Greater Bulgaria

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Borders of Bulgaria according to the Treaty of San Stefano

Greater Bulgaria is term to identify the territory associated with a historical national state and a modern Bulgarian irredentist nationalist movement which would include the plain between the Danube and the Balkan mountain range (Stara Planina), Northern and Southern Dobruja, the region of Sofia, Pirot and Vranje in the Morava valley, Northern Thrace, parts of Eastern Thrace and nearly all of Macedonia.

Bulgarian campaign against Serbia during World War I showing the struggle for control of Macedonia

It is not associated with Old Great Bulgaria, which described the territory inhabited by the Bulgar tribes north of the Sea of Azov concurrent in history to the Byzantine Empire.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Independent Bulgaria

Greater Bulgaria was suggested under The Treaty of San Stefano.

The territorial control and dispute over Macedonia stem from the migrations of Bulgars into the Balkans and more specifically, the area of Macedonia during the 7th Century under Kuber.

The issue of irredentism and nationalism gained greater prominence after the creation of modern Bulgaria following the 1878 Treaty of San Stefano. However the Congress of Berlin took back some of those territories, returning them to the control of the Ottoman Empire.

Annex to the 1878 Treaty of San Stephano, showing the boundaries of Bulgaria.

In the early 20th Century control over Macedonia was a key point of contention between Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia who fought both the First Balkan War of 1912–1913 and the Second Balkan War of 1913. The area was further fought over during the Serbian Campaign of World War I (1915–1918).

Administrative map of Bulgaria during WWII

Just before World War II, Bulgaria had, peacefully secured the return of southern Dobrudja from Romania in the Treaty of Craiova.^[1] Greater Bulgaria was re-created as a state during World War II by Nazi Germany, as a reward to Bulgaria, which had fought with Germany as one of the Axis powers. It was granted territory in Greece, namely Eastern Macedonia and parts of Western Thrace, as well as Yugoslav Macedonia (Vardar Macedonia).^[2] With the exception of the Dobruja, these concessions were reversed with Allied victory.