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1 correction by allanraymond - Show corrections

BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS: Ex-King is 9

BY an overwhelming majority,

the people of Bulgaria have voted to turn their Kingdom into a Re- public. Thus the nine-years-old

King Simeon II., who succeeded to the throne in 1943, will cease to reign after three years on the throne.

Actually, since the sudden death of Simeon's father, King Boris III., after a visit to Hitler, Bulgaria has been ruled by a Council of Regency. The first three Regents, the King's uncle. Prince Cyril, Professor Bog- dan Filoff, and General Mikhoff, were executed in February, 1945, for their collaboration with Germany.

Until August, 1944, Bulgaria formed part of the German-Japanese Italian Alliance; but when in Septem- ber, 1944, the U.S.S.R. declared war

on Bulgaria, Bulgaria immediately asked for an armistice and announced that she had declared war on Ger- many.

Originally the area which is now Bulgaria (39,825 square miles; 6,000,000 population) was under Turkish rule. The ancient kingdom of Bulgaria was revived in 1878, and with the province of Eastern Rumelia declared its independence of Turkey in 1908. The national faith is that of the Greek Orthodox Church. The capital is Sofia. The country is

largely agricultural.

Simeon's mother, Queen loanna, is a daughter of the former King Victor Emmanuel of Italy. His grandfather was Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who became Tsar of Bul- garia in 1909.

Digitisation generously supported by
Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
Digitisation generously supported by

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