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CHAPTER 1 Stambolov, the Russophiles, and the Russophobes in Bulgaria On July 6, 1995, a monument of Bulgarian statesman Stefan Stambolov— representing only his head with a deep cut on it—was inaugurated in the garden in front of the Army Club in Sofia, on the spot where he was murdered 100 years before. Insofar as Stambolov had become a symbol of independent national policies, directed against Russia in particular, the newly restored democracy in Bulgaria marked its exit from the Soviet sphere of influence with this monument. The irony is that by vindicating Stambolov, in fact, by giving official sanction to a process that had begun already under communism, it had to swallow up the dark side of his rule—his “dictatorship.” This essay deals with the historiography of Stambolov’s rule and, more specifically, the issues that have given rise to animated and sometimes bitter controversies and various interpretations, as well as their evolution over time. In the foreign-policy domain, this refers to his confrontation with Russia in the drive toward independence that led to a break in diplomatic relations and also his policies regarding Macedonia (covering the period up to the wars). In domestic affairs, this refers to Stambolov’s dictatorship . Characteristics and assessments of Stambolov’s personality and his role in Bulgarian history will also be considered. While the focus is mostly on professional historiography, I will also refer to works of amateur historians, polemical works, memoirs, documentary fiction, and an occasional work of fiction (but not the contemporary press1 ). This is be1 On the press, see Boris Andreev, Nachalo, razvoi i vŭzkhod na bŭlgarskiya pechat (Beginnings , development, and rise of the Bulgarian press), vol. 2 (Sofia, 1948), 76–113. On the formation of a Bulgarian identity in the polemics between the Russophile and the Russophobe periodical press, see Stefan Dechev, “Dva proekta za bŭlgarska natsionalna identichnost ot kraya na ХIХ vek” (Two projects for a Bulgarian national identity from 8 Debating the Past cause my interest extends beyond the specialized treatment of Stambolov to his public “image” and function; besides, historians sometimes act as emotional and biased popularizers, especially on highly controversial issues , and in any case, scholarship filters into conventional wisdom. The facts of Stambolov’s rule (the regency and his governments) are well researched and clarified in both their internal and international aspects . It suffices here to mark the chronology and the general course of the historical drama; additional data will be provided below, in the course of reviewing the historiography. The Bulgarians were liberated from Ottoman rule as a result of the Russo-Turkish War in 1877–1878. A small Bulgarian state was set up with Russian help north of the Balkan range and around Sofia under strong and undisputed Russian influence. The part of Bulgaria south of the Balkan range became an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire called Eastern Rumelia, while Macedonia remained under Ottoman rule. After a few years the first Bulgarian prince, Alexander of Battenberg, seeking to rule autocratically, suspended the Tŭrnovo constitution with the consent of new Russian emperor Alexander III (who succeeded the liberal emperor-liberator Alexander II) and established what is known as the “regime of credentials” (April 27, 1881–September 6, 1883)—a kind of personal rule. Because of the strong resistance of the popular Liberal Party and the contradictions between the upholders of the regime (Conservatives and Russian generals), the prince had no choice but to restore the constitution and entrust the Liberals with the government. However, he lost the confidence of the Russian emperor, who suspected him of counteracting Russian influence. The Union of the Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia (September 6/18, 1885) was carried out without Russian consent and provoked the negative reaction of Russia, but received the support of other great powers and was defended in the SerboBulgarian War. The events polarized Bulgarian society into “Russophiles” (sympathizers with Russia) and “Russophobes” (opponents of Russia), who engaged in embittered strife. A group of Russophile officers conducted a coup d’état on August 9/22, 1886, and dethroned Prince Alexander , but a few days later a counter-coup d’état headed by Stambolov (as chairman of the National Assembly) managed to restore the prince. However , the prince chose to abdicate on the advice of the Russian emperor. There ensued an unsettled and turbulent interregnum (bezkniazhie), when the country was ruled by a regency, headed de facto by Stambolov the end of the nineteenth century), in...

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