Bulgaria: A Paradise On Earth

Vladaya uprising

Which proclaimed a Republic in the town of Radomir (south-western Bulgaria) headed by the leaders of the Bulgarian Agrarian Party Alexander Stamboliiski and Raiko Daskalov. Sofia garrison troops and German troops stationed on stand-by in Sofia routed with artillery the uprising at the village of Vladaya.

In the post-war years, the BZNS won great popularity as a party opposing the King's policies and those of the big bourgeoisie. The party set up, after an election victory, a coalition government and later its own cabinet and government from 1920 to 1923. Alexander Stamboliiski and his party directed their first policy actions against big business (a special organization expropriated grain trade from the big dealers) and the big landowners (through an agrarian reform). Labour service was instituted as well as compulsory primary education, the legal system was improved, etc.

The bourgeoisie joined forces against the Agrarian Party and the military were mobilized, some of them adopting the postulates of Italian fascists. For obvious reasons the Bulgarian fascists endeavoured to make their mark with help 'fiom above', with the support of the palace, the party of the big bourgeoisie (the Constitutional Bloc) and the nationalist-minded officers. Along with the Constitutional Bloc there came into being one more centre of legal opposition - the Popular Unity Party (Naroden Sgovor) under the leadership of Prof. Alexander Tsankov, which united nationalistic intellectuals, officers and big business. These two parties differed in their attitude to the problems of Bulgaria's further political development, their common ground being their social origins and the idea that the BZNS could be removed from power through political violence. On the night of June 9, 1923, the conspirators dealt their lightning blow on the capital. In response to this an uprising broke out in Southern Bulgaria, but it was quickly crushed and Alexander Stamboliiski was brutally tortured to death. The Agrarians in the town and district of Pleven, Northern Bulgaria, led by the Communist Assen Halachev, put up massive resistance.

These events revealed unambiguously what class interests amounted to, they disclosed the diktat of big business and the army-supported terror, violating bourgeois laws and political regulations.

In response to this onslaught by big business the Communist Party, in a united front with the BZNS, organized the masses to rise in arms in September 1923 in the anti-fascits uprising.

Bogdan Filov

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