Doing business in Macedonia: Greek problems in British perspective (1912–1921)1

Abstract

British financial concerns in Greek Macedonia in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars were four: the status of the port and the city of Salonica after the partition of its hinterland and under Greek law; the regular conduct of trade; the sufficient provisioning of the allied expeditionary forces (from the fall of 1915 onwards) under the auspices of the Greek Provisional Government of Eleftherios Venizelos; and business, not necessarily related directly to the war effort. None of these cares was an isolated target nor were they the consequent stages of a single plan. They were simply aspects of a global financial interest which aimed to restore British influence in the region as well as to safeguard the spoils of victory against Bulgaria. After considerable difficulties in the region, foreign interest failed to take the shape of British investments. Moreover, the inability of the Greek state to provide sufficiently for the development of the Macedonian economy and the integration of its society led to diplomatic confrontations with its neighbours.