Relations with Russia

In March 1891, Archbishop Clement returned from Saint Petersburg brimming with energy. It was plain that his trip to Russia had gone smoothly and left him in high spirits.

He was constantly touting the advantages of an alliance with Russia. Now, whenever the cabinet members saw him, they took a detour to avoid him. Without Ferdinand's approval, they didn't dare make any decisions.

When he saw that he couldn't get the government to change course, Clement set his sights on Ferdinand. He was no longer satisfied with merely improving relations with Russia. He wanted to take Russo-Bulgarian ties a step further—ideally, by forging a strong alliance.

"Your Highness, Russia is Bulgaria's natural ally. Ever since the War of Independence, we have received Russia's help. Though there have been some misunderstandings, those were problems from the Stam Cabinet's time. For Bulgaria's future prosperity, an alliance with Russia is essential! Believe me, I swear it in God's name!" Clement spoke with great fervor, trying to sway Ferdinand with his words.

It was clear that Clement knew nothing about politics. Otherwise, he would never have brought this up so bluntly at a ministerial meeting.

The conflict between Bulgaria and Russia during Stam's time had paved the way for Ferdinand's rise to power. Anyone with even a little political sense would have steered clear of the subject to avoid putting Ferdinand in an awkward position.

Though Clement spoke with great passion, no one else reacted. His words were far too vague; he hadn't offered a single concrete detail. Relations with Russia were important, but what specific benefits would an alliance bring Bulgaria? Without an answer to that, how could he win anyone's support?

Ferdinand picked up the thread. "You're right, Archbishop. Relations with Russia are indeed important. But Russo-Bulgarian relations involve both our country and Russia; they aren't something we can decide on unilaterally!"

"At the same time, we must take the international situation into account, as well as the attitudes of the other great powers. At the very least, we must consider the positions of the United Kingdom and the Austro-Hungarian Empire!"

It was now clear that Clement really didn't understand politics. He was simply a pro-Russian partisan, and international relations were far beyond him.

He had a seat in the cabinet only because Ferdinand wanted to improve relations with Russia, and his visit there needed to demonstrate Bulgaria's sincerity. In practice, he had almost no real authority.

Just then, there came a knock at the door: "Knock, knock-knock..."

"Come in!" Ferdinand said. He knew no one would interrupt a cabinet meeting unless something serious had happened.

Karl, the palace minister, hurried in and went straight to Ferdinand. "Your Highness, the international situation has changed dramatically! News has just arrived from Berlin. On March 17, Paul Shuvalov, Russia's ambassador to Germany, proposed extending the German-Russian Reinsurance Treaty for six years. The German government rejected it!"

Everyone was stunned. The German-Russian alliance had come to an end, and the international order was about to be reshuffled.

Even Clement, politically slow on the uptake, now understood that Bulgaria's foreign policy would have to change.

Ferdinand considered this, then said, "It was to be expected. I just didn't think it would happen so soon. Some people had predicted it ever since the trade conflict between Germany and Russia began. After the League of the Three Emperors dissolved, Bismarck came up with the Reinsurance Treaty. Now that the old chancellor is out of office, Wilhelm II is eager to prove himself, so naturally he couldn't wait!"

He was using the moment to give the cabinet a lesson in international affairs. For a long time, Bulgaria's foreign policy had been a complete mess, largely because the government's outlook was confined to the Balkans and it had failed to grasp the wider international situation.

"Your Highness, how should we adjust our foreign policy from here?" Metev, who was in charge of foreign affairs, asked nervously.

Ferdinand asked in return, "What do the rest of you think?"

Konstantin considered the question. "Your Highness, until the international situation settles, we shouldn't get directly involved. Bulgaria is only a small country and has no power to shape world events. We should wait and see how things develop."

Ferdinand nodded in agreement. If he hadn't known how history would unfold, he would have made the same choice.

After all, Bulgaria was only a small country. One wrong step could bring total ruin; even a winning gamble would yield little. It was better to keep all sides on good terms.

Historically, beginning with Konstantin's government, Bulgaria had skillfully exploited international rivalries, keeping its options open and courting favor from all sides. At first, this worked quite well, and the various powers tried to win Bulgaria over.

But later, once the two great international blocs had formed, Bulgaria paid a terrible price for trying to keep its options open.

During the Second Balkan War, Russia was dissatisfied with Bulgaria's wavering and chose Serbia, whose position was more steadfast. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, too, had doubts about Bulgaria's loyalties and eventually abandoned it.

Clement grew anxious. He knew the coming international situation would be unfavorable to Russia. The value of an alliance between Russia and Bulgaria would also decline considerably, and he found that hard to accept.

After a brief silence, Ferdinand realized that asking the cabinet to decide on a course of action was simply too much for them. They had all been promoted suddenly, like ducks shoved onto a perch, and had no experience in such matters.

"The international situation has changed dramatically. We cannot control where things will go from here. So our general principle must be to preserve stability and maintain our relations with Britain and Austria-Hungary. At the same time, we must give due importance to our relations with Russia and continue to advance ties between our two countries. We should also do everything we can to ease tensions with the other Balkan states and lay the groundwork for future economic development." Ferdinand's decision surprised everyone.

Clement, whose political instincts were underdeveloped, was a little dazed. Ferdinand had opposed an alliance with Russia moments ago, yet now he seemed to support closer ties after all.

Konstantin was the first to catch on. He smiled faintly, and soon the others understood as well. They all nodded in approval.

Bulgaria was poor in mineral resources, so completing its industrialization meant importing them from abroad. In terms of cost, Russia was the best option.

The Ukrainian region was rich in mineral resources but lagged behind in industrial development. It also lay along the Black Sea, making it both a source of supplies for Bulgaria and a vast market. Thus, relations with Russia would become Bulgaria's most important foreign-policy priority in the years ahead.

Even now, Ferdinand found the Balkans' foreign-policy behavior baffling. It was an utter tangle.

At first, Serbia leaned toward Austria-Hungary, Greece and Romania toward Germany, and Bulgaria toward Russia. When World War I broke out, Bulgaria, which was close to the Entente, joined the Alliance, while the countries close to the Alliance went over to the Entente one by one.

"Mr. Clement, I'll have to trouble you with another trip to Saint Petersburg. Go in the name of promoting unofficial exchanges and strengthening people-to-people ties between our two countries. Any objections?" Ferdinand asked, leaving no room for refusal.

"None at all!" Clement replied at once. "No objections!" He still hadn't quite figured out Ferdinand's foreign policy, but the outcome was what he wanted, and that was enough.