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| Bulgarian Declaration of Independence | |
|---|---|
 The declaration (manifesto) of independence | |
| Created | 5 October [O.S. 22 September] 1908 |
| Purpose | To announce thede jure independence ofBulgaria from theOttoman Empire |
Thede jureindependence of Bulgaria (Bulgarian:Независимост на България,romanized: Nezavisimost na Bǎlgariya) from theOttoman Empire wasproclaimed on 5 October [O.S. 22 September] 1908 in the old capital ofTarnovo by PrinceFerdinand of Bulgaria, who afterwards took the title "Tsar".[1][2]
Bulgaria had been a widely autonomousprincipality since 13 July 1878Congress of Berlin and the end of theRusso-Turkish War (1877–78). Although it was still technically under thesuzerainty of theSublime Porte, this was alegal fiction that Bulgaria only acknowledged in a formal way. Much like the states of theHoly Roman Empire after 1648, Bulgariade facto acted as an independent principality with its own constitution, flag, and anthem, and conducted a separate foreign policy. From 1880, it also had its own currency. On 18 September [O.S. 6 September] 1885, it hadunified with the Bulgarian-majority Ottoman autonomous province ofEastern Rumelia.
After liberation, Bulgaria's main external goal was the unification of all Bulgarian-inhabited areas under foreign rule into a single Bulgarian state: the main targets of Bulgarianirredentism wereMacedonia and southernThrace, which continued to be part of the Ottoman realm. In order to join an anti-Ottoman alliance and claim those territories by war, however, Bulgaria had to proclaim its independence first.
Normally, this would have constituted a violation of theTreaty of Berlin's terms, and would have been unlikely to be approved by theGreat Powers. However, the chaos that ensued in the Ottoman Empire following theYoung Turk Revolution of 1908 provided suitable conditions for the Bulgarian proclamation of independence. Many of the Great Powers had also abandoned their support for the Ottomans, looking for territorial gains instead:Austria-Hungary washoping to annex theBosnia Vilayet, theUnited Kingdom was looking to seize the empire'sArab territories in the east, and theRussian Empire's main target was control over theTurkish Straits. In September 1908 at a meeting inBuchlov (German:Buchlau, contemporaryCzech Republic), envoys of Austria-Hungary and Russia supported each other's plans and agreed not to hinder Bulgaria's proclamation of independence which was likely to take place.
Towards the middle of September, the democratic government ofAleksandar Malinov had decided that the suitable moment was near. 4 October [O.S. 21 September] 1908, PrinceFerdinand arrived atRousse from a break in his Hungarian mansion.[3] He was awaited there by the government to discuss the final decision on board theKrum ship. The delegation then took the train to Tarnovo, where the official proclamation would take place. According to recent research,[clarification needed] it was at theDve Mogilirailway station that themanifesto of independence was completed on 5 October [O.S. 22 September] 1908.[citation needed]
The independence of Bulgaria was formally proclaimed at theHoly Forty Martyrs Church in Tarnovo. As part of the proclamation, Ferdinand raised Bulgaria from a principality to akingdom, increasing its international prestige. In a nod to past Bulgarian states, Ferdinand took the title of "tsar," which was translated as "king" outside of Bulgaria. The country would be ready to join theBalkan League and fight the Ottoman Empire in what would become theFirst Balkan War of 1912–1913.
Bulgaria's declaration of independence was followed by Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia the following day andGreece's union with theCretan State (unrecognized until 1913). With the two countries' joint violation of the Treaty of Berlin and the dominant support among European countries, the independence of Bulgaria was internationally recognized by the spring of 1909. The Ottoman Empire did not demand any financial compensation from Bulgaria, which took over the railways run by theOriental Railway Company and the taxes in Eastern Rumelia. Russia cancelled forty years of payments the Ottomans owed on the indemnity for the war of 1877–78. This amounted to 125,000,000francs (out of a total indemnity of 802,000,000 francs). In turn Bulgaria agreed to transfer its tribute payments—85,000,000 francs over 85 years—to Russia.[4]
Bulgaria'sIndependence Day is subsequently celebrated annually on 22 September.
Declaration of Independence.....
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