Spring had come again. Sofia was already ablaze with blooming flowers, but this year was an exception. Everyone was busy with the war, with little mood to admire this sea of blossoms.
For most people, no matter how beautiful the flowers were, they could not compare to a victory report from the battlefield. As the situation in the World War gradually stabilized, the Bulgarian government's propaganda slogans began to change as well.
"Fight for the unification of the Yugoslav nation!" This new slogan undoubtedly suited everyone's tastes. As for whether it might provoke the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that no longer mattered.
After their winter offensive victory, the Russians had already shouted the imposing declaration, "Fight for the unification of the Slavic nation!" The whole world was startled. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought Russia was about to declare war on Bulgaria.
Then the Tsarist government realized that it had shouted the slogan too soon. Should the secret Bulgaria-Russia treaty be exposed ahead of time, the Slavic Empire might not even be founded before the material aid from Britain and France vanished.
So they added two words, turning it into, "Fight for the unification of the Eastern and Western Slavic nations." Its momentum was instantly cut by more than half, but at least it avoided causing major trouble.
However, the Russians' unconscious move had already been interpreted by Britain and France as a glimpse of ambition, heightening their vigilance toward the Russian Bear.
What left Ferdinand torn between laughter and tears was that Britain and France had even hinted that Bulgaria could continue expanding on the European continent. Their purpose was obvious: deliberately sow discord between Bulgaria and Russia in preparation for the postwar world order.
Unfortunately, that was premised on the continued existence of the Russian Empire. Clearly, the