-byTodorBozhinov.png)
TheLiberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of theBulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of theTenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishment of the Bulgarian state under theTreaty of San Stefano of 3 March 1878.
The treaty forced the Ottoman Empire to give back to Bulgaria most of its territory conquered in 14th century. At the Berlin Congress of the same year, theTreaty of Berlin was adopted, according to which the territories of the Bulgarian state, as established by the San Stefano treaty, were divided into three parts. The first part was the Principality of Bulgaria, which functioned independently but was nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire and was limited toMoesia and areas adjacent to the capital,Sofia.
The second part was to be an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire—Eastern Rumelia. The third and largest part—all ofMacedonia andLozengrad—were restored to theOttoman Empire, while some outlands were assigned toSerbia andRomania. Those territories seized fromBulgaria after theCongress of Berlin, including most ofMacedonia,Thrace, and others, had a majority ethnic Bulgarian population.
On 6 September 1885,Eastern Rumelia became part of thePrincipality of Bulgaria after a bloodless unification. Although the principality was a de facto independent nation, it was de jure a vassal of theOttoman Empire until 1908, whenBulgaria proclaimed its independence.
The 1908 declaration, which signified Bulgaria's break withOttoman rule, was actually the second liberation of Bulgaria. After the conquest of theFirst Bulgarian Empire in 1018, the first liberation of Bulgaria led to the establishment of theSecond Bulgarian Empire in the aftermath ofthe 1185 uprising ofIvan Asen I of Bulgaria and his brotherTheodor (Peter) against theByzantine Empire.
  | ThisRussian history–related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article aboutBulgarian history is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |