In the aftermath of the brutal bombing of the Sveta Nedelya church the Tsankov regime unleashes a new terror on its enemies. At the same time, a border incident leads to the invasion of Bulgaria by one of its neighbors.

Major Characters in this Episode:

Prime Minister Alexander Tsankov

General Theodoros Pangalos

Andrey Lyapchev

Tsar Boris III

Geo Milev

Joseph Herbst

Sergey Rumyantsev

Timeline for this episode:

• 1925, May 4th - A law on police administration is passed, establishing three branches: state security, criminal, and administrative. District governors and chiefs are given expanded powers at the expense of municipal and district councils.

• 1925, May 18th-Jun - Right-wing VMRO members massacre around 75 representatives of the organization’s left wing with the help of the government.

• 1925, May 27th - The perpetrators of the Sveta Nedelya bombing are publicly hanged.

• 1925, Jun 11th - Jul 23rd - The Minister of the Interior instructs the district governors in Varna, Ruse, and Shumen to limit the activities of the IDRO in order to improve relations with Romania.

• 1925, Jul 19th - The People’s Liberal Party of Stambolov is re-founded at a memorial service for the assassinated Prime Minister.

• 1925, Jul 30th - Sep - At a meeting of the BCP in Moscow, the organization agrees to begin planning a new uprising.

• 1925, Aug 29th - Bulgaria requests the closure of the military control authority of the Entente at a meeting of the organization, but the request is ignored.

• 1925, Early Sep - Meeting in Vienna at the direction of the Comintern, activists establish the Dobrudja Revolutionary Organization with the aim of establishing an independent Republic of Dobrudja within a wider Balkan federation.

• 1925, Sep 24th - Bulgaria applies to the League of Nations for a loan of 3 million pounds to help support refugees.

• 1925, Oct 18th - The Treaty of Ankara is signed between Bulgaria and Turkey, recognizing the de-Bulgarianization of eastern Thrace.

• 1925, Oct 21st - The Greek army chases VMRO detachments across the Bulgarian border, occupying Petritch. The Bulgarian army retreats, offering no resistance. The League of Nations ultimately orders Greece to pay 30 million Leva in compensation for the incident.

• 1925, Oct 24th - Martial law declared after the Sveta Nedelya bombing is lifted.

• 1925, Oct - Founding congress of the left-wing VMRO in Vienna advocating for an independent Macedonia within a Balkan Federation. Over the subsequent years it establishes wings in Vardar, Pirin, and Aegean Macedonia.

• 1925, Nov 7-8th - The People’s Liberal Party of Stambolov meets and decides to unite with the People’s Unity Party. Later that month, the resulting joint party holds another congress.

• 1925, Early Nov - A VMRO detachment fights a small battle with Serbian forces near Valandovo before withdrawing. In the aftermath, over 200 local Bulgarians are arrested and subject to mistreatment. Ultimately 50 are convinced for aiding the VMRO.

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

• Peasants in Power by John D. Bell

• The Rose of the Balkans by Ivan Ilchev

• Alexander Stamboliiski by R.J. Crampton