39. – Bulgaria after the Treaty of Bucharest (1913).

This treaty sanctioned the second Balkan-War in which Servia, Montenegro, Greece, Roumania, and Turkey threw themselves on Bulgaria in order to take from her nearly all that she had conquered with her own blood in the war of 1912/13 against Turkey, and even a part of her own territory. In the history of international intercourse, there is scarcely an action more unworthy of the present age, and calling forth more indignation, than the treaty of Bucharest; one may add that politically this treaty was most shortsighted, for Bulgaria was robbed by this treaty in such an unscrupulous and merciless a manner, that an action of revenge for this robbery was soon to be expected. And, as all of us know, the reaction began sooner than the boldest intellect could have foreseen.

In connection with this treaty two memorable facts deserve to be made conspicuous; first: contrary to all rights the violation on the part of Russia of the military convention with Bulgaria of the 31st May 1902 (old style) in which, art. 3 obliged the Russian Empire "to defend with all her power the unity and the inviolability of the Bulgarian territory". Instead of doing this, Russia not only did not prevent the Roumanian invasion of Bulgaria in the year 1913, but even encouraged Roumania to act as she did, and the Russian Czar, Nicholas II, went to Kiustendje after the conclusion of the Peace of Bucharest, to visit the victorious Roumanian King and allowed himself to be appointed chief of the very regiment that first stepped on Bulgarian soil.

The second fact is: Bulgaria would have gained the victory in this second Balkan-War, too, if she had had stronger nerves and had not listened to the deceitful counsels of Russia to withdraw the two armies that had forced their way into Servia.