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The San Stefano Peace Treaty

The signing of the Treaty
Photo: Архив
On March 3, Bulgaria marks its national day. In 1878 a war ended, that came to be known as the war of liberation. To a great extent, the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 was caused by the Bulgarians themselves and their irresistible drive for freedom, which came to a head with the April uprising in 1876. The Bulgarian people did all they could to assist the advance of the Russian army, and with its volunteer forces, took part in the military operations, that ended in victory for Russia. On March 3 1878, the San Stefano peace treaty was signed, resurrecting the Bulgarian state after almost five centuries of Ottoman domination. Here is more about the Bulgarian and the Balkan aspects of this treaty from historian and journalist Konstantin Subchev:
“Even before the outbreak of the war, Russian diplomacy had already familiarized itself with the position of the other Great powers, and first and foremost Great Britain and Austria-Hungary, regarding the parameters of a future peace treaty. London and Vienna were categorical, that they did not want the creation of a large Slavic state on the Balkans. However, the brilliant Russian offensive in the winter of 1877/1878 and the complete fiasco the Ottoman Empire faced inspired St. Petersburg with confidence. And when on January 20, 1878 the Turkish command sent truce envoys, Russia’s peace terms had already been prepared. And they were – a vassal Bulgarian principality within the boundaries set down by the Berlin Exarchate, i.e. what is today the territory of Bulgaria plus that of the Republic of Macedonia. As well as full independence for Romania, Serbia and Monte Negro and territorial concessions for Turkey in the Caucuses. The Turkish diplomats rejected these terms, but all avenues for maneuvering had been exhausted – the Russian army conquered Edirne. It was there that on January 31 1878, the truce was concluded on the basis of the terms set down by Russia. Turkey’s attempts to sabotage the truce only made its position worse. The Russian troops continued their advance into Eastern Thrace, reaching the capital itself – Istanbul. It was there, in the resort suburb of San Stefano that the conclusive text of the peace treaty between Russia and Turkey was signed.
This treaty confirmed the creation of a Bulgarian principality, a vassalage to the Ottoman empire, but with full internal independence, which included all territories with a predominantly Bulgarian population. Its prince was to be elected by the Bulgarian people and endorsed by the Great powers. Turkey was deprived of the right to have a standing army in the Bulgarian principality, but it did have the right of transit passage of troops in the event of war.
The peace treaty guaranteed the independence of Romania. Moreover, it was also given Northern Dobruja, as compensation for South Western Bessarabia, which Russia retrieved. Serbia got Nis, and Monte Negro almost doubled its territory. The treaty also envisaged reforms in Bosnia Herzegovina and autonomy for the island of Crete.
In this way, the San Stefano treaty to a great extent resolved the ethnic and territorial problems on the Balkans. And its implementation in practice would probably have averted many a conflict on the peninsula in the 19th and throughout the 20th century. But Russia was not in a capacity to uphold its positions. That is why the San Stefano treaty was called “preliminary”. And the real peace treaty, settling the borders on the Balkans, was to be signed in Berlin on July 13 that same year.
Nevertheless, it is March 3 that Bulgaria marks as its national day, because the peace treaty concluded in San Stefano proclaimed its political freedom”, says in conclusion Konstantin Subchev.


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