Bulgaria (21st Century Crisis)

Bulgaria (Bulgarian: България, tr. Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Република България, tr. Republika Bǎlgariya), is a country in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Yugoslavia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The capital and largest city is Sofia; other major cities are Plovdiv, Varna and Burgas. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 16th-largest country.

The Bulgars founded the first unified Bulgarian state in 681 AD which dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script. The First Bulgarian Empire lasted until the early 11th century when Byzantine Emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it. A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II (1218–1241). After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife, the Second Bulgarian Empire disintegrated in 1396 and its territories fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 resulted in the formation of the current Third Bulgarian State. Many ethnic Bulgarian populations were left outside its borders, which led to several conflicts with its neighbours and an alliance with Germany in World War I. In 1946 Bulgaria became a one-party socialist state and part of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc. The ruling Communist Party gave up its monopoly on power after the Revolutions of 1989 and allowed multi-party elections. Bulgaria then transitioned into a democracy and a market-based economy.

Interwar Period
During the Interwar Period, the Bulgarian monarchy began a process of de-Germanization and de-Catholicizing of Bulgaria. He broke ties with his Catholic, German and Italian relatives, and founded the House of Borisov.

Tsar Boris III divorced his wife, Giovanna of Italy and married a Bulgarian woman by the name of Desislava, and it is through Desislava that Boris III would choose his legitimate heirs.

All Bulgarian diplomats, military leaders, intelligentsia and any representing member of the Bulgarian state were required to be Orthodox, and if not born into a Bulgarian Orthodox family, were to convert.

However, Tsar Boris III was limited in his foreign policy, in that Russia was now under a communist and state atheist regime. Boris III welcomed the influx of Russian White emigrés, and it is through these emigrés that Boris III used to keep the state position of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, allowing Russian Orthodox near-equal status to that of the Bulgarian church.

As much as 710,000 Russians fled to Bulgaria, as Bulgaria, as well as the neighboring Yugoslavia were havens to White Russians fleeing from Soviet Russia.

World War II
During the Second World War, Hitler was not happy with Tsar Boris III eliminating German dynasties of Bulgaria, and sought to restore a Germanic ruler for Bulgaria. Abdulmejid II of Turkey, has his own imperial ambitions, to restore the Ottoman Empire, and restore Turkish hegemony in the Balkans.

Boris III attempted to swallow his pride, and get help from the Soviets, but Stalin refused to listen to his warnings. Therefore, Boris III and King Peter II of Yugoslavia were forced to fend for themselves, fighting a struggling beginning of the war against the Axis. Both monarchs established well-armed guerilla forces, as part of their "Plan B", just in case the state militaries fell to the Axis invasion (in which they did).

While the armed forces of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria were busy fighting the Turkish invasion, the Germans obliterated the already-beleaguered forces of both nations. This led both countries to go to Plan B, in which, the "Partisans", communist and agrarian paramilitaries, offered the most effective resistance against the Axis powers. Bulgarian paramilitary received assistance from both the Soviets and Western Allies.

Because Sergey Sedov was leader of the Soviet Union, therefore the Soviets were not as bad against the Germans, Sedov was able to send Soviet aid to Bulgaria.

When the Soviets and Western Allies reached Turkey, Yugoslav and Bulgarian partisans also partook in operations against Turkish military bases.

Under Georgi Dmitrov, the Russian community of Bulgaria was still protected, and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was still in many respects, protected, but Roman Catholicism and Islam was also protected, as per the rules of equality in being a socialist and communist nation.

Georgi Dmitrov entered Bulgaria into the Balkan Federation, with Yugoslavia, Albania and North Turkey, a move approved and allowed by the Warsaw Pact.

However, Bulgaria remained friendly to Westerners, as a tourist destination, the same can be said of Yugoslavia, but Yugoslavia was not a Warsaw Pact member.

Petar Stoyanov era
During the Petar Stoyanov presidency, Bulgaria further strengthened ties with the West. Stoyanov strengthened Bulgarian ties with Germany, encouraging educational and innovation between Bulgaria and Germany.

Bulgaria participated in the American-led campaigns in the Middle East, and allowed NATO troops to conduct drills in Bulgaria.

Petar Stoyanov attempted to ban the Communist Party of Bulgaria. As per being a Balkan partner, Stoyanov also forged closer ties with Yugoslavia and President Ivan Lokar.

However, Lokar, being anti-NATO became rather distrustful of Stoyanov, fearing that NATO is using Bulgaria to place a thorn in Yugoslav influence in the Balkans.

Georgi Parvanov era
During the Georgi Parvanov era, Bulgaria went through a roller-coaster ride. Parvanov supported and spearheaded Bulgaria's membership into NATO. It is through the Parvanov government that Bulgarian leaders made a serious attempt to advance Bulgaria's role in the world stage.

Parvanov continued efforts to promote Bulgarian culture worldwide, via athletes, celebrities and politicians. However, he still supported the "social democracy", and believed that Bulgaria's membership in the European Union would help develop this goal in the country.

Parvanov also enacted programs to fund hospitals and health institutions in the country, selling many assets to German and Russian bussinessmen.

Parvanov also strived to remain active in European Union politics, in an attempt to further Bulgaria's position in the world stage. Via this, countries like Germany, United States, United Kingdom and Russia began to fund and support the Bulgarian arts.

Georgi Parvanov also looked to Ivan Lokar, wanting to strengthen the ties between Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.

While the Parvanov presidency grew closer to Russia, Bulgaria remained a NATO and European Union member state, however, the Bulgarian government began to limit NATO personnel using Bulgarian territory, and Parvanov was criticized for siding with Yugoslavia in the Kosovo conflict.

At the same time, Bulgaria grew close with Russia, but not quite a "Russian ally". Not much progress was made during the Parvanov presidency.

Krasimir Karakachanov era
During the 2011 presidential elections, nationalist and conservative Krasimir Karakachanov of the United Patriots Party, a veteran of the Bulgarian Army, won the presidential election. A nationalist who had a hatred of NATO and the West, Karakachanov wanted to mimic Ivan Lokar's success as president of Yugoslavia, and sought closer ties with Russia, making it plain that Georgi Parvanov's policy of making Bulgaria a Russia-friendly EU and NATO state was "just not possible", stating, "it is either Russia or NATO".

He stated, "Petar Stoyanov screwed us over and sold out the pigs of the West, Georgi Parvanov was more-so, caught inbetween, trying to create a middle ground. It just wasn't and isn't feasible, it is either Russia or NATO."

Karakachanov on the Parvanov presidency, "The issue with Georgi Parvanov is that he tried to promote Bulgaria worldwide, when Bulgaria was in no position to advance. Our celebrities are sitting on mountains of cash, while farmers, steel and industrial workers are jobless, and fleeing to the United States and the European Union."

However, creating a pro-Russia Balkan union with Yugoslavia had came a wrong time, as Yugoslavia was now under a progressive and pro-European Union government under Ivo Josipović.

Many Bulgarian celebrities also began to criticize Karakachanov, accusing him of being a fascist, and "Tsar Boris IV" (in reference to Tsar Boris III's nationalist regime). Karakachanov took this as a "badge of honor".

However, Josipović still worked with Karakachanov and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to strengthen cultural and educational ties.

Karakachanov looked to Russian and Yugoslav leaders on how to eradicate and eliminate crime, corruption and fraud in Bulgaria. He also sought help from former Yugoslav president Ivan Lokar, whom he viewed as the "miracle of Yugoslavia" and developed close relations with. In addition, Krasimir Karakachanov became frustrated with Bulgarian liberals wanting to eliminate the Orthodox church as the state religion. However, in not wanting to damage Bulgaria's HDI, Karakachanov did not suppress pro-EU or pro-NATO material in Bulgaria, but warned proponents of both groups not to "force him to".

Unlike the previous presidents, who placed emphasis on subsidizing and promoting athletes and celebrities, Karakachanov subsidized farmers, and made concentrated efforts to provide jobs and security for rural and working people, and provided grants for innovators and engineers to study in Russia and the United States, similar to Ivan Lokar's policies in Yugoslavia.

This would begin an era in recent modern Bulgarian history known as the "purge", where corrupt politicians were jailed, which upset the United Nations and human rights organizations across the world. People such as Rumen Radev, Boyko Borisov and Atanas Atanasov fled as political asylees.

Karakachanov signed the South Stream pipeline deal with President Dmitry Medvedev, and signed extended deals with Russian businessmen to conduct business in Bulgaria, seeing potentials in Varna, Plovdiv and Burga to become "Balkan super cities" similar to those in Yugoslavia, Greece and Romania.

By 2014, Bulgaria was a NATO member, only by name, exiting NATO in 2015. In 2016, with Krasimir Karakachanov's re-election, Bulgaria joined the Russia-led CSTO and closed off its borders to migrants from Turkey, and further threatened to bar the Turkish government from funding mosques in Bulgaria.

Prime Minister Nikolay Berekov proposed instead converting Ottoman-era mosques in Bulgaria to Bulgarian Orthodox Churches or museums. The Banya Bashi Mosque in Sofia was shut down, and Bulgarian authorities are assessing its future use as a non-mosque, although due to its historicality, destroying it has been definitely ruled out.

Karakachanov also decided to aid Yugoslavia in the Balkan conflict, sending troops to Kosovo.

The Bulgarian Euromaiden Protests ensued, in which pro-European Union and pro-NATO protesters attempted to depose of Karakachanov, in a failed attempt. It is at this point when the Bulgarian government began to suppress pro-European Union material.

Under Karakachanov, Bulgarian economy saw an increase rise, leading to improvements in Bulgarian society, and its military.

With the advent of the Trump presidency, sympathetic to Russia, Krasimir Karakachanov once-more became open to relations with the United States, Trump praising Karakachanov as the "Vladimir Putin and Ivan Lokar of Bulgaria".

News
11/19/18 - Despite the on-going hostilities between Russia and China (to which Turkey is an aligned ally with), both the parliaments of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Greece allowed for the admission of Turkey into the Balkan Federation.

President Krasimir Karakachanov of Bulgaria, who has traditionally held conservative, nationalist, pro-Eastern Orthodox, Russophilic and anti-Turkish views, stated, "In spite of heated relations between Russia and China, as well as our historical beef with Turkey, econonic and educational relations must continue."

Turkey, after being kicked out of NATO, and rejected by the CSTO, had joined the SCO, stating that it had "no other option".

While the Chinese government offered an opposing response, the President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated, "They [the Balkan nations], can do what they want. The Balkan Federation is such a unique bloc, and can literally create an independent global power bloc of their own. Whether they are CSTO or NATO, or SCO, or any or non-aligned, let them, projects such as the Balkan Railway have seriously benefitted the Balkan nations."

Romanian president Klaus Iohannis also attended the event, hoping for Romania to become a member of the Balkan Federation.

Iohannis stated, "The [Balkan] Federation has grown, I wish to enter my nation into it some day."

However, the presidents of the three made it clear they would not allow Turkey to use this bloc to promote illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, the federation heard word of Iohannis, and is according to sources, finalizing Romanian membership.

11/20/18 - Today, Bulgarian and Yugoslav nationalist paramilitary groups have gone to southern Russia to help Russia confront their Ukrainian counterparts.

Recently, relations between Ukraine and Russia have once-more, flared up as Ukrainians are wanting to withdraw from the 2012 Russia-Ukraine Border Agreement.

The Russian republics of Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea and East Ukraine are claimed by Ukrainians as being Ukrainian territory.

On the Russian side were, but not limited to, Russian military veterans, Russian nationalists, Russian communists, ethnic Ukrainians of Russia, and members of the Russian Orthodox Army, a Orthodox paramilitary group. Aiding them were the Bulgarian Orthodox Army, non-partisan Bulgarian nationalists, the Serbian Orthodox Army and Yugoslavian nationalists.

On the Ukrainian side were supporters of the Ukrainian government, as well as the Right Sector, Ukrainian nationalists notorious for supporting Ukrainian Axis supporters.

Dimitar Glauchkov, from Plovdiv, Bulgaria stated, "We Bulgarians and Russians are brothers, we will always stand with Russia."

Maxim Andruschenko, an ethnic Ukrainian from East Ukraine and a supporter of the Russian government on the Russian side stated, "I am Russian, my citizenship is Russian, I am Russian first and Ukrainian second. I may be of Ukrainian background, but we Ukrainians are no different from Russians. True Ukrainians stand with Russia."

Although nobody was physically injured, lots of bad-mouthing and yelling between supporters of Ukraine and that of Russia.

Soon, the military and police of both nations were deployed.