Nationalism from the Left

Yannis Sygkelos, Ph.D. (2006) in Balkan history and Politics, Kingston University, is a member of the academic staff of DEI, Thessaloniki. He has published articles on Balkan history and politics in a range of journals.

• Introduction 0.1 The ‘archaeology’ of Marxist nationalismChapter 1Marxist nationalism as evolved by the BCP up to 1944 1.1 Regional dynamics and the BCP before and during World War Two1.2 Elements of the national(ist) discourse of the Bulgarian communist leadership1.2.a The anti-imperialist theory 1.2.b Patriotism and internationalism 1.2.c Binary divisions 1.3 The Partisan movement 1.3.a Objectives and apparatuses of the partisan movement 1.3.b Use of commemoration and anniversaries1.3.c Partisan songs1.3.d Word and symbols 1.3.e Key elements of the nationalist discourse of the resistance movementChapter 2The nationalist discourse in domestic politics2.1 The political spectrum in post-war Bulgaria2.2 Disadvantages and advantages of the BCP2.3 Communist tactics2.4 Self-presentation of the BCP as national party2.5 Nation, people, state, and Party2.6 National enemies2.7 The ethnic ‘other’ Chapter 3The nationalist discourse with regard to the international arena3.1 Binary divisions3.2 The nation and its friends at the international level3.2.a Socialist patriotism and proletarian internationalism3.2.b The anti-imperialist idea and the Cominform 3.2.c The Soviet Union3.2.d Pan-Slavism3.2.e Non-Slav socialist friends3.3 The nation and its enemies on the international level3.3 a The past and the present worst enemy of the Slav peoples3.3.b Neighbouring enemy nations of Bulgaria3.4 National questions3.4.a The Thracian question3.4.b The Macedonian question Chapter 4Flagging nationhood: Bulgarian communist (re)construction of the national past 4.1(Re)construction of the past: institutional framework4.2A peculiar Marxist version of history-writing4.3 An outline of how the Bulgarian communists narrated the past of Bulgaria--- Bulgarian lands since prehistory--- Presentation of origin--- Byzantine times--- Cyril and Methodius--- Survival of the nation under the Ottoman yoke (14th-18th century)--- National liberation movement against the Turkish Yoke (circa 1860-1878)--- National integration: Eastern Rumelia-Macedonia (1885-1913)--- Bulgaria as a semi-colonial country (inter-war years)--- Second World War – Resistance movement – 9 September 1944Chapter 5Flagging nationhood: events and symbols5.1 Celebrating the Bulgarian nation in the late 1940s5.2 Anniversaries and commemorations of plainly national character5.3 Anniversaries and commemorations of national and international character5.4 Anniversaries and commemorations of a largely socialist character5.5 National symbols5.5.a The national emblem5.5.b The national flagConclusionMarxist nationalismWhy nationalism?Appendix one: Political PartiesAppendix two: FiguresAppendix three: TablesIndexLiterature

"Sygkelos’s meticulous reconstruction of the national rhetoric [...] is refreshing and ingenious. [...] this is an illuminating study of the functions of national language in communist ideology and practice."Theodora Dragostinova, The Ohio State University. In: Slavic Review, Vol. 71, No. 3 (Fall 2012), pp. 680-681.