Introduction

On April 12, 1877, the Imperial Government of Russia sent a circular note to the representatives of the Great Powers in St. Petersburg. In this note, Russia declared that all peaceful efforts to improve the terrible conditions of the Bulgarians under Ottoman rule had failed. Therefore, Russia announced that it was declaring war against Turkey.

This war, known as the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), had great importance for the future of Bulgaria. The conflict ended with the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano on March 3, 1878, near Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) Turkey Sightseeing.

The Treaty of San Stefano

The Treaty of San Stefano was a turning point. It reestablished, after nearly five centuries of Ottoman domination, the Bulgarian state, which had once been powerful during the Middle Ages. Although the borders of the new Bulgaria did not exactly follow those of the empire under Tsar Simeon the Great, they gave hope for national revival.

However, this treaty was soon modified by another international agreement: the Treaty of Berlin.

The Treaty of Berlin

Signed on July 13, 1878, the Treaty of Berlin redefined the borders of Bulgaria, making them smaller than those set in San Stefano. The treaty described Bulgaria’s borders in detail:

North: the right bank of the Danube River, from the Timok River to the Black Sea.

East: the Black Sea up to the Gulf of Aliman.

South: a line across the Strandja and Rhodope Mountains, the Arda River, the Rila Mountains, and the Ossogovo heights.

West: the watershed of the Morava River up to the Timok River.

The Creation of Eastern Rumelia

South of Bulgaria, a new province called Eastern Rumelia was created. It included parts of the Danube Vilayet and the Adrianople Vilayet. The capital of Eastern Rumelia was Plovdiv (Philippopolis).

Although it remained formally part of the Ottoman Empire, Eastern Rumelia was given special privileges. It had its own Christian governor and a national assembly, similar to the system used on the island of Samos.

The Union with Bulgaria

In 1885, a revolution in Plovdiv declared the union of Eastern Rumelia with the Principality of Bulgaria. This union was later confirmed by the Conference of Constantinople in 1886. It marked a major step toward the full independence and unification of the Bulgarian nation.