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Printsipat di la Pind Војводство Македонија Principality of Pindus and the Voivodship of Macedonia Client state of Italy ← 1941 – 1944 → Flag Capital Aminciu, Kostur Language(s) Italian, Aromanian, Macedonian,[citation needed] Ladino Religion Orthodox, Catholic, Jewish Government Principality Prince  - 1941-42 Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina  - 1942-43 Nicola Matushi Voivode  - 1943 Gyula Cseszneky Historical era World War II  - Established 1941  - Disestablished 1944

The Principality of Pindus and Voivodship of Macedonia (also Pindo or Pindos, sometimes Pindus and Moglena; Aromanian: Printsipat di la Pind, Macedonian: Војводство Македонија) was an autonomous state set up under fascist Italian control in northwest Greece during World War II. The Principalty was initially promoted by Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina, since the Italian occupation of southern Albania during the end of WWI. The Pindus region also spans southern parts of present-day Albania and Republic of Macedonia, but the Principality of Pindus of Diamandi during WWII was initially created only in northern Greece. The small state was proclaimed during the Italian occupation of northern Greece in the summer of 1941 as the fatherland of ethnic Aromanians, and was called Principato del Pindo by the Italians. The capital of the statelet was Metsovo (Aminciu in Aromanian), but the national assembly sat in Trikala.

Contents 1 History 2 Rulers 3 Arms of HH the Prince Alchibiades 4 Orders and decorations 5 Nobility 6 References 7 External links

The first prince was the Aromanian head of a separatist organisation known as the Roman Legion: Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina, who established his court in Aminciu. [1][2][3][4]In 1942 a faction of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO) offered the throne of Macedonia to Alchiviad, but there is no evidence as to whether he accepted it, however, his last successor, Julius I was always styled as Voivode of Macedonia. Alchibiades was a patron of the arts and an amateur sculptor himself (Zambounis, 2001). Diamandi intended to meet Georgios Tsolakoglou as well, but the Greek prime minister did no receive the Aromanian prince.[5] He left the state in June of 1942, and took refuge in Romania because in the eyes of local Aromanians he was rather pro-Italian than pro-Aromanian, while the Italians considered him Romanian agent.

His successor for a very short time was Nicola Matushi, who tried to find a modus vivendi with the Greek leaders, but without success and Matushi also left for Bucharest. [6] It was that time when Italian occupation authorities, that previously had supported mostly Aromanian and Albanian groups changed their attitude towards the Macedonian population. According to a source from the old pre-communist Bulgarian National Security Service, this change was due to the decisive intervention of the VMRO-agent Ivan Mihailov through Ante Pavelić in Rome in early 1943. [7]Then the title was offered to the Cseszneky family probably in recognition for their role in supplying with cereals the Italian Army. [8] Gyula Cseszneky was a Hungarian-Croatian baron [9] in Italian service, who only nominally reigned as Voivode Julius [10]between August-September in 1943, but de facto never assumed power, although some local autonomist Slavic Macedonian Uhrana leaders governed in his name. [11][12][13][14]

Another important figure in the history of the state was the Arvanit Vasil Rapotika (Vasilis Rapoutikas).[15]According to V. Papagianni since the beginnings he was minister of defence in the autonomous government. After Matoussi's leaving Rapotika was not loyal to the Italians, rather offered his service to the Germans, particularly after the Italian occupation forces had started to arm local Macedonians. He was shot dead by one of the Greek factions involved in guerilla activities just outside Larissa. The Greeks then tied his corpse on the back of a donkey and paraded him through the Vlach villages of the Pindus.^{[citation needed]}This was intended in order to scare the local population and as a final proof that the Principality had reached its end.

After spring 1942 the area of the Principality was devastated by a Greek guerrilla against the Axis and practically ceased to exist as a real political entity after the Italian armistice in September 1943.

Another commander was M. Hatzi who was recognized by the Nazi German authorities in 1944 as leader of their local supporters.

In September of 1944 the above mentioned Ivan Mihailov was offered by the Germans to head a future semi-independent Macedonian state but he declined favouring the occupation of Vardar Macedonia by Bulgaria.

Due to the chaotic political and military situation the succession rules were not set. Nevertheless, it seems that the Principality was an elective and not a hereditary monarchy.

The state adopted certain anti-Greek policies but never was anti-semitic. Jews from Kastoria, Veria, and Ioannina were in top positions in the hierarchy of the Principality.^{[citation needed]}

• 1941-1942: Prince Alchibiades I (Alchiviad Diamandi di Samarina)
• 1942-1943?: Regent Nicholas I (Nicola Matushi)
• 1943: Voivode Julius I (Baron Gyula Cseszneky)
• 1944: M. Hatzi as military governor

See Heraldry

Quarterly, I three moutons passant, Or; II a chèvre salient, gules; III Azure, a river in fess Gules bordered Argent; IV a loup guardant, vert; overall an escutcheon barry of eight Gules and Argent impaling Gules.

• Princely Eagle Order
• Julian Order

See Nobility

The system of nobility is not known. A couple of titles of count and baron were granted by both Prince Alchibiades and Prince Julius. It was noted that Alchibiades had sold positions for 250 000 drachmas.

• Arseniou Lazaros: Η Θεσσαλία στην Αντίσταση
• Andreanu, José - Los secretos del Balkan
• Iatropoulos, Dimitri - Balkan Heraldry
• Toso, Fiorenzo - Frammenti d'Europa
• Zambounis, Michael - Kings and Princes of Greece, Athens 2001
• Papakonstantinou Michael: - Το Χρονικό της μεγάλης νύχτας (The chronicle of big night)
• Divani, Lena: - Το θνησιγενές πριγκιπάτο της Πίνδου. Γιατί δεν ανταποκρίθηκαν οι Κουτσόβλαχοι της Ελλάδας, στην Ιταλο-ρουμανική προπαγάνδα.
• Thornberry, Patrick und Miranda Bruce-Mitford: - World Directory of Minorities. St. James Press 1990, page 131.
• Koliopoulos, Giannēs S. und John S. Koliopoulos: - Plundered Loyalties: Axis Occupation and Civil Strife in Greek West Macedonia. C. Hurst & Co, 1990. page 86 ff.
• Poulto, Hugh: - Who Are the Macedonians? C. Hurst & Co, 1995. page 111. (partly available online: [16])
• Kalimniou, Dean: - Alkiviadis Diamandi di Samarina (in Neos Kosmos English Edition, Melbourne, 2006)

• Worldstatesmen
• Hungarian Aristocracy
• Balkan Royalty
• Georulers
• Η συνθηκολόγηση της Ιταλίας στο Β` Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο
• Η άλλη Ξένη
• A nemlétezők lázadása
• Greece during the Second World War
• Open University of Calalonia: Le valaque/aromoune-aroumane en Grèce
• Jánoshalma híres szülöttei, polgárai
• Kereső Lexikon
• Pequeños países olvidados de la Segunda Guerra Mundial
• Η ρουμάνικη προπαγάνδα
• Procesul Comunismului
• IMRO Militia And Volunteer Battalions Of Southwestern Macedonia 1943-1944
• Ivan Mihailov's Unpublished Memoirs, Diaries and Materials
• Η φωνή της γης
• ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΤΙΚΟΣ ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΣ ΣΑΜΑΡΙΝΑΣ, ΛΑΡΙΣΑΣ & ΠΕΡΙΧΩΡΩΝ
• 1940-45 occupation in Greece
• Regnal Chronologies: Northern Greece