The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-12-26
ELEVATION TO
WORLD ! D. NATIONS | \ [;
rs n; 55'Fsi'
Past Territory Greater
Than New Bulgaria
Is Likely to Be.

nople the crown Of the enemy of the
Byzantines, Boris H., and deprived
Damian, the Bulgarian patriarch. Of
his see.
Bulgaria at that ti1he lacked farsee-
ing statesmen. She became selfish
power within herself and against all
others. There was competition for
emolument within herself, and the By
zantines did not find great difficulty in
destroying this disorganized state.
In the year 1913 the Emperor Basil
of Byzantium, known as 'Slayer of the
Bulgarians,' put an end to Bulgarian
existence, particularly in the west, to-
ward the Adriatic. This war continu-
ed for twenty eight years, and then for
1O7 years Bulgaria and the Bulgarians
remained under, the rule of the Byzan-
tines.
Weakness Develops.
Byzantium. however, was weak in
herself. She did not continue in po-
sition to cope with dangerous and diff
cult problems since her own rulers
were not firmly fixed upon their seats
and because of internal jealousies and
dissensions. Here it was said that
graft weakened the Byzantines, just as
1t is said to have made their success
sors, the Turks, weak in the present
war with the Balkan allies.
Dollars Asen and Peter, descendants
Of the first cars of Bulgaria, made a
successful revolution in Tirnovo in the
early part of the twelfth century, OBJ
tanned independence of the Bulgars
and proclaimed the second Bulgarian
empire. ~.- "
Asen 1. and his successors, notably
Asen H., greatly increased the powers
and territory of the second Bulgaria,
waging victorious wars with the
Greeks and the crusaders and extend
ing the boundaries Of the empire still
more widely than in the time of Boris
II. They annexed Moesia, Thracia,
Macedonia and Albania as far as Du-
razzo, which is now the Adriatic port
Of contention between the Servians and
the Austrians.
But the second Bulgarian empire was
as weak as the first in lacking any
definite state policy. Apparently its
leaders were fighting for aggrandize-
ment without knowing, why. They
formed no alliances. There was no
higher inspiration than rehabilitation
and revenge which prompted their war,
like moves. Therefore it was in the
position of being strong and aggressive
when the throne was held by strong
and aggressive car and weak and in
effectual when the ruler was incapable
Engaged In Many Wars.
The unstable internal condition of
the country was aggravated by the
many wars and expeditions which were
carried on without definite purpose.
These weakened it and prepared it for
catastrophe. These facts led to the
establishment Of strong Servian
kingdom, which made it's capital at
Uskub, under the Servian Gar Dou-
shan, in the first half of the fourteenth
SCAIuAy. AA1S uAVASAOA pOWcI llduc
it easy for the Turks to conquer Bull
garia and later the whole Balkan pen
1nsula. s.
Bulgaria then disappeared as an in
dependent nation for five centuries un-
til the domination Of the Turkish en-.
pire was broken down by the efforts
Of the Russians and the Roumanians.
Then the Berlin treaty gave Bulgaria
practical liberty, and in 1908 Ferdi-
nand declared the absolute sindepend-
ence Of the Bulgarians and proclaimed
himself car. Until then he had been
a prince. The title car is clearly
traced through 1900 years, from Gaze
sar. One form of it is kaiser.
For nearly<4O0 years the Bulgarians
have been preparing for the war with
Turkey. The result Of this training is
seen in the third appearance of the
great Bulgarian empire under Gear
Ferdinand.
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