After years of chaos, some level of stability finally comes to Bulgarian politics. However, while this allows the government in Sofia to finally resolve many long-standing issues, it won't last long. Agitation for unification with Macedonia and Eastern Rumelia is rising by the day as political leaders struggle to control the situation.

Major Characters in this Episode

Tsar Alexander III

Prince Alexander

Dragan Tsankov

Petko Karavelov

Stefan Stambolov

Gavril Krastevich

Prince Kantakuzen

Timeline for this Episode

• 1883 throughout the year – Founding of a priestly school at St Petka near Assenovgrad.

• Ivan Vazov publishes Epic of the Forgotten. The first Armenian library for the country opens.

• 1884 Jan 2nd – Issuing of the first issue of the newspaper Търновска Конституция, organ of the liberal party.

• 1884 Jan 4th – The French all-boys college St Augustus is founded in Plovdiv.

• 1884 Feb 2nd – Metropolitan Ilaryon Lovchanski-Kyustendilski dies and is succeeded by metropolitan Dositei Samokovski.

• 1884 March – Emergence of Macedonian committees by initiative of Dimitar Petkov, Dimitar Rizov and captain Kosta Panitsa. Petko Karavelov is chairman of the Sofia committee and Ivan Geshov is vice-president.

• 1884 April – Under Russian pressure Gavrail Krustevich is appointed as chief administrator of Eastern Rumelia.

• 1884 May 27th - June 3rd – Elections for the Fourth Regional Assembly, won by the extreme liberals.

• 1884 June 20th – 1800 weavers and spinners send a plea to the Fourth Regional Assembly against the opening of new factories.

• 1884 June 27th - Тhe Fourth Regional Assembly goes in session. Chairmen: Petko Karavelov (until June 30th), Stefan Stambolov (June 30th – Sept 1st) and Georgi Zhivkov (from Sept 1st) – all of them extreme liberals.

• 1884 June 30th – Aug 9th – First general meeting of the Bulgarian Scholarly Society in Sofia, Marin Drinov is chairman.

• 1884 Sept 1st – The Austro-Hungarian post offices in Bulgaria (Varna and Russe) are closed.

• 1884 Sept 23rd – Common elections for the District Assembly in Eastern Rumelia, won by the National party with the help of general-governor G. Krustevich and under the slogan for a quick unification with Bulgaria. Georgi Hakanov is chairman.

• 1884 Sept 30th – Customs agreement between Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia.

• 1884 Dec – The association Macedonian Voice is created in Sofia, headed by V. Diamandev. It starts publishing its newspaper Macedonian Voice on Jan 5th 1885, edited by Dimitar Rizov and Ilia Georgov.

• 1884 throughout the year – First “children’s school” is founded in Plovdiv for kids aged 3-7 years in Plovdiv by the women’s society Майчинска Грижа (Motherly Care).

The National school of trade is founded in Svishtov.

Second census of the population in Eastern Rumelia.

First phone call in Bulgaria is made in Sofia.

The building for the National Assembly is built.

• 1885 Jan 27th – The Law of the National Bulgarian Bank is adopted and is formed as an issue and long-term loans bank.

• 1885, Jan 31st – The law for railways is passed, introducing a government monopoly on the building of railroads, and government ownership and exploitation of the railways.

• 1885 Feb 10th – The law for the Postal savings bank is passed.

• 1885 Feb 10th – A Macedonian committee is founded in Plovdiv with Zahari Stoyanov as chairman and Ivan Adnonov as treasurer. From April onwards it’s known as The Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee (БТЦРК).

• 1885, March 1st, Dimitar Blagoev is expelled from Russia for Marxist agitating and settles in Sofia.

• 1885, March-May – Agitation of БТЦРК: March – 2 appeals to the people and honoring/celebration of Lyuben Karavelov; May – celebration of st st Cyril and Methodius (May 11th) and Hristo Botev’s birthday (May 19th). The newspaper “Борба“ (Fight/Strife) is issued, edited by Zahari Stoyanov.

• May 1885, Macedonian Voice sends the Adam Kalmikov cheta to Macedonia but it is defeated by the Ottoman army at the border. The association also undertakes the initiative for the unification of the immigrant societies of the Macedonian Bulgarians.

• 1885, April 6th – Sofia marks 1000 years of the death of st Methodius

• 1885, June 2nd – Moving of Georgi Rakovski’s bones from Bucharest to Bulgaria.

• 1885, June 4th – the first social-democratic newspaper for Bulgaria – Rossitsa, - comes out, edited by Evtim Dabev.

• 1885, July 1-2nd – At congress in Sofia, 19 Macedonian associations elect a Central Board of Trustees with Dimitar Rizov as chairman and Dimitar Petkov as vice-chairman.

• 1885 July 25th – Meeting of БТЦРК in the villahe of Dermen Dere (Първенец). Attended by Zahari Stoyanov, father Georgi Tilev, Dimitar Rizov, Kosta Panitsa, Ivan Andonov. They are focused on uniting the kingdom with the region and delaying the issue of the liberation of Macedonia. Instead of a revolution, they adopt the idea of military action.

• 1885, August 22nd – Diplomatic conflict with Romania concerning the uplands Arab tabia near Silistra.

• 1885, August 30th – Knyaz Alexander I receives the emissaries (major Sava Mutkuriv and Dimitar Rizov) of БТЦРК in Shumen and approves of the plan for uniting the kingdom with Eastern Rumelia.