Ivan Ivanov Bagrianov

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Ivan Ivanov Bagrianov (Bulgarian: Иван Иванов Багрянов) (1891-1945) was a leading Bulgarian politician who briefly served as Prime Minister during the Second World War.

After a career as a diplomat he was chosen by the Council of Regents that at the time had power in Bulgaria to form a government capable of negotiating peace. In contrast to his predecessor, Dobri Bozhilov, Bagrianov was known for his largely pro-Western views and he saw as his mission removing Bulgaria from the war before the arrival of the Red Army and so attempted to open negotiations with the Western Allies. However the coup by Michael I of Romania on August 23, 1944 severely damaged this plan as it ended effective Romanian resistance and allowed the Red Army a free hand to occupy Bulgaria. Bagrianov continued his drive to find peace, repudiating any alliance with Nazi Germany on August 26 and declaring neutrality, ending all anti-Jewish laws on August 29 (although it was officially ratified by the new government on September 5) and withdrawing Bulgarian troops from Yugoslavian Macedonia. However, Bagrianov's insistence on neutrality, rather than declaring war on the Axis Powers, hamstrung negotiations with the Allies and he was removed from government. After the Communists came to power he was amongst those executed.