X-Nico

Serbs in the Republic of Macedonia

Vukan however, immediately violated the treaty, launching an operation in the Vardar region, conquering the cities of Vranje, Skopje and Tetovo, with much loot.

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In 1258, Uroš I of Serbia took Skopje, Prilep and Kičevo from the Byzantines, but lost them shortly after in 1261.

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According to Serbian authors, after the Treaty of San Stefano, the populations of the counties of Kumanovo, Skopje, Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Kyustendil, Kočani, Strumica, Probištip, Veles, Debar, Kičevo and Prilep sent deputations and appeals to Prince Milan of Serbia, imploring him to not abandon Macedonia to the Bulgarians and to assign the region to Serbia.

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Almost the whole of Macedonia was incorporated in Bulgaria in the mid 9th century during the rule of Khan Presian and his first minister Isbul.

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In the 19th century, the ethnic Serbian areas outside (south) of the Principality of Serbia were designated by Serbian cartographers as "Old Serbia", claiming that the inhabitants of this region (Kratovo, Skopje, Ovče Pole) described their native districts as "Serbian lands".

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Vukan then sent messengers to Skopje, attempting to justify his actions as a consequence of unjust administration by the Byzantines.

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Strez was for a time a Duke under Stefan Nemanjić and had by 1209 conquered most of Macedonia; from the Struma valley in the east, which bordered lands controlled by Boril, to Bitola and perhaps Ohrid in the west, and from Skopje in the north to Veria in the south.

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Serbia's conquest of the areas south of the Shara mountain chain, on the plains of Polog, and in Byzantine dominated places like Skopje and later Serres (Slavic: Ser) began with the expansion of Serbian King Milutin in 1282.

see also