Liberation of Bulgaria

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In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the establishment of a Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of 3 March 1878. According to this treaty, the Ottoman Empire was deprived of a part of its territory and Bulgaria was established in these lands as a separate country dependent of the sultan. Bulgaria achieved its full independence on 22 September 1908, then already united with the former Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia.

The term is, however, partially inaccurate, as it only refers to the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. As the country that was created is accepted as the third Bulgarian state, the first liberation of Bulgaria that led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire happened in 1185 as part of an uprising against the Byzantine Empire.