Talk:Northern Dobruja

Untitled
I tried to make this page more neutral, but the map still only indicates the Romanian Dobruja, and the name of the page is not very neutral either. We can keep the map, but move the page to Northern Dobruja (or: Northern Dobrogea), or move the page to Dobruja and remove the map. Fransvannes 09:53 23 Jul 2003 (UTC)


 * Hmmm... I guess you're right. I'll make another map that includes the Bulgarian Dobruja.

Thanks! I'll put your adapted map on the Dutch Dobrugea-article (to be written today) as well.Fransvannes 13:03 23 Jul 2003 (UTC)

Perhaps you (or anyone else) could also tell me what is meant by Cadrilater. Is it just Southern Dobruja? What is the origin of this name? (which seems to be in use exclusively in Romania). Was it already in use before 1878, when the Dobruja was split up? Fransvannes 14:39 24 Jul 2003 (UTC)


 * Yes, by Cadrilater is meant Southern Dobrogea and it is used only by Romanians. The name might have something to do with its (roughly) diamond shape.

The term 'Cadrilater' is used by Romanians and refers to the shape of Southern Dobruja/Dobrogea, which is roughly a trapezoid. In my opinion, it is of French origin, you should know that Romanian language has a vast quantity of words borrowed from French. The term 'Cadrilater' was never used in Bulgaria. The Cadrilater includes the Bulgarian districts of Dobric and Silistra, which were conquered by Romania in 1913 and ruled until the German-sponsored Craiova Treaty in 1940. It is worth mentioning that Romania was Bulgaria's only neighbour to admit and give back what was obviously a result of an unfair conquest. Romanians, or Vlachs, did not live in Southern Dobruja before 1913 (as they have for centuries in Bulgaria's Vidin region and Eastern Serbia's Timok Province).

For a comparison, a similar attempt in 1940-41 by the Bulgarian diplmacy to negotiate with the Yugoslav authorities the return of three small and economically insignificant municipalities, Caribrod, Bosilegrad and Strumica (ceded by Bulgaria to Yugoslavia under the Neuilly Treaty of 1919), was categorically rejected. Not to speak of the Vardar Region (which remained part of Yugoslavia and became, in 1945, 'the Republic of Macedonia', one of Europe's latest nations, along with the 'Bosnian' nation, again in Yugoslavia).

Another comparison, the Greek authorities so bitterly reject the fact that the Pomaks of the Thrakē region (lost by Bulgaria to Greece under the Neuilly Treaty in 1919) are ethnic Bulgarians of Muslim faith, that they prefered to recognise them as Turks. This is in spite of the clear ethnic allegiance of the Pomaks, who speak a southern Bulgarian (and not Turkish!) dialect and still preserve living memories of their forced conversion to Islam in the 17th century. With the deterioration of the Greco-Turkish relations after 1974, there was an attempt to create a 'Pomak nation', which has so far failed because of its obvious parallel with the way the 'Macedonian' nation was created in 1945. Only recently, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the Greek authorities allowed Bulgarian citizens (others than season workers) to go to the region.

Population exchanges
I think the several population exchanges (1913, 1936, 1940, ...) should be mentioned in the demographics section. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.46.239.160 (talk) 00:20, 16 November 2015 (UTC)

Byzantine history
There is no mention of byzantine control /influence in this area only the bulgarian empire is mentioned that didn't control the area in the time before the bulgar migrations and during the inexistance of the empire (1000~1200) DamiKarv (talk) 16:18, 13 February 2023 (UTC)