The First Balkan Alliance (1860-1868) and the Bulgarians

Part of : Balkan studies : biannual publication of the Institute for Balkan Studies ; Vol.42, No.1-2, 2001, pages 15-20

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15-20
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The First Balkan Alliance was formed in 1860, thanks mainly to thediplomatic efforts of the Serbian statesman Ilija Garasanin. The purpose of thealliance was to unite all the Balkan peoples against the Ottoman Empire withthe aim of liberating all their brothers still living under the imperial yoke.In the framework of the alliance, the politicians of Serbia also turned tothe Bulgarians, both those living in unredeemed Bulgaria and those of thediaspora.Thus, early in 1867 a Bulgarian revolutionary organization which wasactive in Bucharest under the name of the “Benevolent Society” approachedSerbia with a view to collaboration and, urged on by Russia, presented theSerbian government with a draft agreement on 27 January.The draft was titled “Programme for Serbo-Bulgarian (Bulgaro-Serbian) political relations; or: cordial agreement between them” (Program politickodnosajaSrbobugaru (Bugarosrbe) ili njihov srdacu sporazum). The Bulgariansalso proposed the setting-up of a Serbo-Bulgarian or Bulgaro-Serbianstate headed by the Serbian Prince Michael. Although the borders of this statewere not defined, its organization was outlined in detail, and it was to have acommon government, common legislation, common armed forces, and acommon capital.This article also discusses the intensive activity of the Bulgarian revolutionary Georgij Rakovski.
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Ιστορία Βαλκανίων, Βούλγαροι