Kingdom of Bulgaria
Bulgaria, 1908–1946. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy in Southeastern Europe, and in 1908 the Bulgarian state was raised from a principality to a tsardom. In the 1910s it engaged in three wars: the First and Second Balkan Wars, and the First World War. Less than two decades later Bulgaria entered World War II on the side of the Axis powers and once again found itself on the losing side until it switched sides to the Allies in September 1944. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished, its final tsar was sent into exile, and the tsardom was replaced by the People's Republic of Bulgaria.
Seat of power: Sofia
Rulers
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
King of Bulgaria, 1887–1918
Ferdinand I was the monarch of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, reigning as Prince of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1908 and Tsar of Bulgaria from 1908 until his abdication in 1918. Under his rule, Bulgaria began rapidly modernising its industry, military, infrastructure and culture. It achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire and fought in the Balkan Wars and World War I, the latter of which ended with the catastrophic Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine and prompted Ferdinand's abdication.
Portrait of Ferdinand I of Bulgaria: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Boris III of Bulgaria
King of Bulgaria, 1918–1943
Boris III was Tsar of Bulgaria from 1918 until his death in 1943. Under the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly, Bulgaria was forced to cede various territories, pay crippling war reparations, and greatly reduce the size of its military. For the remainder of his reign, Boris would rule as a de facto absolute monarch, with his prime ministers largely submitting to his will.
Portrait of Boris III of Bulgaria: Dimitar Karastoyanov, Public domain, file
Simeon II of Bulgaria
King of Bulgaria, 1943–1946
Simeon II was the last Tsar of the Tsardom of Bulgaria (1943-1946). Since he was a minor, a regency council led by his uncle Kiril, Prince of Preslav, General Nikola Mihov and prime minister, Bogdan Filov ran the country on his behalf. Simeon was forced into exile in 1946 when the monarchy was abolished by referendum.
Portrait of Simeon II of Bulgaria: EU2018BG Bulgarian Presidency, CC BY 2.0, file
Culture
- The cathedral was created in honour to the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, as a result of which Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman rule.
- The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a cross-domed basilica featuring an emphasized central dome.
- There is a museum of Bulgarian icons inside the cathedral's crypt, part of the National Art Gallery.
- Competitive examinations were used to judge college applicants, and Bulgaria had several technical and specialized schools in addition to the University of Sofia.
Picture
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Image: Jose Ligero Loarte, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.