Principality of Bulgaria

Principality of Bulgaria Княжество България Knyazhestvo Balgariya Княжество Болгария Knyazhestvo Bolgariya
1878–1908
Flag Royal Coat of arms
Anthem: Shumi Maritsa "Maritsa Rushes"
The Principality of Bulgaria, with Eastern Rumelia in 1890.   Principality of Bulgaria   Eastern Rumelia
Status	Vassal state of the Ottoman Empire
Capital	Sofia
Common languages	Bulgarian, Russian
Religion	Bulgarian Orthodox
Government	Principality
Knyaz (Prince)
• 1879–1886	Alexander I
• 1887–1908	Ferdinand I
Regent
• 1886–1887	Stefan Stambolov
• 1886–1887	Sava Mutkurov
• 1886–1887	Petko Karavelov
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
• 1879	Todor Burmov (first)
• 1908	Aleksandar Malinov (last)
Legislature	National Assembly
History
• Treaty of San Stefano	3 March 1878
• Treaty of Berlin	13 July 1878
•	1878
• Constitution adopted	28 April 1879
• Bulgarian unification	6 September 1885
• Independence declared	5 October 1908
Area
1880	63,752 km2 (24,615 sq mi)
1908	95,223 km2 (36,766 sq mi)
Population
• 1880	2,007,919
• 1908	4,215,000
Currency	Bulgarian lev
ISO 3166 code	BG
Succeeded by Kingdom of Bulgaria

The Principality of Bulgaria ([Княжество България, Knyazhestvo Balgariya] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), [Княжество Болгария, Knyazhestvo Bolgariya] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte (the Ottoman government), on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its lands encompassed nearly all ethnic Bulgarians in the Balkans, and they stretched to include coastline on both the Black Sea, and the Aegean Sea on the Mediterranean. The United Kingdom feared the establishment of a large Russian client state in the Balkans which might have tipped influential balance on matters concerning the Mediterranean. As such, the other great powers were not willing to accede and the result was a significantly smaller suzerain principality. The Treaty of Berlin also provided for Eastern Rumelia, as an autonomous province within the Ottoman Empire alongside Bulgaria. By 1885 however, it had become part of the Bulgarian Principality.

Bulgaria's de facto control of its principality and the surrounding region made it a successor of the Second Bulgarian Empire. On 22 September 1908, Bulgaria became completely free from the Ottoman rule and officially declared independence, elevating the principality to the Kingdom of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian state after the liberation is usually referred to as the Third Bulgarian State.

Background

Bulgaria lost its independence in 1396 in the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars after the fall of the Bulgarian Empire to the Ottomans as a result of the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans and its own fragmentation. The destruction of the Bulgarian elite and institutions led to interruption of the Bulgarian statehood for almost five centuries. The beginning of the Bulgarian National Revival was the first step of the Bulgarian people in restoring its country. The numerous revolutionary movements and uprisings against the Ottomans in the 19th century finally culminated in the April Uprising in 1876 which led to the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) and the reestablishment of the Bulgarian state in 1878, which became completely sovereign from Ottoman rule in 1908.

Treaty of Berlin

Main article: Treaty of Berlin (1878)

The Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878 proposed a Bulgarian state, which comprised the geographical regions of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. Based on that date Bulgarians celebrate Bulgaria's national day each year.

Fearing the establishment of a large Russian client state on the Balkans, the other great powers, however, were not willing to agree to the treaty. As a result, the Treaty of Berlin (1878), under the supervision of Otto von Bismarck of Germany and Benjamin Disraeli of United Kingdom, revised the earlier treaty, and scaled back the proposed Bulgarian state.

An autonomous Principality of Bulgaria was created, between the Danube and the Stara Planina range, with its seat at the old Bulgarian capital of Veliko Turnovo, and including Sofia. This state was to be under nominal Ottoman sovereignty but was to be ruled by a prince elected by a congress of Bulgarian notables and approved by the Powers. They insisted that the Prince could not be a Russian, but in a compromise Prince Alexander of Battenberg, a nephew of Tsar Alexander II, was chosen. An autonomous Ottoman province under the name of Eastern Rumelia was created south of the Stara Planina range, whereas Macedonia was returned under the sovereignty of the Sultan.

Unification with Eastern Rumelia

Main article: Bulgarian unification

The Bulgarians adopted an advanced democratic constitution, and power soon passed to the Liberal Party led by Stefan Stambolov. Prince Alexander had conservative leanings, and at first opposed Stambolov's policies, but by 1885 he had become sufficiently sympathetic to his new country to change his mind, and supported the Liberals. He also supported the Unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia, which was brought about by a coup in Plovdiv in September 1885. The Powers did not intervene because of the power struggles between them. Shortly after, Serbia declared war on Bulgaria in the hope of grabbing territory while the Bulgarians were distracted. The Bulgarians defeated them at Slivnitsa and pushed the Serbian army back into Serbia.

European Turkey, changes 1856-1878, from Literary and Historical Atlas of Europe, by J.G. Bartholomew, 1912.

These events made Alexander very popular in Bulgaria, but Russia was increasingly dissatisfied at the liberal tendencies under his reign. In August 1886 they fomented a coup, in the course of which Alexander was forced to abdicate and was exiled to Russia. Stambolov, however, acted quickly and the participants in the coup were forced to flee the country. Stambolov tried to reinstate Alexander, but strong Russian opposition forced the prince to abdicate again. In July 1887 the Bulgarians elected Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as their new Prince. Ferdinand was the "Austrian candidate" and the Russians refused to recognise him. Ferdinand initially worked with Stambolov, but by 1894 their relationship worsened. Stambolov resigned and was assassinated in July 1895. Ferdinand then decided to restore relations with Russia, which meant returning to a conservative policy.

Elevation to Kingdom and Independence

There was a substantial Bulgarian population still living under Ottoman rule, particularly in Macedonia. To complicate matters, Serbia and Greece too made claims over parts of Macedonia, while Serbia, as a Slavic nation, also considered Macedonians (Bulgarians) as belonging to Serbian nation. Thus began a five-sided struggle for control of these areas which lasted until World War I. In 1903 there was a Bulgarian insurrection in Ottoman Macedonia and war seemed likely. In 1908 Ferdinand used the struggles between the Great Powers to declare Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom, with himself as Tsar, which he did on 5 October (though celebrated on 22 September, as Bulgaria remained officially on the Julian Calendar until 1916) in the St Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo.

See also

• History of Bulgaria (1878–1946)

External links

• Rulers of Bulgaria at World Statesmen