The Center for Conflict Research and the Student Club of Political Science are delighted to invite you to a public discussion Paramilitary Thinking and Parallel Power: A Comparative Perspective between the IRA and IMRO, scheduled for June 25, 2025 (Wednesday) at 6:00 PM at the Mirror Hall at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.

Our distinguished guest speaker for the event will be Kaloyan Vassev, historian, author of the book Todor Alexandrov: The Legendary Komita, and a researcher of the history of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople/Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMARO/IMRO), as well as broader Balkan and European conspiratorial and revolutionary movements.

The lecture will examine two of the most emblematic paramilitary organizations in Europe — IMARO/IMRO and the Irish Republican Army (IRA) — from a comparative perspective. This parallel, often made in the press of the early 20th century, has paradoxically been largely overlooked in academic literature. Through it, we will aim to outline the conditions that led to the emergence of paramilitary thinking, the mechanisms that shaped its characteristics, and its impact in political, identity, and cultural contexts.

Please confirm your attendance through the following link.

We look forward to seeing you there.