In 1908, Bulgaria finally ended five centuries of Ottoman rule to become a kingdom
After five centuries of Ottoman rule, Prince Ferdinand I took a bold gamble in 1908 by declaring Bulgaria a fully independent kingdom, forever changing the geopolitical landscape of the Balkans.
Bulgaria finally broke its last formal ties to the Ottoman Empire on September 22, 1908. While the nation had enjoyed some autonomy since 1878, it remained a vassal state until Prince Ferdinand I read a manifesto in the historic capital of Veliko Tarnovo, proclaiming himself Tsar.
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