Bulgarian foreign-policy orientation on the eve of World War II

Abstract

Graduate dismantling of the Versailles system was met in Bulgaria with relief; nev- ertheless the country had no potential for a self-consistent revision of the Treaty of Neuilly- sur-Seine. That is why she had to search for the international support. The main carrier of the idea of revision of the post-World War I treaties was Nazi Germany, which supported terri- torial changes in the Balkans. On the contrary, England and France were fighting for the maintenance of status quo. The USSR started a diplomatic fight for Bulgaria as well, the Bulgarian authorities, however, were scared of «Sovietization» and were ready for some restrained and dosed improvement of relationship with the USSR. Not long before World War II, Tsar Boris III strived for implementing policy of maximal temporizing and manoeu- vring when determining the foreign orientation of the country. However, the international environment given was rather unfavourable, the authoritarian regime had to make a decision, which later would prove to be fatal.