... A philatelic journey through the history of Bulgaria ...

6. The Inter-War Period



 
 
 
Previous: International crises
Next: Bulgaria in World War II


Charity issues
for Prisoners of War
Mi 136

 		 The situation in Bulgaria after the war was very difficult. The country had lost large territories and had to pay large war reparations . The society was marked by a feeling of defeat and lack of faith in the future. The population had lost faith in the traditional political institutions; the monarchy, the bourgeois parties, the parliament and the government. In the National Assembly elections in 1920 the radical agrarian party under the leadership of Aleksander Stambolijski won, followed by the Bulgarian communist party. Stambolijski formed a one-party government and introduced comprehensive democratic reforms, in particular with respect to the distribution of farmlands. Stambolijski was overthrown by the army and conservative elements June 9 1923 and later murdered.

A. Stambolijski
(1879-1923)
Mi 547

 		 Aleksander Stambolijski (1879-1923), Bulgarian politician, from 1902 one of the leaders for the agrarian party. He opposed King Ferdinand's pro-German politics, and was in 1915 given life-sentence in prison. After the defeat in 1918, however, he was released, and joined in organising a military coup d'état to force Ferdinand to abdicate. From 1919 he was the ideological leader of the radical wing of the agrarian movement, and was prime minister 1919-23, when he was murdered after Tsankov's coup. As prime minister Stambolijski ruled nearly autocratic, and introduced a comprehensive farmland distribution reform in favour of Bulgarian peasants.
 

 

Bulgarian lion
Mi 189

 		 After the coup in June 1923 the new government started persecution of the followers of the agrarian and communist parties both. A communist revolt in September 1923 was revealed at the last moment, and resulted in mass arrests and brutal reprisals. The communist party continued it's armed struggle against the government, however, and several turbulent year followed with political murders, assassinations and suppression. 

St. Nedelya cathedral 
in Sofia after the bombing 
April 16 1925
Mi 195

 		 April 16 1925 Bulgarias government and entire military leadership was gathered in the Sveta Nedelya cathedral in Sofia for a state funeral. The military fraction of the Bulgarian communist party had planted a bomb in the roof of the cathedral to finish off the entire political leadership in one single blow. Approximately 120 people were killed in the explosion, but amazingly no prominent figures were among the dead. The bombing was used by the government as the final excuse to clear away all opposition. Martial law was declared, and thousands of left wing activists were detained or killed without any trials. The persecution affected not only followers of the communist and the agrarian parties, but also intellectuals, writers, poets and journalists.

Bulgarian lion and 
postal coat-of-arms
Mi 200

 
After several years of terror and political suppression followed after 1925 a period of relative stability. The growth in the world economy caused prosperity and growth also in the Bulgarian economy. The industry was renovated, the power production increased and the agriculture modernised. This positive development dampened the social and political conflicts in the country, and the tense atmosphere gradually became more relaxed.
 

 


During the 20's the foreign policy of Bulgaria followed a strategy of changing the harsh conditions of the Neuilly treaty through peaceful political means. This was to be achieved through the League of Nations with Italy as support. As a symbol of the relationship between Bulgaria and Italy, King Boris married the Italian Princess Giovanna in 1930. They got two children, princess Marie Louise and crown prince Simeon. Politically, however, the relationship to Italy did not give any of the desired results.

Princess Marie Louise's
4th birthday 1937
Mi 314

King Boris and Queen Giovanna
1930
Mi 223

Crown Prince Simeon's
1st birthday 1938
Mi 340

5th Balkan 
football championship
1935
Mi 278

 		 In the 30's the democratic system in Bulgaria fell into deep crisis. The traditional bourgeois parties lost their support among the population due to their incompetent leaders, widespread corruption and internal fighting for power. This enabled the growth of "alternative" ideologies, like the belief that a totalitarian rule was better suited to solve Bulgaria's problems than an ineffective democracy. May 19 1934 the ideological organisation "Zveno" (link) orchestrated a coup d'état with military support. The Constitution was suspended, the Parliament dissolved and all political parties were banned.
 
 

 
King Boris 1938
Mi 348
 In the mean time, however, King Boris had built himself a strong position as the only savior of the nation in this difficult period. Supported by loyal military forces, he forced the Zveno Prime Minister to resign in January 1935. The following years Boris ruled autocratic.
 
 
 

 

 

Previous: International crises
Next: Bulgaria in World War II

 
 

References: