Alexander I
Kniaz of Bulgaria
Reign	29 April 1879 - 7 September 1886
Born	5 April 1857
	Verona, Italy
Died	October 23, 1893
	Gratz, Austria
Predecessor	Principality created
Successor	Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Consort	Johanna Loisinger
Issue	Asen of Hartenau Tsvetana of Hartenau
Royal House	Battenberg
Father	Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt
Mother	Julia von Hauke

Alexander Joseph of Battenberg (April 5, 1857 - November 17, 1893), the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigned from April 29, 1879 to September 7, 1886). Image File history File links Battenburg. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Ferdinand I, Tsar of Bulgaria (February 26, 1861 - September 10, 1948), born Prince Ferdinand Maximilan Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was the Prince Regnant and later King of Bulgaria as well as an author, botanist and philatelist. ... Johanna Maria Louise Loisinger was the wife of Prince Alexander of Bulgaria. ... Battenberg (Eder) is a town of 5000 inhabitants in Northern Hesse, Germany. ... Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (15 July 1823 - 1888). ... Julia von Hauke (November 12, 1825 (O.S.) = November 24, 1825 (N.S.) - September 19, 1895) was wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt (1823-1888), mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestor of the house of Mountbatten and the British royal House of Windsor. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

Alexander was the second son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine by the latter's morganatic marriage with Countess Julia von Hauke. The countess and her descendants gained the title of Princess of Battenberg (derived from an old residence of the grand-dukes of Hesse) and the style Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") in 1858. Prince Alexander was a nephew of Russia's Tsar Alexander II, who had married a sister of Prince Alexander of Hesse; his mother, a daughter of Count Moritz von Hauke, had been lady-in-waiting to the tsaritsa. Prince Alexander of Hesse GCB (15 July 1823 - 15 December 1888), was the third son and fourth child of Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse and Wilhelmina of Baden. ... A morganatic marriage is a type of marriage which can be contracted in certain countries, usually between persons of unequal social rank (unebenbürtig in German), which prevents the passage of the husbands titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage. ... Julia von Hauke (November 12, 1825 (O.S.) = November 24, 1825 (N.S.) - September 19, 1895) was wife of Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt (1823-1888), mother of Alexander of Bulgaria, and ancestor of the house of Mountbatten and the British royal House of Windsor. ... Battenberg (Eder) is a town of 5000 inhabitants in Northern Hesse, Germany. ... A style of office, or honorific, is a form of address which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a title or post, or to the political office itself. ... Serene Highness (acronym HSH) – His Serene Highness or Her Serene Highness. ... Alexander II (1818-1881) Alexander (Aleksandr) II (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (April 17, 1818–March 13, 1881) was the Emperor (tsar) of Russia from March 2, 1855 until his assassination. ... Lady in Waiting is an album by American southern rock band The Outlaws, released in 1976. ... A Tsaritsa (Цари́ца), also called tsarina, czarina, or czaritsa, was the title of Tsars wife or a female autocratic ruler(monarch) of Russia or Bulgaria. ...

In his boyhood and early youth Alexander frequently visited St Petersburg, and he accompanied his uncle, the Tsar, who was much attached to him, during the Bulgarian campaign of 1877. When, under the Treaty of Berlin (1878), Bulgaria became an autonomous principality under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, the Tsar recommended his nephew to the Bulgarians as a candidate for the newly-created throne, and the Grand National Assembly unanimously elected Prince Alexander as Prince of Bulgaria (April 29, 1879). At that time he held a commission as a lieutenant in the Prussian life-guards at Potsdam. Before proceeding to Bulgaria, Prince Alexander paid visits to the Tsar at Livadia, to the courts of the great powers and to the sultan; a Russian warship then conveyed him to Varna, and after taking the oath to the new constitution at Turnovo (July 8, 1879) he went to Sofia. The people everywhere en route greeted him with immense enthusiasm. (For the political history of Prince Alexander's reign, see History of Bulgaria.) Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in the Russian goal of gaining access to the Mediterranean Sea and dominating Constantinople (Istanbul) and the adjacent Turkish Straits. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The separate Bulgaria after The Treatry of Berlin - Lithography Nikolay Pavlovich The Treaty of Berlin was the final Act of the Congress of Berlin (June 13-July 13, 1878), by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman government under Sultan Hamid revised the Treaty... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... The National Assembly of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Народното събрание, transliterated: Narodno Sabranie) is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 Prussia (German: ; Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Lithuanian: ; Polish: ; Old Prussian: PrÅ«sa) was, most recently, a historic state originating in East Prussia, an area which for centuries had substantial influence on German and European history. ... Sanssouci, the symbol of the city Potsdam is the capital city of the federal state of Brandenburg in Germany. ... Livadiya is a suburban district of Yalta, Crimea. ... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... Varna (Bulgarian: ) is the largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, and 92th-largest in the European Union[], with a population of 357,609 ([1]). Varna, commonly referred to as the marine capital of Bulgaria, is a primary tourist destination, major... An oath (from Old Saxon eoth) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. ... Front cover of the Tarnovo Constitution First page (in Russian and Bulgarian) The Tarnovo Constitution (Търновска конституция) was the first constitution of Bulgaria. ... Categories: Bulgaria geography stubs | Regions of Bulgaria ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Position of Sofia in Bulgaria Coordinates: Country Bulgaria Province Sofia-City Mayor Boyko Borisov Area    - City 1,310 km²  - Land (?) km²  - Water (?) km² Elevation 550 m Population (15 September 2006)  - City 1,246,791  - Density 907/km²  - Metro 1,377,761 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC... The history of Bulgaria as a separate country began in the 7th century with the arrival of the Bulgars and the foundation of the First Bulgarian Empire together with the local seven Slavic tribes, a union recognized by Byzantium in 681. ...

The new ruling prince had not had any previous training in governing, and a range of problems confronted him. He found himself caught between the official representatives of Russia, who wanted him to behave as a roi fainéant, and the Bulgarian politicians, who actively pursued their own quarrels with a violence that threatened the stability of Bulgaria.

After attempting to govern under these conditions for nearly two years, the prince, with the consent of the Russian tsar, Alexander assumed absolute power (May 9, 1881). A specially convened assembly voted (July 13, 1881) for suspension of the ultra-democratic constitution for a period of seven years. The experiment, however, proved unsuccessful; the monarchical coup infuriated Bulgarian Liberal and Radical politicians, and the real power passed to two Russian generals, Sobolev and Kaulbars, specially despatched from St Petersburg. The prince, after vainly endeavouring to obtain the recall of the generals, restored the constitution with the concurrence of all the Bulgarian political parties (September 18, 1883). A serious breach with Russia followed, and the part which the prince subsequently played in encouraging the national aspirations of the Bulgarians widened that breach. Absolute Power is the name of several works: Absolute Power (book), a novel by David Baldacci Absolute Power (film), a film, based on Baldaccis novel, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood Absolute Power (comedy), a British radio and television comedy series Absolute Power (band), a rap group responsible for... May 9 is the 129th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (130th in leap years). ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... July 13 is the 194th day (195th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 171 days remaining. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Much of the recent sociological debate on power revolves around the issue of constraining and/or enabling nature of power. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The revolution of Philippopolis (September 18, 1885), which brought about the union of Eastern Rumelia with Bulgaria, took place with Alexander's consent, and he at once assumed the government of the province. In the year which followed, the prince gave evidence of considerable military and diplomatic ability. He rallied the Bulgarian army, now deprived of its Russian officers, to resist the Serbian invasion, and after a brilliant victory at Slivnitza (November 19) pursued King Milan of Serbia into Serbian territory as far as Pirot, which he captured (November 27). Although the intervention of Austria protected Serbia from the consequences of defeat, Prince Alexander's success sealed the union with Eastern Rumelia, and after long negotiations the sultan Abdul Hamid II nominated the Prince of Bulgaria as governor-general of that province for five years (April 5, 1886). Ancient Theater, Plovdiv International Fair, Plovdiv Plovdiv is a city in Bulgaria and the capital of the Plovdiv Oblast (district). ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Proposed flag of Eastern Rumelia. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Slivnitsa with the monument of the victims of the Serbo-Bulgarian War Slivnitsa (Bulgarian: ) is a town in western Bulgaria, 22 km away from Sofia, lying on the main road connecting the capital with the Bulgarian-Serbian border. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Milan I, born Milan Obrenovich IV, (August 22, 1854 – February 11, 1901), was the king of Serbia from 1882 to 1889. ... Pirot (Пирот) is a city located in Serbia and Montenegro at 43. ... November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... Abdülhamid II (Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی , Turkish: Ä°kinci Abdülhamid) (September 21, 1842 – February 10, 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (96th in leap years). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

This arrangement, however, cost Alexander much of his popularity in Bulgaria, while discontent prevailed among a number of his officers, who considered themselves slighted in the distribution of rewards at the close of the campaign. A military plot formed, and on the night of August 20, 1886 the conspirators seized the prince in the palace at Sofia and compelled to sign his abdication; they then hurried him to the Danube at Rakhovo, transported him on his yacht to Reni, and handed him over to the Russian authorities, who allowed him to proceed to Lemberg. However he soon returned to Bulgaria as a result of the success of the counter-revolution led by Stefan Stambolov, which overthrew the provisional government set up by the Russian party at Sofia. His position, however, had become untenable, partly as a result of an ill-considered telegram which he addressed to tsar Alexander III of Russia on his return. The attitude of Bismarck, who, in conjunction with the Russian and Austrian governments, forbade him to punish the leaders of the military conspiracy, also undermined Alexander's position. He therefore issued a manifesto resigning the throne, and left Bulgaria on September 8, 1886. August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Position of Sofia in Bulgaria Coordinates: Country Bulgaria Province Sofia-City Mayor Boyko Borisov Area    - City 1,310 km²  - Land (?) km²  - Water (?) km² Elevation 550 m Population (15 September 2006)  - City 1,246,791  - Density 907/km²  - Metro 1,377,761 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC... Length 2,888 km Elevation of the source 1,078 m Average discharge 30 km before Passau: 580 m³/s Vienna: 1,900 m³/s Budapest: 2,350 m³/s just before Delta: 6,500 m³/s Area watershed 817,000 km² Origin Black Forest (Schwarzwald-Baar, Baden- Württemberg... Reni is: Alan Wren, drummer for The Stone Roses a city in southern Ukraine, near the confluence of Prut and Danube rivers This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Lviv ( Львів in Ukrainian; Львов, Lvov in Russian; Lwów in Polish; Leopolis in Latin; Lemberg in German—see also cities alternative names) is a city in western Ukraine with 830,000 inhabitants (an additional 200,000 commute daily from... A statue of Stefan N. Stambolov in his birthplace Veliko Turnovo Stefan Nikolov Stambolov (Bulgarian: Стефан Николов Стамболов) (January 31, 1854 - July 6, 1895) was a Bulgarian revolutionary and statesman. ... Alexander III (March 10, 1845 – November 1, 1894) reigned as Emperor of Russia from March 14, 1881 until his death in 1894. ... Bismarck redirects here. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ...

Alexander now retired into private life. A few years later he married Johanna Loisinger, an actress, and assumed the style of Count Hartenau (February 6, 1889). There were a son and a daughter of this marriage. The last years of his life he spent principally at Gratz, where he held a local command in the Austrian army, and where he died on October 23, 1893. His remains, brought to Sofia, received a public funeral there, and were buried in a mausoleum erected to his memory. Johanna Maria Louise Loisinger was the wife of Prince Alexander of Bulgaria. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Grazer Schloßberg Clock Tower Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec IPA: /gra. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Battenberg Mausoleum The Memorial Tomb of Alexander I of Battenberg (Bulgarian: , Grobnitsa pametnik „Aleksandar І Batenberg“), better known as the Battenberg Mausoleum (Мавзолей на Батенберг, Mavzoley na Batenberg) in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the mausoleum and final resting place of Knyaz (Prince) Alexander I of Battenberg (1857–1893), the first Head of...

Prince Alexander possessed much charm and amiability of manner; he was tall, dignified and strikingly handsome. Competent authorities have generally recognised his capabilities as a soldier. As a ruler he committed some errors, but his youth and inexperience and the extreme difficulty of his position account for much. He had some aptitude for diplomacy, and his intuitive insight and perception of character sometimes enabled him to outwit the crafty politicians who surrounded him. His principal fault remained a want of tenacity and resolution; his tendency to unguarded language undoubtedly increased the number of his enemies.

See:

• Drandar, Le Prince Alexandre de Battenberg en Bulgarie (Paris, 1884)
• Koch, Fürst Alexander von Bulgarien (Darmstadt, 1887)
• Matveyev, Bulgarien nach dem Berliner Congress (Petersburg, 1887)
• Bourchier, "Prince Alexander of Battenberg," in Fortnightly Review, January 1894.

See also

• History of Bulgaria
• Battenberg Mausoleum

The history of Bulgaria as a separate country began in the 7th century with the arrival of the Bulgars and the foundation of the First Bulgarian Empire together with the local seven Slavic tribes, a union recognized by Byzantium in 681. ... Battenberg Mausoleum The Memorial Tomb of Alexander I of Battenberg (Bulgarian: , Grobnitsa pametnik „Aleksandar І Batenberg“), better known as the Battenberg Mausoleum (Мавзолей на Батенберг, Mavzoley na Batenberg) in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the mausoleum and final resting place of Knyaz (Prince) Alexander I of Battenberg (1857–1893), the first Head of...

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.