1944 Bulgarian coup d'état
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1944 Bulgarian coup d'état Деветосептемврийски преврат | |||||||
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Part of World War II | |||||||
NOVA partisans entering Plovdiv, 9 September 1944 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Supported by: Germany |
Supported by: Soviet Union | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Prince Kiril Bogdan Filov Nikola Mihov Konstantin Muraviev | Georgi Dimitrov Vasil Kolarov Kimon Georgiev Ivan Marinov Damyan Velchev |
The 1944 Bulgarian coup d'état, also known as the 9 September coup d'état (Bulgarian: Деветосептемврийски преврат, romanized: Devetoseptemvriyski prevrat), was a coup that overthrew the government of Kingdom of Bulgaria carried out on the eve of 9 September 1944. During the People's Republic of Bulgaria it was called using the propaganda term People's Uprising of 9 September – on the grounds of the broad unrest and Socialist Revolution – as it was a turning point politically and the beginning of radical reforms towards Soviet-style socialism.[1]
In brief
Bulgaria was in a precarious situation, still in the sphere of
, etc.The coup d'état was organized by the Fatherland Front political coalition (led by the
As a direct result the legal government of
Background
On 26 August 1944, the government of
A government of the
The Central Committee of the BWP and the general staff of the People's Liberation Revolt Army commenced, on 5 September, planning of a coup d'état. The plan was further detailed on 8 September. According to the plan, the coordinated actions of the partisans, the BWP combat groups and the pro-Fatherland Front army detachments would assume power and effective control of government during the night of 9 September. The stated goal of the coup d'état was the "overthrowing of the fascist authorities and the establishment of popular-democratic power of the Fatherland Front".
Unrest began all around Bulgaria on 6 September and 7 September, with the strikes of the Pernik miners and the Sofia tram employees, as well as the general strikes in Plovdiv and Gabrovo. The prisons in Pleven, Varna and Sliven had their political prisoners released; 170 localities were entered by partisan detachments between 6 September and 8 September. In many cities and villages, the strikes and meetings grew into armed clashes with the police, with victims on both sides. On 8 September,[2] the Red Army entered Bulgaria meeting with no opposition on the order of the new Bulgarian government.
Coup d'état
On the eve of 9 September, army units together with Fatherland Front detachments captured key locations in Sofia, such as the
With the complete awareness that it is a true and full voice of the popular will, the Fatherland Front assumes in that fateful hour and difficult conditions the government of the country in order to save it from destruction.
On 9 September, on the order of the
As of 9 September, the Red Army had not reached Sofia but remained in northeastern Bulgaria, as the Bulgarian communists were capable of assuming power without any aid.
New government
The Fatherland Front government included representatives of the BWP, BANU "Pladne", the
Aftermath
After 9 September 1944, the
The government of Kimon Georgiev established in December 1944 the People's Court according to the international obligation of Bulgaria to condemn the persons (ministers, etc.) guilty for World War II. It became one of the main propellers of the wave of terror in the country. Between 10,000 and 40,000 people were killed or missing in just the first four months after the communist regime overtook Bulgaria.
Bulgarian communists (their Workers' Party renamed to Communist Party) consolidated their leading role in the Fatherland Front coalition, reduced its members from 5 to 2 political parties (together with the Agrarian Union) and led the country consecutively and gradually on the pathway to socialism (after the Soviet model).
The Tarnovo Constitution was overthrown and replaced in 1947 by the new pro-communist republican Dimitrov Constitution[3] after the successful republic referendum in 1946.
See also
- People's Republic of Bulgaria
- 1923 Bulgarian coup d'état
- 1934 Bulgarian coup d'état
- Military history of Bulgaria during World War II
- Bulgarian government-in-exile
- Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces
- King Michael's Coup
- Moscow Armistice and Lapland War
References
- Делев, Петър; et al. (2006). "51. България в годините на Втората световна война, 52. Преходният период на "народната демокрация" – 1944–1947 г.". История и цивилизация за 11 клас (in Bulgarian). Труд, Сирма.
- "Социализъм. Натрапените мечти за "идеален строй"". Българите и България (in Bulgarian). Министерство на външните работи, Труд, Сирма. 2005.