Military Coup D'Etat in Bulgaria 1934 -- Telegrams

[vicsinad]

Here are extracts from telegrams between Western officials and Bulgarians about the 1934 Coup D'Etat in Bulgaria. There are just a few notes about Macedonia. But the entire document is an interesting read.


"He expressed the opinion quite frankly that the sudden coup d'etat of May 19, 1934 was inspired by a large extent by the desire to continue Bulgaria's recent rapprochment with Yugoslavia and the realization that this would not be possible without a strong government in power at Sofia, capable of dealing with the Macedonian situation." -- Wallace Murray

"Announced program and decrees already issued indicate complete change in political structure of the country [...] imposition of authority of Central Government in Macedonia." -- Sterling


http://images.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/...4v02.i0007.pdf

[Soldier of Macedon]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2354096

The Canberra Times, Monday 21 May 1934

COUP D'ETAT IN BULGARIA

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SET UP TO COUNTER MACEDONIAN RISING

SOFIA, Saturday.

Swift action at 2 o'clock this morning established a National Government with a virtual dictatorship in Bulgaria. Troops suddenly occupied the streets and surrounded public buildings, placing the city entirely under military and, completely isolating Sofia, established a censorship, and took control of the telephones! The King nominated a National Government, with Kimon Georgieff as Premier, and including General Midileff as Minister for . the Interior, General Zlateff, Minister for War, Mr. Todortoff, Minister for Finance, and Professor Moloff, Minister for Education.

No reasons are given for the coup d'etat, but it is believed to be due to the actions of Georgieff, Todoroff and Moloff, and other leaders of the Zveno group, and the Nationalist non-party organisations who were associated in the coup d'etat in 1923, when the Agrarian Government was overthrown. It is known that Zveno is with Professor Alexandra Tsankoff, leader of the extreme right, who, with the army and the Macedonian Nationalists, seized power in the 1923 coup. Tsankoff is reported to have planned to assemble 50,000, including Macedonians, on May 20, and to seize power.

The King heard of the report and decided, after hesitation, and on the advice of the Army officers, to forestall him, but he was forced to accept a National Government. King Boris is reported to have been unaware of the preparations of the army until the troops surrounded the Palace, and even then he demurred at signing a proclamation dissolving Parliament and appointing a Government. It is reported that 80 generals, members of the Reserve Officers Association, met today and sent a deputation to King Boris, urging a non party Government owing to the deplorable condition of the country due to party strife and neglect of the necessities of the peasants who form 80 per cent, of the population........