2.
By the 18th century, the Ottomans had fallen well behind the rest
of Europe in science, technology, and industry. However, the
Bulgarian population was also suppressed socially and politically
under Ottoman rule. In 1875, taxes levied on non-Muslims were
raised for fear of a state bankruptcy, which, in turn, caused
additional tension between Muslims and Christians and
facilitated the breakout of the Herzegovinian rebellion and the
Stara Zagora revolt in Bulgaria. The failure of the Ottomans to
handle the Herzegovinian uprising successfully showed the
weakness of the Ottoman state while the brutalities which ensued,
discredited additionally the empire to the outside world.
Reasons
3.
In November 1875, activists of the Bulgarian
Revolutionary Central Committee met in the
Romanian town of Giurgiu and decided that the
political situation was suitable for a general
uprising. The uprising was scheduled for May
1876. The territory of the country was divided into
five revolutionary districts with centers in Vratsa,
Veliko Tarnovo, Sliven, Plovdiv and Sofia. The
rebels had been hoarding arms and ammunition
for some time and even constructed makeshift
cannon out of cherry-wood.
Preparation
4.
On 14th April 1876, a general meeting of the
committees from the fourth revolutionary district was
held in the Oborishte locality near Panagyurishte to
discuss the proclamation of the insurrection. One of the
delegates, however, disclosed the plot to the Ottoman
authorities. On 20th April 1876, Ottoman police made
an attempt to arrest the leader of the local revolutionary
committee in Koprivshtitsa, Todor Kableshkov.
5.
He kills the ottomans who wants to arrest him.
Then he writes a letter to the leaders of the April
uprising in which he says ”Let`s upraise and take back our
country”. In the end he puts bloody cross as signature.
With his shot, the first one, the uprising begins.
7. In conformity with the decisions taken at Oborishte, on the
20 April 1876 the local rebel committee attacked and
surrounded the headquarters of the Ottoman police in
Koprivshtitsa commanded by Nedzhip Aga. At least two
Ottoman police officials were killed Aga was forced to
release arrested Bulgarian rebel suspects. Nedzhip Aga and
his close officials managed to escape the siege. Within several
days, the rebellion spread to the whole Sredna Gora and to a
number of towns and villages in the northwestern Rhodopes.
The insurrection broke out in the other revolutionary
districts, as well, though on a much smaller scale.
Outbreak
10.
The uprising is crushed with inhumanly cruelty.
30 000 people are killed, most of whom are peaceful
women and children.
80 villages are burnt to the ground.
Suppression
Other 200 are partly
destroyed.
11.
This barbarian cruelty becomes famous to the
democratic society in Europa. The leader of the
Bulgarian church exarch Anthem I gives information
about the committed murders to ambassadors of
the European countries in the Ottoman capital
Istanbul. In July 1876 the areas of the revolt are
visited by special diplomatic commission. In it takes
part Mackgahan the correspondent of the British
newspaper “Daily News” who sends horrible
descriptions of what he has seen to his newspaper.
After him other European journalists write in
support of the Bulgarians. In 200 European
newspapers are published over 3000 articles. The
most respectable deputies of the European
property, politicians, writers, scientists proclaim their
support to the Bulgarians.
European reaction
12.
The governments of Great Britain, France, Germany,
Austro-Hungary, Italy and Russia, pressed by public
movements, organize diplomatic conference, which
suggests to the Ottoman empire a project for autonomy
of the Bulgarians. But the project is rejected. Then the
European countries give permission to Russia to start a
war, which ends with conquering Bulgaria. That is how
the sacrifice of the participants in the April uprising
becomes reason for the rise of the Bulgarian country.
After the April uprising deciding the Bulgarian question
becomes center of the European policy in 1876, 1877 and
1878. The European political map is changed. The Berlin
treaty in 1878 is signed by Great Britain, Germany,
Austro-Hungary, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman empire.
He edits on the European map Bulgaria, but also
contains a lot of changes in the borders of other
countries in the southeast of Europe. The determined
balance of the other countries` interests with this treaty
keeps the peace between them until 1914.
13. The Russian-Turkish War is a conflict between the Ottoman
Empire and the Russian Empire and composed of several Balkan
countries. Fought in the Balkans and in the Caucasus, it
originated in emerging 19th-century Balkan nationalism.
Russian-
Turkish War
