History of Bulgarian Independence Day
Bulgaria had been part of the Ottoman Empire since 1396. In the late nineteenth century, a growing tide of nationalism had been spreading across Europe, which had been threatening the break up of the western parts of the Ottoman Empire.
In April 1876, uprisings in other parts of the Ottoman Empire spread to Bulgaria. The suppression of the revolts by the Ottomans was horrific and when the atrocities were made public to the West and Russia, international condemnation was widespread. In 1877, Russia formally declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The conflict eventually resulted in the creation of a Bulgarian principality within the Ottoman Empire, albeit with reduced land.
Following a war with Serbia, the principality extended its area in the region and on 22 September 1908, Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria declared Bulgaria’s independence from the Ottoman Empire.