Bulgaria Liberation Day, March 3, 1878

Bulgaria's Liberation Day, observed on March 3rd, commemorates the country's liberation from Ottoman rule, achieved in 1878 through the Treaty of San Stefano (Then a village west of Constantinople, present-day Istanbul; Today's name is Yeşilköy). This pivotal event followed the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), where Russia, with Bulgarian volunteers, fought against the Ottoman Empire to liberate Bulgaria. The war was a response to the Bulgarian April Uprising in 1876, which, despite its suppression, drew international attention to the Bulgarians' plight under Ottoman oppression. The conflict's brutality, particularly the Batak massacre, garnered sympathy for the Bulgarian cause, influencing Russia's decision to intervene. Key figures include Russian Tsar Alexander II, who ordered the military campaign, and Bulgarian revolutionary leaders like Vasil Levski and Hristo Botev, who laid the groundwork for national liberation through their resistance movements. The Treaty of San Stefano created a large autonomous Bulgarian principality under Ottoman suzerainty, but the subsequent Berlin Congress in July 1878 reduced its territory significantly. Despite this, March 3 remains a symbol of Bulgaria's struggle for independence and national identity, celebrating the end of almost five centuries of Ottoman dominance and the beginning of a new era in Bulgarian history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Day_(Bulgaria) Art&Text🫶ChatGPT.