On November 27 we mark 99 years since the ratification of the Treaty of Neuilly. It required Bulgaria to cede various territories after it had been one of the Central Powers defeated in the First World War. The treaty was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France by Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Stamboliyski and representatives of the victors. According to the treaty, Bulgaria had to pay reparations amounting to 2.250 billion Gold Francs. Besides, Bulgaria had to cede Western Thrace to the Entente (which awarded it to Greece). It also had to cede a large territory on its western border with the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). This country has to cede Southern Dobrudzha to Romania. Thus, Bulgaria ceded a total of 11,278 square kilometers to its neighbors and 600,000 Bulgarians were left outside their country’s borders.  The treaty envisaged the so-called convention for voluntary exchange of population between Bulgaria and Greece at the insistence of Athens. As a result, the Greek authorities banished forcibly the Bulgarian population from its home place in Western Thrace. According to the Treaty of Neuilly, Bulgaria had no right to organize a conscription-based military and the professional military was to be no more than 20,000 people. The country’s gendarmerie was to be no more than 10,000 people and its border guards were limited to 3,000 people. Bulgaria also lost the right of having modern military technologies, air forces and naval forces. The treaty was enforced on August 9, 1920.

On occasion of the 99th anniversary since the signature of the Treaty of Neuilly VMRO party organizes on November 27 a torch-lit march in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia under the motto Bulgarian March-No to the Treaty of Neuilly! MPs, party members, supporters of VMRO, as well as representatives of the Bulgarian minority in Macedonia and the Western Outlands will take part at the procession.  Marches will be held in other Bulgarian towns as well.

Editor: Manuel Savov

English version: Kostadin Atanasov