The short story of Bulgaria
This is very important to be acquainted about the history of the Bulgaria to be able to well understand for examples the reason of the existant of a monument or while visiting a museum. Veliko Tarnovo (where we live) had a major role in the history of the country, that is why I mad this article. It is also important for you to read it (don't worry, I made it easy to read) because all article that we are going to make will be linked, near or far, from the story of the country.
The Balcans
As early as 3500 BC, Balkans (orange area on the map) were inhabited by Thracians (The thracians are a step by step evolution of the neolithic men) . They formed their ethnic community at the beginning of the Iron Age and it contained about 90 tribal groups (Getae, Dacians, Moesians, Triballi, Satri, Bessoi, Odrysai ...). But they were war for established their state and have access to natural ressources. In the 5th century BC, the Odrysians tribal became powerful enough to take control of most of the Balkans and establish the largest Thracian kingdom. (These war are mentioned in "Iliad" of the Ancient Greek poet Homer. The Thracians are the allies of Troy (8th c. B.C.)).
From the 4th century BC, Thracians had exchanges with the Greeks. They even used the Greek alphabet for writings. Byzance (today Istanbul, between Turkey and Bulgaria)
becomes the grec capital of the Thracian region.
The Roman Empire
In 168 BC. the Thrace (Thracian province) comes under Roman domination. (The famous Spartacus was a Thracian).
In 330 AC., Byzance, is chosen by Constantine the Great (Byzantine roman empire of East Europe) decides to be the seat of the Roman empire and renamed it Constantinople with the goal of improving the defense of all endangered provinces and in this way, founding a second Rome. By the time Thrace became part of the Roman empire, although the entire population of the Balkans was already hellenized (embracing the Greek culture and language).
From IV to VI th century, the Goths, the Huns, the Avars and the Slavs attack and invade Thrace province. After a great confrontation between the Slavs and the Byzantines, the region becomes more and more Slavic. The main Slavic tribe who conquered the Thrace is ... the Bulgarians.
So, the actual Bulgarians come from a cross between Slavs and Thraces.
In 716 the Byzantine Empire recognized the state of Bulgaria. However in the late 8th century Emperor Constantine V tried to destroy Bulgaria - but without success. It is the beginning of a long war between the two peoples.
The middle age
The Byzantines ruled Bulgaria until 1185. Then heavy taxation provoked rebellion. Byzantines accepted the situation and made peace. A new Bulgarian kingdom was founded with its capital at Veliko Tarnovo.
Then in 1204 the Crusaders captured Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Crusaders claimed that the Bulgars were their vassals however the Bulgars defeated them in battle.
The second Bulgarian kingdom reached its peak under Ivan Asen II 1218-1241. Bulgaria became prosperous and powerful. However the Bulgarians had powerful enemies but the Kingdom stayed in place.
14th to 19th Century
In 1393, the fortress of Veliko Tarnovo was besieged by the Ottoman from Turkish forces for three months before being finally conquered and burnt on July 17, which marked the fall of the Bulgarian Empire. All Bulgarian resistance to the Turks ended in 1396.
The Ottoman Turks were a rising power in the region. Bulgaria was under Turkish rule for nearly 500 years. Then in April 1877 Russia declared war on Turkey. In January 1878 the Russians captured Sofia. This is the end of the war on March 3, 1878. Bulgaria is independant. This is the most important date of Bulgarians so, this is the national day. But Bulgaria was split in two in 1878.
With the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the Bulgarian nobility had vanished, leaving an egalitarian peasant society with a small but growing urban middle class.
In November 1885 the Serbians declared war. However, they were crushed at the battle of Slivnitsa.
In 1908 , the King Ferdinand of North Bulgaria proclaimed the reunification of the two Bulgaria and he became the King of the country.
WW1
In October 1915 Germany persuaded Bulgaria to join its side promising territory as a reward. However, an allied blockade caused severe shortages in Bulgaria and eventually near starvation. Then in September 1918 French and British troops entered Bulgaria and on 29 September 1918 Bulgaria signed an armistice. Ferdinand ceded the throne to his son Boris.
The interwar period was difficult for Bulgaria. She is suffering from the crisis. A communist party is mounting and political tensions are exploding. Communists triggered greves.
WW2 and Communist Party
Boris keep the Bulgaria neutral. He died in 1943.
In 1942 the Fatherland Front (Communists + Social Democrats) or FF was formed.
Russia declared war on Bulgaria on 5 September 1944 and troops enter in the country three days after.
Behind the iron curtain
The country is now on under Russians, so the FF can formed the new government dominated by Todor Zhivkov for a period of 35 years.
The communists acted in the same way as in Russia to impose their rules and control everything. The people are practically enslaved to the party and all signs of rebellion are erased immediately.
The Bulgarian Ambrella
- Българският чадър -
Ok, I am watching the Ambrella Academy Serie on Netflix but that's not the point here. The bulgarian Ambrella is about an unbelievable but true story of the Cold War.
On the September 7, 1978, Bulgarian Journalist Georgi Markov working for the BBC World Service in London goes to work at 15:00 like every day. He is waiting for his bus when a man percusses him. Greogi suddenly feel a puncture in his right leg. The man drop his ambrella, then pick it up while apologizing. He finally arrive to work with a leg ache. The nextday, he is sent by his doctor to emergency. He said to the nurse
" I've been posen by the KGB. I'm going to die and you can't save me"
He died few days after.
Basically, Georgi Markov worked in Bulgaria as writer and theater director.
In 1969, the Communist Party prohibited his drama because it carries messages against the communist spirit. Geogi decided to exile in London in 1970. Two years after, he integreted BBC and Radio Free Europe.
He was carrying out resolute political action against Communist Party of Bulgaria and described life behind the iron curtain.
The Bulgarian state does not accept his remarks which describe communism as totalitarianism.
The Komitet za Darzhavna Sigurnost and KGB charged a secret agent named Picadilly to kill the journalist.
The Bulgarian umbrella is a weapon invented by the KGB. It contains poison in its tip which causes the death of a person in a few days. It was used only one time.
Second half of 20th Century
In 1989, Todor Zhivkof was deposed.
The communist party became the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Collective farms were dissolved. Strikes were made legal.
A new constitution was introduced in July 1991 and after further elections in October 1991 the Socialist Party lost power.
Bulgaria is now a republic presided by Roumen Radev.
Read our article about what appened after :
Thank you for reading. It was a very interesting article to write, so I hope the same to read.
See you in an other article
Nicolas