Разсъждение между мен и изкуствения интелект за България по време на освобождаването и от Османската империя и Руското влияние което плаши Европа по онова време.
Преди 1878 г. българските земи са част от Османската империя в продължение на близо пет века. Национално-освободителното движение, което започва през 19-и век, набира сила и кулминацията му е Априлското въстание от 1876 г. Въпреки че е потушено жестоко, то привлича международното внимание и дава повод на Русия да обяви война на Османската империя.
На 3 март 1878 г. е подписан Санстефанският мирен договор, който предвижда създаването на голяма българска държава. Тя обхваща почти всички земи с българско население, включително Мизия, Тракия и по-голямата част от Македония. Тази нова държава е само формално васална на Османската империя, но на практика е почти напълно независима.
Великите сили обаче не са съгласни със Санстефанския договор, тъй като се страхуват от твърде голямо руско влияние на Балканите. Затова през лятото на 1878 г. в Берлин е свикан конгрес, на който е подписан нов договор. Той разделя българската държава на три части:
Княжество България: Официално е васално княжество на Османската империя, но има свой княз (избран от българския народ и одобрен от Великите сили), правителство и армия. Територията му обхваща само Северна България и Софийско.
Източна Румелия: Това е автономна област, управлявана от християнски генерал-губернатор, назначен от султана. Разположена е в Южна България и има своя милиция.
Македония и Одринска Тракия: Тези земи са върнати изцяло под властта на Османската империя, което води до трайното им отделяне от българската държава.
Княжество България е създадено през 1878 г. в резултат на Берлинския договор, който слага край на Руско-турската война от 1877 – 1878 г. Този договор прекроява териториите на Балканите, очертани първоначално от Санстефанския мирен договор.
The Thracians were an ancient Indo-European people who inhabited a vast area in southeastern Europe, primarily in the regions that now include Bulgaria, parts of Romania, North Macedonia, and northern Greece. Their history before the advent of Christ is a fascinating blend of myth, archaeology, and the accounts of Greek and Roman historians. The Thracians were renowned warriors, and their society placed a high value on military skill. They were known for their light cavalry, javelins, and unique.
The year 600 AD was a time of significant change and development across the globe, as old empires waned and new powers began to emerge. It was a period that laid the groundwork for the medieval
From the 2nd century BC onwards, the Romans began their gradual conquest of the Balkans. The Thracian kingdoms, weakened by internal conflicts, were eventually subjugated. The last remaining Thracian client state, the Sapaean Kingdom, was finally absorbed into the Roman Empire in 46 AD, marking the end of Thracian political independence
The Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire, was a dominant force, centered in Constantinople. Emperor Maurice ruled at the beginning of the 7th century, but his reign was marked by ongoing wars with the Sasanian Empire (Persia) and struggles against the Avars and Slavs encroaching on the Balkan Peninsula. The Byzantine Empire was a crucial bulwark against eastern invasions and a center of learning and culture.
The Roman province of Thrace was created in 46 AD after the annexation of the Odrysian kingdom by Emperor Claudius. Two centuries later, after the reforms of Diocletian, part of it was transformed into other provinces.
Trakarch, part of the self-government of the province of Thrace in Roman times, was carried out by the provincial assembly of the Thracians called the Trakon Koinon. Its headquarters were located in Philippopolis. Its characteristic feature was that it was deprived of administrative power.
When the Slavs began to settle in the Balkans in the middle of the 6th century, they found a Thracian-speaking population in some of the territories. A sure argument for this is the name of the city of Plovdiv. In Antiquity it was Philippopolis, which was preserved in the Byzantine administration, and in the Ottoman one it entered as Filibe. In the Bulgarian environment, however, it is Plovdiv. Why? Because the newly arrived Slavs had obviously heard the Thracian name of the city Pulpudeva. And they Slavicized it into Puldin. And this name remains in medieval texts, which is another proof that a Thracian population was preserved until the arrival of the Slavs.
In some mountainous regions of the Rhodope Mountains, Strandzha and part of the Balkan Mountains, a Thracian population is preserved. “There are customs that cannot exist if they do not have their bearers. An example of this is the fire-making in Strandzha, despite the hesitations about whether it is a Thracian or a general ancient ritual complex, but it is passed down from generation to generation within individual clans,” says the scientist. And there is no way this custom can be preserved without its bearers.
What exactly did Herodotus, the father of history, mean when he reported that the Thracians were the most numerous after the Indians, scientists are still discussing. But to compare them, it means that it is a numerous people.
Of the numerous Thracian tribes, the Odrysians managed to create a long-lasting and powerful state organization.
Is it possible that the Thracians - the second largest population after the Indians according to Herodotus - were completely destroyed?
The question never ceases to concern scientists. And many modern Bulgarians like to emphasize that they are the heirs of this ancient people. They do not want to believe that the ethnic group that inhabited our lands was completely merged and liquidated.
We Bulgarians are an example that we were not melted by the Ottoman Empire during 5 centuries of slavery.
"The possibility that Thracian blood flows in some of the modern Bulgarians cannot be ruled out," the famous Thracologist from Sofia University, Prof. Dilyana Boteva, told "24 Chasa".
For much of their history, the Thracians were not a single unified nation but a collection of numerous tribes, each with its own customs, leaders, and territorial identity. Greek and Roman historians like Herodotus noted that if the Thracians had ever united under a single ruler, they would have been the most powerful and invincible nation on Earth.
The history of Bulgaria through 1878 is a complex and fascinating story of empires, cultural development, and a long struggle for national identity and independence. It can be broadly divided into several key periods:
Establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire (681): The Bulgarian state was founded by Khan Asparuh, a Bulgar leader, who defeated the Byzantine army and established his kingdom.
Kubrat (Greek: Κροβατον, Χουβρατις) was a ruler of the Dulo clan.Asparuh's father from Old Great Bulgaria. Bulgarians on Asparuh, eventually merged with the Thracians anth the Slavic tribes already present in the region, forming the foundation of the modern Bulgarian nation.
he first Bulgarian state was founded by Khan Asparuh and the Bulgars, a Turkic tribe, who settled in the northeastern Balkans in the late 7th century. They allied with the local South Slavic tribes and, after defeating the Byzantine army, established a new state that was recognized by the Byzantine Empire in 681 CE.
The empire quickly grew in strength and territory, becoming a formidable rival to Byzantium. Under rulers like Khan Krum (r. 803–814), the empire expanded its borders and inflicted several crushing defeats on the Byzantines. However, the true "Golden Age" of the First Bulgarian Empire came under Tsar Simeon the Great (r. 893–927). His reign saw a flowering of culture and literature, and the empire's territory stretched from the Carpathian Mountains to the Aegean Sea. A pivotal moment was the adoption of Christianity in 864 under Tsar Boris I, which helped unify the diverse Bulgar and Slavic populations and brought the country into the sphere of Byzantine culture. The development and spread of the Cyrillic alphabet by the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius cemented Bulgaria's role as a center of Slavic culture and learning.
Byzantine Rule and the Second Bulgarian Empire (1018–1396)
Byzantine rule lasted until 1185, when a rebellion led by the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen successfully threw off Byzantine control. This marked the beginning of the Second Bulgarian Empire, with its capital at Tarnovo. The new state reached its peak under Tsar Ivan Asen II (r. 1218–1241), who expanded the empire's territory to include most of the Balkans, from the Adriatic to the Black Sea.
The Ottoman Rule (1396–1878)
The Ottoman conquest of the Bulgarian lands was a gradual process. The Ottomans captured Tarnovo in 1393, and the last remaining Bulgarian kingdom, the Vidin Tsardom, fell in 1396. With this, the Second Bulgarian Empire ceased to exist, and Bulgaria came under direct Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries.
Despite the hardships, the Bulgarian national identity was preserved through folklore, religious traditions, and the work of patriotic monks. A crucial moment in the Bulgarian National Revival was the publication of Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya (Slav-Bulgarian History) by the monk Paisiy Hilendarski in 1762. This work aimed to awaken national consciousness by reminding Bulgarians of their glorious past. This literary and cultural movement grew throughout the 19th century, leading to demands for an independent Bulgarian church and, eventually, political freedom.
In 1820, Russia was in a state of political and social stagnation under the increasingly conservative rule of Tsar Alexander I. Having played a pivotal role in the defeat of Napoleon, Russia was a dominant European power on the international stage. However, internally, the nation was burdened by a backward economy and social structure, which set the stage for the revolutionary movements that would emerge later in the decade.
The year 1825 was a pivotal one in Russian history, marked by the death of one tsar and the ascension of another, which in turn triggered Russia's first modern revolutionary movement. On December 1, 1825, Tsar Alexander I died unexpectedly while on a trip to the southern city of Taganrog. His sudden death plunged the Russian Empire into a dynastic crisis. Alexander I had no male heirs, and the official line of succession pointed to his younger brother, Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich. However, Constantine had secretly renounced his claim to the throne in 1823 after marrying a Polish woman of non-royal blood. This renunciation was known only to a small circle of the imperial family, including the next in line, the youngest brother, Nicholas Pavlovich. For three weeks, Russia was in an interregnum (a period without a ruler). Nicholas, out of respect for the law of succession, refused to take the throne until Constantine's renunciation was made public and officially confirmed. Constantine, in turn, remained in Poland and refused to travel to the capital to claim the crown. This confusion created a power vacuum that provided a golden opportunity for a group of revolutionaries. The chaos of the succession crisis was the perfect moment for the Decembrists to act. This group of young, liberal-minded noblemen and military officers had formed secret societies with the goal of reforming Russia's autocratic system and abolishing serfdom. They planned to use the uncertainty of the succession to their advantage. On December 26, 1825 (December 14 on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia), a group of about 3,000 soldiers and officers, led by the Decembrists, gathered in Senate Square in St. Petersburg. They refused to swear allegiance to Nicholas I and instead called for the "Constitution" and "Constantine." The revolt, however, was poorly organized and lacked a clear plan of action. Nicholas, after attempts at negotiation failed, ordered his troops to fire cannons on the rebels. The rebellion was swiftly crushed, with over a thousand casualties. The Reign of Nicholas I Begins.
The Decembrist Revolt's failure secured Nicholas I's position as tsar. He ascended the throne on the same day he crushed the rebellion, an event that deeply influenced his subsequent reign. The revolt instilled in him a profound fear of revolution and Western-style liberalism. He responded with an intensely repressive and conservative rule, symbolized by the motto "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality." The leaders of the revolt were publicly executed or exiled to Siberia, and a new secret police force, the Third Section of the Imperial Chancellery, was established to monitor and suppress dissent. The trauma of 1825 set a course for Russia that would be defined by political repression and resistance to change for the next 30 years.
The immediate cause of the war was the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). Russia, Great Britain, and France had intervened on behalf of the Greeks, who were fighting for liberation from Ottoman rule. This intervention culminated in the Battle of Navarino in October 1827, where the combined fleets of the three powers destroyed the Ottoman-Egyptian fleet. In retaliation for Russian participation, the Ottoman Sultan, Mahmud II, closed the Dardanelles Strait to Russian ships and revoked the 1826 Akkerman Convention, which had guaranteed a free passage for trade ships and granted autonomy to Serbia, Moldavia, and Wallachia. These actions led to Russia's declaration of war in April 1828.
The war was fought on two fronts – Balkan and Caucasian.
In early 1828, Captain Georgi Mamarchev, a Bulgarian serving in the Russian army, formed a detachment of 1,000 volunteers, which was enlisted in the Russian army. Under the command of Capt. Mamarchev, the detachment played a decisive role in the capture of the Silistra fortress in 1829. For this exceptional bravery, he was awarded the Order of St. Anne and a precious saber, personally by Emperor Nicholas I.
Subsequently, the Bulgarian Volunteer Corps of Colonel Ivan Liprandi was formed, into which Mamarchev's detachment and other Bulgarian units merged, while others operated directly with the Russian fleet and army or independently; the uprising in Thrace and the Znepol uprising also broke out.
The Bulgarian volunteer corps and detachments in the Russo-Turkish War were regular units of Bulgarian "volunteers" (volunteers) and paramilitary units of rebels, bandits and other armed Bulgarians, who acted in 1828–1829 together with the Russian army and separately from it against the Turks for the desire to liberate Bulgaria.
The volunteer detachment created by Bulgarian emigrants after crossing the Danube was reinforced with two Cossack regiments. It took an active part and distinguished itself in the battles and in the siege of Silistra. Georgi Mamarchev showed brilliant fighting qualities and personal courage.
The war of 1828–1829 had an extremely severe impact on the civilian population in Eastern Bulgaria. At its very beginning, the Ottoman government decided to deport a large part of the population, both Christian and Muslim, of Dobrudja and Deliorman in Thrace, in order to hinder the Russian advance. The deportation was carried out by the army and the Tatars resettled in the region, with mass violence and the slaughter of livestock, some villages were burned to the ground. The deportation, requisitions and mass mobilization of the civilian population to serve the army caused an economic catastrophe throughout present-day Eastern Bulgaria. Added to this was a plague epidemic, which, according to some estimates, destroyed 1/3 of the population of Eastern Thrace. THIS SURVIVED HELL LEADS TO:
Bulgarians from Dobrudja and the Thrace region began to participate en masse in the war on the side of the Russians. In 1829, Capt. Georgi Mamarchev led the Russian army supported by the Bulgarians. The capture of Sliven was followed by prolonged mass massacres of the Muslim population and the desecration of mosques, in which both Bulgarian and Russian soldiers and crowds of local residents participated. Thus, in 1829, with the approach of the Russian troops, the Bulgarians in the Strandzha-Sakar region and Sliven region revolted and rejected Turkish rule in Eastern Thrace. Their companies participated together with the Russians in the storming of the redoubts during the capture of Sozopol. The Russian garrison of Sozopol distributed new rifles sent from Odessa to the rebel Bulgarians.
The military actions and the difficult economic situation caused a wave of Bulgarian refugees, who fled mainly to Northern Dobrudja and Wallachia. Later, some of them continued to Russian territory – Bessarabia and other parts of Novorossiya – but at least initially the majority of refugees hoped to return to their homelands after the end of the war. The number of refugees during the war itself is estimated at at least 4–5 thousand people in the central parts of Wallachia and 2–3 thousand people in Novorossiya.
The war ended with the Treaty of Adrianople, signed on September 14, 1829. The war was successful for Russia and it received territorial gains in the Danube Delta and in the Caucasus (Akhaltsikhe, the Black Sea coast from the mouth of the Kuban to the port of St. Nicholas, north of Batumi).
At the same time, according to diplomats of the time, Russian claims to the Ottomans were modest, with the Russian government believing that it was in its interest to preserve the Ottoman presence in the Balkans.
Mamarchev could not accept that his fatherland would remain enslaved. And he decided to use the favorable moment — the presence of Russian troops within the empire — to raise an uprising before their withdrawal. But he was in Russian service, wore a Russian uniform, knew the order given and was clearly aware of the consequences of not carrying it out. Therefore, to give the appearance of leaving the service, he got married in Sliven. This meant that he remained to live in his fatherland. Now Mamarchev began a feverish agitation for the preparation of an uprising, which covered not only the Kotla and Sliven regions, but also spread to the Tarnovo region. In Tarnovo he intended to declare the day of freedom.
With his authority as a famous warrior, with his ardent agitation and emphasized patriotism, Mamarchev managed to attract the progressive poor Bulgarians from these regions, who formed a "young party" in opposition to the Turkophile reactionary elements. Some contemporaries note that the captain managed to gather around him about 1,000 enthusiastic patriots, ready to sacrifice their personal wealth for the people's freedom.
After the conclusion of the treaty, Captain Georgi Mamarchev led the attempt to raise an uprising in the Sliven, Kotel and Tarnovo regions. But then the Russian command opposed him. Mamarchev was arrested so as not to cause international complications. On this occasion, General Dibich is credited with the famous words:
“An important matter, poor Bulgarians! But sit still in your homeland! Soon it will be your turn too! Now they are talking about Wallachia, Bogdansko and Serbia… Do not be afraid. Now an amnesty decree will be issued. Bulgarians! Stay still, or I will turn my cannons to kill you!…”
Immediately after the conclusion of the treaty, the Russians disbanded and disarmed the Bulgarian volunteers in their army, who were accused of insubordination, theft and desertion. Russian military and civilians in the Balkans were ordered to avoid any contact with the local population, who were considered “a source of serious political difficulties”. Encouraged by Russian policy, the Turks began pogroms against Christians in many places in Eastern Thrace.
The Russian occupation authorities made efforts to limit the new wave of emigration that had begun, as they considered the presence of a Christian population on the road to Constantinople to be a strategic advantage for Russia in the long term. At the same time, a sharp conflict arose between the Bulgarians in the region who wanted to emigrate and those who preferred to stay, which in places turned into brutal murders and self-slaughter.
Despite this fervent request, secured with many signatures and seals, Mamarchev was taken under escort to Bucharest to General Kiselev, chairman of the state council in Wallachia and Moldavia during the Russian occupation, to be tried by a military court. This probably happened after the conclusion of the Peace of Adrianople, signed on September 2, 1829.
And so the former hero of Silistra, the holder of several military medals and decorations, had to give explanations for his actions, which appeared to be contrary to the orders given, and to justify himself. What else could he have pointed out as the impetus for his actions besides his ardent patriotism, what else could he have justified himself with besides his past merits? It seems that after all, the brilliant qualities of a warrior and a tested fighter shown by Mamarchev so far, for which he received recognition from the highest place, played their role and he was released and appointed city governor (mayor) of the Silistra fortress, which, according to the clauses of the Peace of Adrianople, remained under Russian command until 1836.
It is not known exactly when his appointment took place. He is first mentioned as the Silistra governor in 1835 in connection with the Velchov conspiracy, of which he became one of the leaders.
This Russian-Turkish war is a Victory for Russia, it is a disappointment of the Bulgarian people from the Russian Empire. Which does not recognize the sacrifice of the Balkan people for freedom.
In 1835, Russia was an expansive and highly autocratic empire under the firm control of Tsar Nicholas I (reigned 1825–1855). His rule was defined by a commitment to the principles of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality," which he promoted to suppress liberal and revolutionary ideas. The Tsar saw himself as a military man, and his reign was marked by a strict adherence to military discipline and a powerful, centralized bureaucracy.
През 1854 г. Русия е дълбоко въвлечена в Кримската война (1853–1856), голям конфликт срещу съюза на Османската империя, Франция, Великобритания и по-късно Сардиния. Войната е определящото събитие на годината и разкрива значителната военна и икономическа изостаналост на обширната Руска империя, която все още е до голяма степен аграрно общество, основано на крепостничеството.
The Treaty of Paris
The most significant event of 1856 was the signing of the Treaty of Paris on March 30, which officially ended the Crimean War. The war had been a humiliating defeat for Russia, exposing its technological and logistical backwardness compared to the allied forces of the Ottoman Empire, France, and Great Britain.
Началото на Великите реформи
Годината 1857 е ключов период в подготовката за „Великите реформи“ – поредица от амбициозни промени, насочени към модернизиране на империята и справяне с нейните дълбоко вкоренени проблеми. Централният въпрос е крепостничеството – феодална система, която държеше по-голямата част от населението в състояние на робство спрямо земевладелците.
Treaty of Aigun (May 28, 1858): This treaty, signed in the town of Aigun on the Amur River, was a major territorial gain for Russia. It transferred a significant amount of land, including the area north of the Amur River, to Russian control. This move was made possible by China's weakness at the time, as it was preoccupied with the Taiping Rebellion and the Second Opium War. The treaty effectively established the Amur River as the border between Russia and China in that region and paved the way for further Russian expansion in the Far East.
In 1864, Russia was in the middle of a major period of reform initiated by Tsar Alexander II. The most significant events were the passing of the Judicial Reform and the Zemstvo Reform, which aimed to modernize the legal and local government systems.
By 1870, Russia was in the midst of a period of significant, but incomplete, modernization. The reign of Tsar Alexander II was defined by the "Great Reforms" he enacted following Russia's defeat in the Crimean War. However, these changes, while far-reaching, also created new social and political tensions.
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Georgi Stoykov Mamarchev (also known as Georgi Mamarchev Buyukliu) was a Bulgarian fighter against Ottoman rule and a captain in the Russian army. He was born in Kotel in 1786 and died in 1846 on the island of Samos. He was the uncle of the Bulgarian revolutionary Georgi Sava Rakovski, who took his name out of respect.
Mamarchev was known for his military career and his efforts to liberate Bulgaria. He participated in the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1806-1812 and 1828-1829, earning a St. George Cross and other honors for his bravery. He was a leader in the Bulgarian volunteer squads that fought alongside the Russian army.
The last attempt of Captain Georgi Mamarchev to liberate his enslaved homeland also ended in failure. The last ten years of the restless and turbulent life of this proud Bulgarian passed in torment and suffering of exile in the Asia Minor city of Konya and on the island of Samos, where he died in 1846.
Little has been written about the life of Georgi Mamarchev due to the scarcity of information; a few contemporaries have left us memories of him. But Georgi Rakovski writes about him in the greatest detail, with the greatest love and enthusiasm, who adored his heroic uncle so much that he even replaced his first name Sava with his uncle's Georgi......
Georgi Stoykov Rakovski (born Sabi Stoykov Popovich, also known as Georgi Sava Rakovski) his uncle is Georgi Stoykov Mamarchov is a Bulgarian revolutionary and revivalist. Rakovski was a founder of the organized national revolutionary struggle for the liberation of Bulgaria, a revolutionary democrat, writer, poet, publicist, journalist, historian and ethnographer/ethnologist.
In the summer of 1841, Rakovski left Constantinople and went to Braila, where he prepared for a rebellion. There, Rakovski became a teacher of Greek and French with the help of friends from Kotel.
After the outbreak of the Crimean War (1853), Rakovski, together with a group of Bulgarians, created the "Secret Society" in Svishtov, whose task was to collect money for the liberation and information about the Ottoman troops, and to pass them on to the Russian military command.
The secret society adopted the tricolor flag of the future Bulgarian republic - white, green and red.
He also published the trial issue of the newspaper "Danube Swan".
All his affairs were mostly conducted outside the Bulgarian lands until his death.
In the spring of 1867, the detachments of Panayot Hitov and Philip Totyu were transferred.
Georgi Rakovski died after a serious illness from tuberculosis on October 9, 1867 at 2:00 am.
Rakovski had a great influence on Vasil Aprilov and the first Bulgarian fighters against Hellenism. Aprilov himself, who until then had a Greek name, changed his name under Rakovski's influence.
Vasil Levski
The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee was established in 1869 (old style) or in 1870 (new style) by Lyuben Karavelov, Teofan Raynov and Vasil Levski. From December 1869, Lyuben Karavelov and Vasil Levski acted in concert. The program of the BRCC was first published in the Russian émigré magazine "Narodnoe delo" (August 1870), and then on the pages of the brochure "Bulgarian Voice" and the newspaper "Svoboda" (October of the same year).
In connection with the intensification of the national revolutionary struggle in 1870, two centers were established in the BRCC: external and internal.
The Internal Revolutionary Organization (IRO) was a Bulgarian national-revolutionary organization founded and built by Vasil Levski in the period 1869–1872. The founding of the IRO reflected Vasil Levski's ideas that the center of revolutionary activity should be moved from the Bulgarian émigré circles in Romania to the Bulgarian lands. In 1871, Vasil Levski prepared the organization's Statute known as the "Order of Workers for the Liberation of the Bulgarian People". It was developed in the spirit of his political views: the liberation of Bulgaria from the Turks through a widespread revolution of the people and the creation of the country as a democratic republic with guarantees of equality for all residents regardless of their ethnicity and religion.
The Internal Revolutionary Organization is a hierarchical structure of private revolutionary committees, created on a territorial basis. They are governed by a Central Committee known as the “Provisional Government in Bulgaria, I Department of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Committee” or “Bulgarian Revolutionary Committee”. The Lovech Private Revolutionary Committee is officially charged with the role of the central one for the Internal Revolutionary Organization. It has been organized since the fall of 1871. In the Regulations, this is written:
“The residence of the C. B. R. Committee (Central Bulgarian Revolutionary Committee) is in Bulgaria, but exactly in which city it is, it will not be known - everywhere and nowhere. The BCR Committee consists of one chairman and one vice-chairman, one clerk and one assistant, one treasurer and seven more members, among whom is a priest. The chairman, clerk and their assistants and the treasurer are elected by the members of the committee; in case of need, they are replaced by the same and will be under their supervision.”
Correspondence is delivered by secret mail. A secret police is maintained. Every private revolutionary committee has a pseudonym:
Аgain Bulgaria acquired a state within a state seeking its rights and freedom and Vasil Levski became the most wanted threat by the Ottoman government. But once activated, it will not be stopped even by his death. It is high time to be heard and understood and we are an independent state in captivity.
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While Bulgaria fights alone and tries to attract the attention of the European powers. Russia enjoys its successes and influence over the Ottoman Empire. let's look at a very important period in the time of the Balkan liberation.
Greece's path to independence from the Ottoman Empire was a long and difficult one, culminating in the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). The Start of the Revolution: The war officially began in March 1821 with uprisings across Greece, particularly in the Peloponnese. Early Successes and Declaration of Independence: Within a year, Greek rebels had gained control of the southern region of Greece. In January 1822, they declared Greece's independence at the First National Assembly in Epidaurus. International Involvement: The revolution garnered significant sympathy in Europe, a phenomenon known as "Philhellenism." Great Britain, France, and Russia eventually intervened to support the Greeks, a decisive turning point in the war. Official Recognition: The conflict concluded with a series of treaties. The Treaty of Adrianople (1829) recognized Greek autonomy, and the Treaty of Constantinople (1832) formally established Greece as a fully independent and sovereign state. This treaty also defined the new nation's borders and established a monarchy, with Prince Otto of Bavaria becoming the first King of Greece.
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between October 1853 and February 1856, primarily between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was fought over influence in the declining Ottoman Empire and access to warm-water ports and trade routes in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.
The immediate cause of the war was a dispute over control of holy sites in the Holy Land, then part of the Ottoman Empire. France, representing Catholic interests, and Russia, representing Orthodox interests, each wanted to be the primary protector of Christian minorities. Russia's Tsar Nicholas I sought to expand his influence by demanding that the Ottoman Empire recognize Russia as the protector of all Orthodox Christians within its borders. When the Ottomans refused, backed by the British and French, Russia invaded the Danubian Principalities (modern-day Romania), which were under Ottoman control. This action prompted the Ottoman Empire to declare war on Russia in October 1853. Britain and France, wary of Russia's expansionist ambitions and its potential to upset the European balance of power, joined the war on the side of the Ottomans in March 1854.
The war officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in March 1856. The treaty's main provisions included:
The Black Sea was neutralized, meaning no warships or military arsenals from any nation, including Russia, were allowed in its waters. This severely limited Russian naval power and its ability to threaten the Ottomans.
Russia was forced to return territory it had taken from the Ottomans.
The treaty affirmed the territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire.
The war exposed significant military and administrative weaknesses in the Russian Empire and catalyzed internal reforms, including the abolition of serfdom in 1861. It also shattered the long-standing "Concert of Europe" political order that had kept relative peace since the Napoleonic Wars.
The year 1873 was a major success for Russian foreign policy.
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia formed a loose alliance. Although no formal treaty was signed at first, the countries' leaders met in Berlin and then signed a series of conventions later in the year. This alliance, orchestrated by German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, was a diplomatic triumph for Russia. It helped to restore Russia's standing as a major European power, which had been weakened after its defeat in the Crimean War, and it worked to maintain the conservative status quo and isolate France.
In 1874, the most significant event in Russia was the completion of a major series of military reforms, which included the establishment of universal military service. This reform, spearheaded by Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin under the reign of Emperor Alexander II, replaced the old system of conscription that had primarily targeted the peasantry.
Other notable developments in Russia during this period included the growth of an urban working class and a revival of revolutionary activity, particularly among university students who were influenced by various socialist ideologies.
In 1875, the Russian Empire, under the reign of Tsar Alexander II, was undergoing significant reforms and expansion, while also facing new challenges from within and abroad.
In 1875, Russia was primarily focused on foreign policy and territorial expansion. The Russian Empire solidified its control over the island of Sakhalin through the Treaty of Saint Petersburg with Japan. The treaty, which was signed in May of that year, finalized the territorial exchange that had been under negotiation for a few years. In exchange for the Kuril Islands, Russia received full sovereignty over Sakhalin, an island with a strategic location and a source of natural resources.
The April Uprising (Bulgarian: Априлско въстание, Aprilsko vastanie) was a Bulgarian insurrection against the Ottoman Empire that took place from April to May 1876. While the rebellion was brutally suppressed, the atrocities committed by the Ottoman forces sparked a massive international outcry that ultimately led to Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule.
The Herzegovina-Bosniak Uprising, which took place from 1875 to 1878, was a major rebellion against Ottoman rule. It was a key event in the broader "Great Eastern Crisis" that ultimately led to significant geopolitical changes in the Balkans. The Herzegovina-Bosniak Uprising, therefore, was not merely a local rebellion but a catalyst for the Great Eastern Crisis, which resulted in a fundamental shift in the balance of power in the Balkans and set the stage for future conflicts in the 20th century.
The Serbian-Turkish War of 1876, also known as the First Serbian-Ottoman War, was a military conflict fought between the Principality of Serbia and the Ottoman Empire.
Events strengthen the imperial ambitions of the Great Powers.
The term "Reichstag Agreement" most often refers to the Reichstadt Agreement (also spelled Reichstadt Convention) of 1876. It was a secret, informal verbal agreement between Austria-Hungary and Russia regarding the partitioning of the Balkans in the event of a war against the Ottoman Empire. The agreement was a crucial diplomatic event during the Great Eastern Crisis of 1875-1878, which ultimately led to the Russo-Turkish War.
The Constantinople Conference was a meeting of the Great Powers (Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) held in Istanbul from December 23, 1876, to January 20, 1877. It was convened to address the ongoing Great Eastern Crisis, specifically the widespread uprisings against the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, including the April Uprising in Bulgaria and rebellions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The primary goal was to find a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the crisis and prevent a major war. The Great Powers sought to pressure the Ottoman Empire into implementing significant political and administrative reforms that would grant a degree of autonomy to the Christian populations in the rebelling regions. The main proposals included:
Bosnia and Herzegovina: To be united into a single autonomous province under a Christian governor.
Bulgaria: To be divided into two autonomous provinces, an eastern one centered in Tarnovo and a western one centered in Sofia, each with a Christian governor-general.
An international commission and forces would be created to oversee and guarantee the implementation of these reforms.
Ottoman Response and Outcome
The conference ultimately failed. On the opening day, the Ottoman government, under Sultan Abdul Hamid II, announced the promulgation of a new constitution, which it argued made the conference's proposals unnecessary. The Ottomans believed this move would appease international demands while allowing them to maintain full sovereignty. They formally rejected the conference's decisions on January 18, 1877, confident that Russia would not go to war alone.
This failure of diplomacy removed any remaining obstacles to military action. The Ottoman refusal to accept the terms of the conference directly led to the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, as Russia declared war to enforce its position as the self-proclaimed protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Balkans. The outcome of that war would ultimately lead to the independence of several Balkan states, including a large, autonomous Bulgaria
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