Editing Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising (section)

==Preobrazhenie Uprising and Rhodope Mountains Uprising==
[[File:N.Danailov, Peio Shishmanov, Hristo Karamandjukov.jpg|right|230px|thumb|The delegates at Rhodope Mountains congress.]]
On August 19, a revolt by Bulgarians began in the Ottoman province of Adrianople.<ref name="rd" /><ref name="rch">{{cite book |title=War in the Balkans: An Encyclopedic History from the Fall of the Ottoman Empire to the Breakup of Yugoslavia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |editor=Richard C. Hall |date=2014 |isbn=9781610690317 |page=144}}</ref> [[Mihail Gerdzhikov]], Georgi Kondolov, [[Stamat Ikonomov]], and [[Lazar Madzharov]] were the commanders in this district.<ref name="db" /> The insurgents proclaimed a "[[Strandzha Commune|Republic of Strandzha]]", which was named after the local mountain range.<ref name="rch" />

According to Khadzhiev, the main goal of the uprising in Thrace was to give support to the uprisings further west, by engaging Ottoman troops and preventing them from moving into Macedonia. Many of the operations were diversionary, though several villages were taken, and a region in [[Strandzha]] was held for around twenty days. According to Khadzhiev, "there was never a question of state power in the Thrace region." It was decided to attack [[Malko Tarnovo]], whose attack, however, failed. Despite this, many of the regional villages were captured, after which [[Tsarevo]] and [[Ahtopol]] fell into the hands of the insurgents. Subsequently, a strong army advanced into the region. Ottoman military units carried out a planned offensive against the insurgents, including a marine landing. Thus, the rebels were attacked from two sides and their units were defeated.<ref name="Khadzhiev1992"/>

In the [[Rhodope Mountains]], [[Western Thrace]], the uprising was expressed only in some cheta's diversions in the regions of [[Smolyan]] and [[Alexandroupoli|Dedeagach]].<ref>Петко Т. Карапетков, Славейно. Пловдив, 1948 г., стр 216—219.</ref>