Historic Background Of Bulgaria

Bulgaria was initially under the rule of the Macedonian Empire, until the Romans invaded the area. They were, in turn, followed first by Thraco-Illyrian tribes and then the Slavs. In 679, the Turkic tribe of the Bulgars- after whom the country is named - arrived. They swiftly conquered the entire area even extending into Macedonia. As time passed, the Bulgars were absorbed into Slavic society.

By 1014, Bulgaria had been attacked again- this time by the Byzantine Emperor, Basil II, who made it a part of his domain. The Bulgarian nationalists gathered forces, and in 1185, succeeded in evicting the Byzantine ruler, setting up instead the Second Bulgarian empire. This too lasted for less than two centuries; first the Tatars and then the Turks attacked, and by the end of the 14th century, the country had passed wholly into the hands of the Ottoman Turks who ruled it for the next 500 years.

By the early 19th century, resentment against Turkish which till now had been largely dormant started building up. In the late 1870s, assisted by European allies (chiefly Russia), Bulgaria launched an offensive against the Turks. About 60% of the land was ceded to Bulgaria in 1878, and amidst political and international disputes, Bulgaria became an independent nation. The years between World War I & II were years of trouble. When World War II began, the king of Bulgaria, Boris III, allied with Germany - but the opposition soon organised support for the Allies, more specifically for Russia.

In the aftermath of WWII, Bulgaria became a communist country, and one of the most prosperous in the region. However, the collapse of communism in 1989 brought drastic changes to the country - changes which are still ongoing. The transition from communism to democracy has been difficult, and the problems- economic, social and political - which resulted have still not been completely resolved.