments and the Jewish European organization to gain their support for the cause of internationalization. Members of the government of the Habsburg Empire and of the United Kingdom expressed their positive attitude to internationalization, while the Zionist World Organization was divided. Some of its members were not favourable either to internationalization or to the creation of an autonomous State under the control of the Great Powers, since it would damage the project of the creation of a Jewish State in Palestine. Others were convinced of the need to help their coreligionists and defended the idea of the internationalization. The Jews of Salonika considered inclusion in a Balkan State the least favourable option, since there was no guarantee that civil rights of Jews will be respected. Furthermore, being included in a Balkan country would have weakened the commercial role of Salonika in the Mediterranean Sea. In any case, was to be this the solution chosen after the end of the wars, Jews from Salonika would have preferred Bulgaria to Greece. On the one hand, inclusion in Bulgaria would have offered them the possibility to preserve an hinterland to their port, which would have maintained its primacy in sea-trade. On the other hand, Bulgaria seemed to offer better conditions as far as the acknowledgment of civil and political rights were concerned, which was also confirmed by Bulgarian Jews, who strongly supported inclusion of Salonika in the Bulgarian State. As it is well-known, Bulgaria missed its possibilities to be a plausible homeland for Salonika when it attacked its former allies making the Second Balkan War break out. So, the fate of Salonika was written, and the fears of the Jews of the town became reality a few years later, when the process of Hellenization began.