Part of the History of Bulgaria series
First Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
Ottoman Bulgaria
National awakening
Independent Bulgaria
Communist Bulgaria
Democratic Bulgaria

Bulgarian nationalism emerged in the early 19th century under the influence of western ideas such as liberalism and nationalism, which trickled into the country after the French revolution, mostly via Greece. The Russians, as fellow Orthodox Slavs, could appeal to the Bulgarians in a way that the Austrians could not. The Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji of 1774 gave Russia the right to interfere in Ottoman affairs to protect the Sultan's Christian subjects. Image File history File links Flag_of_Bulgaria. ... 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. ... St Ivan of Rila, patron saint of Bulgaria The history of Bulgaria began in the 7th century CE with the arrival of the Bulgars in the Balkans. ... The history of Bulgaria began in the 7th century AD with the arrival of the Bulgars in the Balkans. ... // Early centuries of Ottoman rule Organisation of Ottoman Bulgaria The Ottomans reorganised the Bulgarian territories as the Beyerlik of Rumili, ruled by a Beylerbey at Sofia. ... Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria The Bulgarians wrote themselves an advanced democratic constitution, and power soon passed to the Liberal Party led by Stefan Stambolov. ... Communist Bulgaria began as the Peoples Republic of Bulgaria (PRB) in 1944, and ended in 1991. ... By the time the impact of Mikhail Gorbachevs reform program in the Soviet Union was felt in Bulgaria in the late 1980s, the Communists, like their leader, had grown too feeble to resist the demand for change for long. ... This article discusses liberalism as a major political ideology as it developed and stands currently. ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate... Liberty Leading the People, a painting by Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 but which has come to be generally accepted as symbolic of French popular uprisings against the monarchy in general and the French Revolution in particular. ... The Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (Küçük Kaynarca) was signed on July 21, 1774, between Russia (represented by Field-Marshal Rumyantsev) and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. ... 1774 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The Greek revolt against the Ottomans which began in 1821 (see History of Ottoman Greece), also influenced the small Bulgarian educated class. But Greek influence was limited by the general Bulgarian resentment of Greek control of the Bulgarian Church, and it was the struggle to revive an independent Bulgarian Church which first roused Bulgarian nationalist sentiment. When some Bulgarians threatened to abandon the Orthodox Church altogether and form a Bulgarian Uniate church loyal to Rome, the Russians intervened with the Sultan. In 1870 a Bulgarian Exarchate was created by a Sultan edict, and the first Bulgarian Exarch (Antim I) became the natural leader of the emerging nation. The Constantinople Patriarch reacted by excommunicating the Bulgarian Exarchate, which reinforced their will for independence. The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Navarino, in October 1827, marked the effective end of Ottoman Rule in Greece Greece was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 14th century until its declaration of independence in 1821. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Bulgarian Exarchate was an independent Bulgarian ecclesiastical organisation established on February 28, 1870 by decree of Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz of the Ottoman Empire. ... Antim I, born as Atanas Mihaylov, : Атанас Михайлов (1816, Lozengrad (Kirklareli), the Ottoman Empire, – December 1, 1888, Sofia) was a Bulgarian Exarch from 1872 to 1877. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Another source of the Bulgarian national revival was the Romantic nationalist vision of a people sharing oral traditions and practices. These ideas were stimulated by the work of Johann Gottfried Herder in particular, and were reinforced by Russian Slavophiles and the model Serbian nationalism under the stimulus of scholar-publicists such as Vuk Karadzic. In Bulgaria, the scholar and newspaper editor Lyuben Karavelov played an important role in collecting and publishing oral traditions, and comparing them with the traditions of other Slavic peoples. The Bulgarian national revival (Vazrazdane) was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people in the Ottoman Empire. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder (August 25, 1744 – December 18, 1803), German poet, critic, theologian, and philosopher, is best known for his influence on authors such as Goethe and the role he played in the development of the larger cultural movement known as romanticism. ... A Slavophile was an advocate of the supremacy of Slavic culture over that of others, especially Western European culture. ... Vuk Stefanović Karadžić (Вук Стефановић Караџић) (November 7, 1787 - February 7, 1864) was a Serb linguist and major reformer of the Serbian language. ... Lyuben Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival born around 1834 in Koprivshtitsa. ...

The April uprising

In April 1876 the Bulgarians revolted in the so-called April uprising. The uprising was organised by the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee and was inspired by the insurrection in Bosnia and Herzegovina the previous year. The revolt was largely confined to the region of Plovdiv, though certain districts in northern Bulgaria, in Macedonia and in the area of Sliven also took part in it. The uprising was crushed with cruelty by the Ottomans who brought irregular Ottoman troops (bashi-bazouks) from outside the area. Many villages were pillaged and around twelve thousand people were massacred, the majority of them in the insurgents towns of Batak, Perushtitza and Bratzigovo in the area of Plovdiv. The massacres aroused a broad public reaction led by liberal Europeans such as William Gladstone, who launched a campaign against the "Bulgarian Horrors". The campaign was supported by a number of European intellectuals and public figures, such as Charles Darwin, Oscar Wilde, Victor Hugo and Giuseppe Garibaldi. 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Development of the April Uprising The April Uprising (Bulgarian: Априлско въстание) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, the indirect result of which was the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. ... The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (Bulgarian: Български революционен централен комитет) or BRCK was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded in 1869 among the Bulgarian emigrant circles in Romania. ... The Herzegovinian Rebellion is a name used for the most infamous of the rebellions against the Ottoman Empire in Herzegovina that took place in 1875. ... Sliven (Bulgarian: Сливен) is a town in southeast Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Sliven Province. ... A bashi-bazouk (in Turkish başıbozuk, meaning disorganized, leaderless) was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army. ... Batak designates two distinct peoples, one living in Indonesia, the other in the Philippines. ... Cultural Centrum of Perushtitsa - 2000 years, 1 goal: liberty Perushtitsa is a Bulgarian town located in the Plovdiv Oblast on the feet of the Rodopi mountains. ... Bratsigovo (Bulgarian Брацигово) is a town in Southern Bulgaria. ... William Ewart Gladstone (December 29, 1809 - May 19, 1898) was a British Liberal politician and Prime Minister (1868-1874, 1880-1885, 1886 and 1892-1894). ... In his lifetime Charles Darwin gained international fame as an influential scientist examining controversial topics. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, short story writer and Freemason. ... Victor-Marie Hugo. ... Garibaldi in 1866 Giuseppe Garibaldi (July 4, 1807 – June 2, 1882) was an Italian patriot and soldier of the Risorgimento. ...

Bulgaria after the Conference of Constantinople, 1876, from "Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars, 1914

The strongest reaction, however, came from Russia. The enormous public outcry which the April Uprising had caused in Europe gave the Russians a long-waited chance to realise their long-term objectives with regard to the Ottoman Empire. The Russian efforts, which were concentrated on ironing out the differences and contradictions between the Great Powers, eventually led to the Conference of Constantinople held in December 1876 in the Ottoman capital. The conference was attended by delegates from Russia, Britain, France, Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy and was supposed to bring a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Bulgarian Question. Download high resolution version (1046x756, 124 KB)Map from Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars 1914. ... Download high resolution version (1046x756, 124 KB)Map from Report of the International Commission To Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars 1914. ... Development of the April Uprising The April Uprising (Bulgarian: Априлско въстание) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, the indirect result of which was the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

Russia insisted to the last minute on the inclusion of all Bulgarian-inhabited lands in Macedonia, Moesia, Thrace and Dobrudja in the future Bulgarian state, whereas Britain, afraid that a greater Bulgaria would be a threat to British interests on the Balkans, favoured a smaller Bulgarian principality north of the Balkan Mountains. The delegates eventually gave their consent to a compromise variant, which excluded southern Macedonia and Thrace, and denied Bulgaria access to the Aegean sea, but otherwise incorporated all other regions in the Ottoman Empire inhabited by Bulgarians (illustration, left). At the last minute, however, the Ottomans rejected the plan with the secret support of Britain. In ancient geography, Moesia was a district inhabited chiefly by Thracian peoples. ... Thrace (Greek Θράκη, Thrákē, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Dobruja or sometimes Dobrudja (Dobrogea in Romanian, Dobrudzha in Bulgarian, Dobruca in Turkish) is the territory between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, which includes the Danube Delta and the Romanian sea-shore. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Balkan mountain range (Bulgarian: Stara Planina, Old Mountain) is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Thrace (Greek Θράκη, Thrákē, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... The Aegean Sea. ...

The Liberation

Borders of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878

Having its reputation at stake, Russia had no other choice but to declare war on the Ottomans in April 1877. The Romanian army and a small contingent of Bulgarian exiles also fought alongside the advancing Russians. The Russians and Romanians were able to inflict a decisive defeat on the Ottomans at the Battle of Shipka and at the Pleven, and, by January 1878 they had occupied much of Bulgaria. They were thus able to dictate terms to the Sultan, and in the Treaty of San Stefano they proposed creating a large Bulgarian state, embracing almost all of the lands populated by Bulgarians. The Sultan was in no position to resist, but the other powers were not willing to allow the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire or the creation of a large Pro-Russian state on the Balkans. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x613, 229 KB) A map of liberated Bulgaria (1878) - borders after the Treaty of San Stefano (3 March 1878) and the Congress of Berlin (June 1878). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (786x613, 229 KB) A map of liberated Bulgaria (1878) - borders after the Treaty of San Stefano (3 March 1878) and the Congress of Berlin (June 1878). ... Plevna Monument near the walls of Kitai-gorod. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... This article needs cleanup. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Borders of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3rd, 1878 The Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78. ...

As a result, the Treaty of Berlin (1878), under the supervision of Otto von Bismarck of Germany and Benjamin Disraeli of Britain, revised the earlier treaty, and scaled back the proposed Bulgarian state. Much of the Bulgarian territories were returned to the Empire (part of Thrace and Macedonia), while others were given to Serbia and Romania. A 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. 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). ... For alternative meanings: See Bismarck (disambiguation). ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ... Thrace (Greek Θράκη, ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... Veliko Turnovo(Cyrillic: Велико Търново, Great Turnovo) is a city of approximately 65,000 people in North-central Bulgaria, 240km north-east of Sofia. ... Alexander Joseph of Battenburg (April 5, 1857 _ November 17, 1893), the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigned from April 29, 1879 to September 7, 1886). ... Alexander (Aleksandr) II Nikolaevitch (Russian: Александр II Николаевич) (born April 17, 1818 in Moscow; died March 13, 1881 in St. ...

Between the Stara Planina and the line of the Rhodope Range, which runs about 50km north of the modern border between Bulgaria and Greece, the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia was created. With its capital at Plovdiv, it was to be under Ottoman sovereignty but governed by a Christian governor appointed by the Sultan with the approval of the Powers. This hybrid territory was governed by Alexander Bogoridi for most of its brief existence. Stara Planina, Rhodope, Rila and Pirin Mountains The Stara Planina (Old Mountain) or Balkan mountain range is an extension of the Carpathian mountain range, separated from it by the Danube River. ... View from the Belintash Rock towards the village of Vrata View from the Southern Rhodopes Dospat Dam in the western parts The river Mesta crossing the mountains The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: Родопи, Rodopi; Greek: Ροδόπη, Rodopi) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and... Flag of Eastern Rumelia Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia (Bulgarian: ; Ottoman Turkish: Rumeli-i Sarki; Modern Turkish: Sarki Rumeli, Greek Ανατολική Ρωμυλία) was an autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire from 1878 to 1885 (nominally to 1908). ... Prince Alexander Stefanov Bogoridi (Greek Αλεχανδρος Βογοριδης, Turkish Aleko Pasha) (1822, Istanbul - July 17th 1910, Paris) was an Ottoman statesman of Bulgarian origin. ...

It should be also noted that successive Bulgarian governments in the post-ottoman and pre-communist period (1878-1944) tried to honor international and bilateral agreements for respecting the right of minorities (Eminov, 1997:49).There was no explicit legal discrimination or political oppression against the Turkish and the Muslim minority in general.

Nevertheless, the Turkish population of Bulgaria was still subjected to mental and physical violence. The fascist nationalist groups increased the pressure to force them to emigrate: they beat people up, burned men’s fez hats and women’s shalvar trousers, hung pig tails on mosque doors, dropped pieces of lard in water wells and other similar activities. The acts of uninhibited harassment increased to such an extent that the authorities were forced to recommend more moderate types of pressure. (Marushiakova and Popov,2004)