As the Tsankov regime cracks down even harder on leftists, the underground communist movement strikes back with horrific consequences.

Major Characters in this Episode:

Prime Minister Alexander Tsankov

"Vanche" Ivan Mihailov

Nikola Milev

Ivan Shkoinov

Tsar Boris III

Timeline for this episode:

• 1925, Jan 3rd - The government secretly established elite police groups to pursue communist and anarchist groups.

• 1925, Jan 16-20th - Romania carries out mass arrests in Dobrudja, detaining more than 500 Bulgarians.

• 1925, early Feb - The VMRO holds its 6th congress where, in the presence of government representatives including the Minister of War, it elects a new central committee.

• 1925, Feb 13th - A Communist group assassinates representative Nikola Milev.

• 1925, Feb 17th - State security agents kill the Communist and representative Todor Strashimirov.

• 1925 Mar 6th - State security agents kill the Communist and representative Haralampi Stoyanov.

• 1925, Mar 16th - A law is passed increasing criminal penalties for most misdemeanors.

• 1925, Mar 18th - The National Assembly revokes the mandates of the 6 remaining communist deputies.

• 1925, Mar 19th - The Entente grants Bulgaria permission to summon 3,000 militia to quell a possible communist rebellion.

• 1925, Mar - Mass arrests of communist members of the Dobrudja movement in Varna.

• 1925, Mar - The Bulgarian Native Defense Union is founded. It is a supra-party nationalist, anti-semetic organization headed by Ivan Shkoinov.

• 1925, Apr 14th - BCP activists assassinate the leader of the Democratic Conspiracy General Konstandin Georgiev. They also carry out an unsuccessful assassination of the King in the Arabakonak pass.

• 1925, Apr 16th - BCP activists bomb the Sveta Nedelya cathedral, killing more than 150 people. Martial law is declared.

• 1925, Apr 24th - The Entente grants permission for Bulgaria to raise an additional 7,000 militia.

• 1925, May 2nd - A law is passed establishing the Gendarmerie, an independent force of 6,800 men within the Ministry of War.

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

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

• The Rose of the Balkans by Ivan Ilchev

• The Balkans by Misha Glenny

• Alexander Stamboliiski by R.J. Crampton