New elections and a final peace treaty with the Entente both loom as the struggle over who will control Bulgaria in the new post-war world begins to take shape.

Major Characters in this Episode:

Tsar Boris III

President Woodrow Wilson

Prime Minister Teodor Todorov

Alexander Stamboliiski

Dimitar Blagoev

Timeline for this episode:

• 1919, Apr 12th - A law is passed to confiscate property illegally acquired by state officials after September 17th 1912.

• 1919, Apr 15th - Tsar Boris III dissolves the National Assembly.

• 1919, Apr 24th - The Bulgarian government forbids the Agrarians from holding a congress in Sofia from April 27-30th. Instead the Agrarians hold a smaller meeting. Three agricultural ministers resign in protest and the government falls.

• 1919, May 7th - Pressure from the Agrarians and the Entente sees the Teodorov government reformed without the Democratic Party.

• 1919, May 23-25th - A conference of the Dobrudja Organization is held in Sofia to discuss the idea of autonomy for the region and potentially joining Bulgaria.

• 1919, May 25th - A committee called Unification is formed to unite political forces against the communists and agrarians.

• 1919, May 25-27th - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (the narrows) holds a congress, changes its name to the Bulgarian Communist Party, and joins the Third International. It also begins the process of building a secret underground military wing.

• 1919, May 29th - The Bulgarian government sends a note to the Entente requesting plebiscites in all disputed territories in the Balkans.

• 1919, May 30th - The Dobrudja People’s Council announces its support for an autonomous northern Dobrudja.

• 1919, May - The Bulgarian League for Self-Determination of Nations holds its first conference in Sofia.

• 1919, Jun 28th - The Treaty of Versailles is signed.

• 1919, July 19th - The Bulgarian delegation for the peace conference, headed by the Prime Minister, leaves for France (arriving the 25th).

• 1919, Aug 17th - Elections for the 18th National Assembly are held.

• 1919, Aug 22nd - The Romanian Army is allowed to set up on the border of southern Dobrudja.

• 1919, Oct 19 - A draft of the final peace treaty between Bulgaria and the Entente is handed over to the government. They have 25 days to respond. This triggers mass protests.

• 1919, Sep 28- Oct 1st - The Macedonian Brotherhoods hold a general assembly in which they demand autonomy for Macedonia under the League of Nations and for a plebiscite. These demands are sent to President Wilson by telegram.

• 1919, Oct 2nd - The 18th National Assembly opens. The Chairman from the radical democrats immediately resigns and the deputy chair from the Agrarians takes over.

• 1919, Oct 6th Alexander Stamboliiski becomes Prime Minister heading a coalition including the National Party and Progressive Liberal Party

Sources used in this episode:

• История на България в Дати by Vasil Katsunov, Plamen Mitev, Valeri Kolev, Evgenia Kalinova, and Iskra Baeva

• Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria 1918-1943 by Stephane Groueff

• Aleksandur Stamboliiski by R.J. Crampton

• Peasants in Power by John D. Bell

• The Bulgarian Communist Party from Blagoev to Zhivkov by John D. Bell

• Bulgaria 1879-1946: The Challenge of Choice by Tatiana Kostadinova