Now that Prince Alexander's coup has in theory given him everything he wanted, the question of what he can do with his new power remains. As the shaky coalition between the Russians, Conservatives, and Prince gets underway, it quickly becomes apparent that these three have very different interests and goals.

Major Characters in this Episode

Tsar Alexander III

Prince Alexander

Dragan Tsankov

Lieutenant- General Leonid Nikolaevich Sobolev

Major-General Aleksandr Vasilevich Kaulbars

Metropolitan Meletii Sofiiski

Timeline for this Episode

• 1881 Dec - The first professional theatre for the country is founded in Plovdiv - the Bulgarian Theatrical Troupe.

• 1881, Greece and the Ottomans agree on a new border

• 1882 end of Jan - Program of the moderate liberals of Dragan Tsankov for a coalition government with the conservatives, for the reinstatement of the constitution and its amendment. Denied by the extreme right.

• 1882 Feb 11th - The structures of the new Ministry of Public Buildings, of Agriculture and Commerce are established according to the corresponding Directory in Eastern Rumelia.

• 1882 Feb 24th - The conservatives propose a program for amendments of the constitution.

• 1882 March 15th - Subscription services for newspapers and the sending of postal records within the country is introduced.

• 1882 April 3rd - The Law for Regulating the Land in Northern Dobruja is promulgated in Romania. The “mirie” system is introduced: land is nationalised and citizens have the right to buy back 2/3rds of the land it owns. A huge national land fund is created, upon which the Romanian colonisers are appointed land, changing the ethnic picture of the region.

• 1882 June 10th - The Ministry of Public Buildings, Agriculture and Commerce are created by princely decree and exist until January 1st 1885.

• 1882 June 23rd - A caretaker government consisting of Russian generals and conservatives, headed by the Russian general Leonid Sobolev, is appointed.

• 1882 July 3rd - The gendarmerie is disbanded by princely decree and a dragoon corps headed by lieutenant colonel Longvenov are appointed in its stead. It’s structured in 9 dragoon regions and exists until September 1883.

• 1882 July 16th - Marshal law is instated in 13 districts in Eastern Rumelia to deal with bandit gangs.

• 1882 July 18th - Todor Ikonomov quits his position as chairman of the State Council.

• 1882, Sept 15th – A National (Regional) library opens doors in Plovdiv.

• 1882, Sept – A Bulgarian all-girls high school is founded in Thessaloniki.

• 1882 Nov 21st – Elections for the Third Ordinary National Assembly. Won by the conservatives.

• 1882 Nov – Petar Berkovski is appointed as a princely representative in Plovdiv. He publishes the newspaper “Съединение“ (Unification) from the 30th of Dec onwards.

• 1882, Eastern Rumelia passes a land tax based on hectares owned instead of production, putting pressure on Turkish farmers accustomed to leaving some land fallow. This along with a Bulgarian law designed to allow locals to take land left abandoned for 3 years pushed more Turks to emigrate.

• 1882 throughout the year – The first private Bulgarian bank (Girdap) is founded in Russe.

• 1882, A Bulgarian student society called Brotherhood is founded in Paris.

• 1883 Jan 6th – First issue of the newspaper Southern Bulgaria, organ of the Eastern Rumelia liberal party, comes out.

• 1883 Feb 2nd – Founding of the Bulgarian Typography association in Bulgaria.

• 1883 Feb 10th – Naum Sprostranov, dragoman in the Russian consulate in Thessaloniki, is appointed as a princely diplomatic agent in Macedonia.

• 1883 Feb 25th – Under pressure from Joseph I and by decision of the government, metropolitan Meletii Sofiiski is arrested and banished to the Rila monastery. He is later allowed to settle in Kyustendil.

• 1883 Feb 26th – The exarchate regulations are promulgated.The church board of Trustees is reinstated and the forming of the Holy Synod in Bulgaria is regulated.

• 1883 March 1st - Founding of a workers’ union for printers in Plovdiv.

• 1883 March 3rd – The conservative ministers in general Leonid Sobolev’s cabinet resign.