The Downfall of the Regime of

Todor Zhivkov in Bulgaria

1) The beginning of the end
A) The beginning was set up with the destabilization of the economy. After the growth in
70sXXc. As a result of the export to the Council for economic mutual help of agricultural
machines and computer parts, in the beginning of 80sXXc. The situation changed and the
government was forced to import food.
B) In that critical for the society moment Todor Zhivkov said that after the agreement with
Turkey from 1968 as a result from which 154000 people left the country, in Bulgaria there
were no Turks. All Muslims were successors of forcibly converted to Islam Bulgarians. The
idea for revival process arose which deteriorated the reputation of Bulgaria to the outer
world.
C) On the other hand, the Western secret service” found proofs” for the participation of three
Bulgarians in the assault against pope John Paul II on 13 May 1981. A lawsuit was organized
which lasted till 1986. Although the accusations for the Bulgarian “mark” were rejected
suspicions remained.
D) After the coming of Mihail Gorbachov on power in March 1985 the fate of the states from
the Eastern bloc was decided. Bulgaria was not an exemption.
2) The cooling of the relations with Moscow
A) The decision of Gorbachov to stop the existence of the Soviet empire had a strong impact on
the social-political life. In August 1986 a reform in the foreign political links began which
demanded increase of the quality of the production which is exported from the USSR. The
withdrawal of the help for Bulgaria was replaced by market mechanisms which made the
economic situation more complicated. The only way out of the Bulgarian state and party
leadership was making changes on the surface in the spirit of “perestroika”.
B) After the January plenum of Central Committee of the Communist party from 1987 became
clear that the process of democratization would influence the regime of Todor Zhivkov. He
had to make a choice- supporting the course of change in Moscow or making new reforms
which would strengthen the government. In both cases he remained a conservative leader
in Eastern Europe who could not make the necessary changes. After 1985 the foreign debt
started to increase with 1,5 billion dollars annually and the currency balance of the state
decreased drastically. The USSR didn’t want to continue its previous policy in its foreign
political relations.
C) In July 1987 Sofia offered a new doctrine for political change of the society and the
introduction of reforms in the organization of the economy. In August 1987 the People’s
Assembly accepted many laws with which changed the administrative structure of the state.
There were changes in the regional self-government which had more rights.
D) The July conception did not satisfy the Soviet leader in spite of the fact that the negative
economic results forced the Bulgarian political elite to find a solution in the reorganization
of the economy on market principles. The culmination of the events was the accepting in
January 1989 Decree56 with which a new organization of the Bulgarian economy was made
and a priority was given to private initiative. The time of the implementation of the decree
 was not enough because the events in the summer 1989 decided the fate of Zhivkov’s
regime.
3) The coup d’état on 10 November1989
A) In 1989 the foreign debt of the country reached 10 billion dollars and the political crisis
increased. On the other side the forcible change of the names of the Bulgarian Turks could
not be forgotten and they organized mass demonstrations.
B) On 9 May 1989 a declaration was sent in the National Assembly which insisted on the
change of the political model of the state and to secure the rights of the minorities
according to the international decisions of the Paris conference, held in the same month.
C) On 29 May 1989 Zhivkov pronounced a speech filled with nationalist spirit. He gave the
Bulgarian Turks the right to make their choice and, in the summer, more than 300000people
left the country. That was negative for the Bulgarian economy and increased the ethnic
hostilities between the Bulgarians and Turks.
D) The activity of the oppositional formation ”Eco glasnost” helped to increase the crisis which
became critical in the second half of October 1989. On 26 October 1989 the security forces
used force against the people from “Eco glasnost” which raised slogans for democracy and
pure nature. The direct cause for that was the open letter of the Bulgarian foreign minister
Petur Mladenov to the leadership of the Bulgarian communist party with which he resigned
because he did not accept the existing politics.
E) The society was shocked by the abilities of the Bulgarian political elite. On a session of
Politburo of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist party on 9 November 1989
was decided Todor Zhivkov to resign as general secretary of the party and chairman of the
state council. On the next day the leadership of the Bulgarian communist party sent Zhivkov
with gratitude for his long activity. The events were called a coup d’état. On 11 November
1989 Bulgaria witnessed the long-awaited change of the leader which was made by the
Bulgarian Communist party with the hope to preserve the existing form of government.
F) On the 7 December 1989 was created the Union of the Democratic forces in which entered
13 organizations. The lack of unity in the camp of the opposition and the hesitations of the
leaders of UDF slowed down the democratic events. The meeting in front of the National
Assembly on 14 December 1989 on which the demonstrators wanted the rejection of
Article1 from the constitution of 1971 (in which was rejected the leading role of the
Bulgarian communist party) revealed the weakness of the oppositional forces in the
transition of the country from Stalin’s model of state organization to real parliamentary
democracy.