Pavlos Nikolaidis (), known by his ''

nom de guerre A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each n ...

'' Rakovitis (Παύλος Ρακοβίτης, "Pavlos of Rakovo") was a member of the

Hellenic Macedonian Committee The Macedonian Committee (, ''Makedoniko Komitato''), formally the Hellenic Macedonian Committee (Ελληνομακεδονικό Κομιτάτο, ''Ellinomakedoniko Komitato''), was a Greeks, Greek revolutionary organization with the aim of li ...

, a revolutionary chieftain of a band of 40 guerrillas that fought in the

Macedonian Struggle The Macedonian Struggle was a series of social, political, cultural and military conflicts that were mainly fought between Greek and Bulgarian subjects who lived in Ottoman Macedonia between 1893 and 1912. From 1904 to 1908 the conflict was p ...

against the Bulgarians.

Life

Born in Rakovo, near

Florina Florina (, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. The town of Florina is the capital of the Florina regional uni ...

Manastir Vilayet The Vilayet of Manastir () was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, created in 1874, dissolved in 1877 and re-established in 1879. The vilayet was occupied during the First Balkan War in 1912 and divided between t ...

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

(modern-day Kratero,

Florina, Greece Florina (, ''Flórina''; known also by some #Name, alternative names) is a town and Municipalities and communities of Greece, municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins ...

) around 1877. He was a Greek Macedonian. In 1900, he moved to the United States on seasonal work. While away, his village was burnt down by the Ottomans in 1903, upon which he began training in guerrilla tactics. He joined the

which supported the

Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed ...

and the Greek cause in 1905, and entered the detachment of Efthymios Kaoudis. His village had in the meantime suffered threats and assassinations by the

IMRO The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it init ...

which targeted Patriarchist villages in order to force them to support the

Bulgarian Exarchate The Bulgarian Exarchate (; ) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953. The Exarchate (a de facto autocephaly) ...

.Vacalopoulos, A.E., Modern History of Macedonia 1830-1912 pp. 189–194 Macedonian_Greeks_Bitola_Mariovo_Rakovo

Rakovitis led a band of 40 men, which was active in the territories of

and the Baba mountain. It fought both Ottomans and Bulgarians. In 1907, Bulgarian bands entered his village and brutally destroyed it once again, killing his father in the process. Rakovitis was furious with the actions of the Bulgarians, especially since his own father was burnt to death in the family home.

Death

On 4 October 1910, Rakovitis was killed while he slept hidden in a barn by a former ally and fellow fighter named Mihail, who was bribed by the

Young Turks The Young Turks (, also ''Genç Türkler'') formed as a constitutionalist broad opposition-movement in the late Ottoman Empire against the absolutist régime of Sultan Abdul Hamid II (). The most powerful organization of the movement, ...

to assassinate him. The bribed murderer had fled to Monastir but was quickly found and executed before the news got out that Rakovitis was killed. Pavlos Rakovitis was buried at a hidden location near the village so there wouldn't be proof of his death and prevent enemies from boldly taking control of the area.

Legacy

In 1960, a bust of Pavlos Rakovitis was erected in his birthplace of Kratero. In 1999, the "Pavlos Rakovitis" nature education and landscaping association was founded in Kratero. Many people from the region of

know of Pavlos Rakovitis and his glorious story, in fact the Society Of Kratero Melbourne, Australia and The Benevolent Association of Kratero in Toronto, Canada have him as their official logo, and are very proud to be associated with the defence of his people, village and Macedonia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rakovitis, Pavlos 1870s births 1910 deaths People from Manastir vilayet Greek people of the Macedonian Struggle Macedonian revolutionaries (Greek) People from Florina (regional unit) Expatriates from the Ottoman Empire in the United States Greeks from the Ottoman Empire Greek Macedonians