War_and_social_conflict History_of_Bulgaria_(1878–1946)

in aftermath of balkan wars bulgarian opinion turned against russia , western powers, whom bulgarians felt had done nothing them. government of vasil radoslavov aligned bulgaria germany , austria-hungary, though meant becoming ally of ottomans, bulgaria s traditional enemy. bulgaria had no claims against ottomans, whereas serbia, greece , romania (allies of britain , france) in possession of lands perceived in bulgaria bulgarian. bulgaria, recuperating balkan wars, sat out first year of world war i, when germany promised restore boundaries of treaty of san stefano, bulgaria, had largest army in balkans, declared war on serbia in october 1915. britain, france , italy declared war on bulgaria.

although bulgaria, in alliance germany, austria-hungary , ottomans, won military victories against serbia , romania, occupying of macedonia (taking skopje in october), advancing greek macedonia, , taking dobruja romanians in september 1916, war became unpopular majority of bulgarian people, suffered great economic hardship , disliked fighting fellow orthodox christians in alliance muslim ottomans. agrarian party leader, aleksandur stamboliyski, imprisoned opposition war. russian revolution of february 1917 had great effect in bulgaria, spreading antiwar , anti-monarchist sentiment among troops , in cities. membership in socialist parties in bulgaria boomed. however, socialists in bulgaria badly split ideologically. 1 group sought work other political parties representing other classes in order effective in bringing change bulgaria. because of broad outlook group of socialists known broads. second group of socialists in bulgaria purists , refused work parties of different classes. called narrows. eventually, broads formed bulgarian social democratic party , narrows became bulgarian communist party.

in june, 1919, radoslavov s government resigned. mutinies broke out in army, stamboliyski released prison , republic proclaimed.

the interwar years

in september 1918 serbs, british, french , greeks broke through on macedonian front , tsar ferdinand forced sue peace. stamboliyski favoured democratic reforms, not revolution. alexander stamboliyski made first appearance on bulgarian political scene in 1903 member of bulgarian agrarian national union (banu). in 1902 2 agraian newspapers merged form zemedelsko zname (agrarian banner) became voice of banu. in 1906 stamboliyski became editor of zemedelsko zname poor harvest , hard times of 1907 brought banu fore again. in 1908 elections banu received 11.2% of vote , obtained 23 seats in bulgaria s unicameral parliament. in august 1919 elections, banu received 31.02% of vote. in order head off revolutionaries, stamboliyski persuaded ferdinand abdicate in favour of son boris iii. revolutionaries suppressed , army disbanded. under treaty of neuilly (november 1919), bulgaria lost aegean coastline greece , of macedonian territory new state of yugoslavia, , had give dobruja romanians (see dobruja, western outlands, western thrace). elections in march 1920 gave agrarians large majority, , stamboliyski formed bulgaria s first genuinely democratic government.

stamboliyski faced huge social problems in still poor country inhabited peasant smallholders. bulgaria saddled huge war reparations yugoslavia , romania, , had deal problem of refugees pro-bulgarian macedonians had leave yugoslav macedonia. nevertheless, stamboliyski able carry through many social reforms, although opposition tsar, landlords , officers of much-reduced still influential army powerful. bitter enemy internal macedonian revolutionary organization (vmro), favoured war regain macedonia bulgaria. faced array of enemies, stamboliyski allied himself bulgarian communist party , opened relations soviet union.

in march 1923 stamboliyski signed agreement yugoslavia recognising new border , agreeing suppress vmro. triggered nationalist reaction, , on 9 june there coup after stamboliykski assassinated (beheaded). right wing government under aleksandar tsankov took power, backed tsar, army , vmro, waged white terror against agrarians , communists. communist leader georgi dimitrov fled soviet union. there savage repression in 1925 following second of 2 failed attempts on tsar s life in bomb attack on sofia cathedral (the first attempt took place in mountain pass of arabakonak). in 1926 tsar persuaded tsankov resign , more moderate government under andrey lyapchev took office. amnesty proclaimed, although communists remained banned. agrarians reorganised , won elections in 1931 under leadership of nikola mushanov.

just when political stability had been restored, full effects of great depression hit bulgaria, , social tensions rose again. in may 1934 there coup, agrarians again suppressed, , authoritarian regime headed kimon georgiev established backing of tsar boris. in april 1935 boris took power himself, ruling through puppet prime ministers georgi kyoseivanov (1935–40) , bogdan filov (1940–43). tsar s regime banned opposition parties , took bulgaria alliance nazi germany , fascist italy. although signing of balkan pact of 1938 restored relations yugoslavia , greece, territorial issue continued simmer.