This episode covers the first half of Season 8, roughly from 1895 to 1904. In that time, Ferdinand took firm control of Bulgarian politics as governments came and went as he pleased. Meanwhile, the MRO and Supremecists vied for power and influence, leading to a series of bloody and unsuccessful revolts. Internally, Bulgaria struggled to finance its massive army alongside investments in its economy and infrastructure, leading to massive foreign loans and crippling taxes on the peasantry.