viIvLage; ufe: Bulgaria 



liussia reserved as compensation to 

 Rumania for her own annexation of 

 Bessarabia. 



But the Great Powers, beheving that 

 this extensive territory would become a 

 Russian dependency, intervened on the 

 initiative of England. There can be no 

 doubt that such a consummation was 

 held in view by the liberating power ; 

 but the dogged tenacity of character 

 which subsequently enabled the Bulga- 

 rians to maintain their independence 

 -against enormous odds was at this time 

 little suspected either by Russia or by the 

 powers which aimed at counteracting her 

 designs. 



The treaty of Berlin followed (13th 

 July, 1878). The "Big Bulgaria" of 

 San Stefano was divided into three sec- 

 tions. The region between the Danube 

 and the Balkans, with the districts of 

 Sofia and Kiostendil, became the tribu- 

 tary principality of Bulgaria ; the tract 

 between the Balkans and Rhodope — the 

 upper valleys of the Tunja and Ma- 

 ritza — with the maritime district of Bur- 

 gas, constituted an autonomous Turkish 

 province, described as "Eastern Rume- 

 lia," under a Christian governor-gen- 



eral; the remaining territories, compris- 

 ing the greater part of Macedonia and 

 the Bulgarian sanjaks of the Adrianople 

 vilayet, were left under Turkish admin- 

 istration. 



The inhabitants of the principality 

 were allowed to frame their political 

 constitution and to choose their prince, 

 his election being confirmed by the Porte 

 with the assent of the Powers ; the au- 

 tonomous province of Eastern Rumelia 

 received its organization at the hands of 

 a European Commission ; all that was 

 done for the unhappy districts handed 

 back to Turkish rule is recorded in the 

 much-quoted article 23 of the treaty. 



From the first hour of their liberation 

 the Bulgarians of the newly created 

 principality manifested a strong demo- 

 cratic spirit, and a firm determination 

 to secure for themselves a full measure 

 of political freedom and complete na- 

 tional independence. The peasant depu- 

 ties, who formed the "Assembly of No- 

 tables." 'which met at Tirnovo in 1879, 

 adopted as their watchword, "Bulgaria 

 for the Bulgarians." 



In 1885 Eastern Rumelia revolted from 

 the Turkish rule and united with Bul- 



1117 



