The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1913-01-02
Bulgaria, For Third Time.
Has Risen To World Po,oer

Greek general John lTsymich. took to
Constantinople the crown Of the enerny
OF the Byzantines. Boris II, and der
prived Damian, the Bulgarian Pa
triarch, OF his see. n
Bulgaria, at that time, lacked far
seeing statesmen. She became a selfish,
power within herself and against all
emolument within herself and the
Byzantines 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 al end to Bulgarian
existence, particularly In the west, to-
ward the Adriatic. This wal continued
Bulgaria and the Bulgarians remained
under the rule OF the Byzantines.
Weakness Develops.
Byzantium. however, was weak In
herself. She did not continue In a
position to cope with dangerous and
difficult problems. since her rulers
were not firmly fixed upon their seats
and because of internal j~ealousies anc
dissensions. Here II was said thai
graft weakened the Byzantines, just an
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 Tsars of Bulgaria, made a
successful revolution In Tirnovo in the
early part OF the 18th century, obtained
Independence OF the Bulgars and pro-
claimed the second Bulgarian empire.
Asen I and his SUCCESSORS, notably
Asen III, generally increased the pow
ers and territory OF the second Bull
garia, waging victorious wars with the
Greeks and the Crusaders and extend
ing the boundaries of the empire stu
more widely than in the time of Boris
liz. They annexed Moesia, Thracia,
Macedonia and Albania as far as Dur
azzo, which is now the Adriatic port Of
contention between the Servians and
the AUST ians. "
But the second Bulgarian empire was
as weak as the first in lacking any
definite state policy Apparently Its
ment without knowing why. They
formed no alliance. There was no
higher inspiration than rehabilitation
and reyenge which prompted their war
like moves Therefore, 1t was in the
position of being strong n agrees
sfve when the throne was held by a
strong and aggressive tsar and weak
and Intellectual when the ruler was In
capable. @. ~. -
The unstable internal condition Of the
country was aggravated by the many
wars and expeditions which were car
ried on without definite purpose. These
weakened 1t and prepared 1t for catas-
trophe. These facts led to the estab-
lishment Of a strong Servian kingdom,
which made It's capital at Uskub, UNI
der the Seryian Tsar, Doushan, in the
first half OF the 18th century. This
division OF power made 1t easy for the
Turks TO conquer Bulgaria n later
the whole Balkan peninsula. .-
Bulgaria then disappeared as an in
dependent nation for five centuries. un-
til the domination of the Turkish nm
pire was broken Dawn by the efforts
Of the Russians and the R~oumanians.
Then the Berlin treaty gave Bulgaria
practical liberty, and in 1908 Ferdin-
md declared the absolute independence
Of the Bulgsrians and proclaimed him
self tsar. Until then he had been a
prince. The title tsar is clearly traced
through 1900 years from Caesar. One
so~m Of II is kaiser.
For nearly 400 years the B~ulgarians
lave been preparing for the war with
Turkev. The result of this training is
-een in the third appearance OF the
~reat Bulgarian empire under Tsar
] Ferdinand.