As pressure mounts from all sides, Bulgaria finally concedes and signs a document that will seal its fate.

Major Characters in this Episode:

Tsar Boris III

Adolf Hitler

Prime Minister Bogdan Filov

Foreign Minister Ivan Popov

Timeline

• 1941, Jan 13th - The USSR informs Germany of its displeasure of Bulgaria’s reduced neutrality.

• 1941, Jan 18th - Bulgarian opposition leaders publicly advocate for neutrality.

• 1941, Jan 20th - After threats of invasion and an ultimatum from the German government, the Bulgarian government agrees to join the Tripartite Pact despite opposition from Foreign Minister Ivan Popov.

• 1941, Jan 20-22nd - Colonel Donovan, an American official in Sofia, fails in his attempt to prevent Bulgaria from joining the Tripartite Pact.

• 1941, Jan 21-23rd - Uprising by the Legions in Romania.

• 1941, Jan 29th - Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas dies. His replacement, Alexander Koryzs reverses his policy and allows British troops to land and assist in the fight against the Italians.

• 1941, Jan 31st - The Agriculture Minister delivers a major speech in which he attacked the government.

• 1941, Jan - The Bulgarian Communist Party holds its Seventh Plenum in Sofia.

• 1941, Feb 1st - The Neubacher Agreement is signed, allowing the German army to operate on Bulgarian soil. An agreement detailing how this will occur is signed the next day and further agreements regarding command on the 15th.

• 1941, Feb 15th - Tsar Boris signs the Law for the Defense of the Nation after delaying.

• 1941, Feb 17th - A Bulgarian-Turkish non-aggression and friendship pact is signed in Ankara. Germany will also sign a friendship treaty with Turkey on June 18th.

• 1941, Feb 21st - 227 German soldiers enter Bulgaria and begin taking control of 24 strategic sites.

• 1941, Feb 24th - Bulgarian intelligence captures Vadim Grenevich, a British agent, on the train to Constantinople. After interrogation he is handed over to the Germans. At the same time, a further 6 British agents (all Russians as well) are arrested in Sofia. 5 of them are convicted of espionage and executed on August 13th.

• 1941, Feb - Anti-Jewish riots at the “Brannik” office in Sofia.

• 1941, Mar 1st - Bulgaria signs tripartite pact. 680,000 German troops enter Bulgaria from Romania.

Sources:

• История на България в Дати by Vasil Katsunov, Plamen Mitev, Valeri Kolev, Evgenia Kalinova, and Iskra Baeva

• Crown of Thorns by Stephane Groueff

• Bulgaria During the Second World War by Marshall E. Miller

• The Balkans by Misha Glenny