Day of Unification of Bulgaria
Description:
Under the Treaty of Berlin of 1878, Bulgaria was essentially divided into three parts: the Principality of Bulgaria (with the capital Sofia), the autonomous region of Eastern Rumelia (with the center of Plovdiv), and the region of Macedonia, which remained part of the Ottoman Empire. The national doctrine of the young Bulgarian state gave its fruits in 1885: under the pressure of the popular masses, an uprising began in Eastern Rumelia.
On September 6, rebel detachments led by Chardafon entered Plovdiv and forced the governor of the region to surrender his duties to the Provisional Government. Two days later, Bulgarian Prince Alexander Batenberg approved the annexation of Eastern Rumelia to the Principality of Bulgaria. This was a violation of the Treaty of Berlin, and Alexander Batenberg drew sharp criticism from the great powers of Europe (which later cost him the princely crown).
In the memory of the Bulgarian people, however, Alexander Batenberg remained the Unification Tsar forever. He wanted his ashes to rest in Bulgaria after his death.