Aleksandar Tsankov
Encyclopedia
Aleksander Tsolov Tsankov (June 29, 1879 – July 27, 1959) was a leading Bulgaria
n right wing politician between the two World Wars
.
from 1910 onwards, he took a leading role in the overthrow of the government of Aleksandar Stamboliyski
in 1923 and was chosen to head the coalition that succeeded the deposed Premier. The coup was able to succeed as the Bulgarian Communist Party
took a neutral attitude towards the Agrarians rather than supporting Stamboliyski. He became Prime Minister of Bulgaria on 9 June that same year and continued in the role until 4 January 1926. During that period he was the leader of the Democratic Alliance
. His Premiership was marked by deep internal struggles with the Bulgarian Communist Party, which Tsankov repressed mercilessly, declaring martial law
and outlawing the Communists in 1925 following an attempt on Tsar Boris's
life and a bomb attack on the St Nedelya Cathedral
. His actions led to Comintern
denouncing the government as a "victorious Bulgarian fascist clique", whilst he later turned his attentions on the Agrarian Peoples Union, who were also suppressed, albeit less ferociously. A brief invasion by Greek
troops followed and, although they did not stay long following condemnation by the League of Nations
, the country was left crippled by debt and Tsankov was removed from office after failing to secure a loan for the country. By this point any support for Tsankov had dwindled as the people tired of his reign of terror.
After being removed from the political mainstream, Tsankov began to develop an admiration for Fascism
and soon became a supporter of Adolf Hitler
. In 1932 he set up his own National Social Movement
largely in imitation of the Nazi Party
. The movement proved fairly unimportant (although it did represent a further fragmentation of the governing coalition), lacking the support of Zveno
and failing to secure Nazi approval, which was largely reserved for the Union of Bulgarian National Legions
. Nonetheless, Tsankov was appointed by the Nazis in 1944 as Prime Minister of the Bulgarian Government in Exile
set up in Germany
in response to Kimon Georgiev
's Fatherland Front
government. After the Second World War
Tsankov fled to Argentina
and died in Belgrano, Buenos Aires
in 1959.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n right wing politician between the two World Wars
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
.
Biography
A Professor of Political Economy at Sofia UniversitySofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
from 1910 onwards, he took a leading role in the overthrow of the government of Aleksandar Stamboliyski
Aleksandar Stamboliyski
Aleksandar Stamboliyski was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923. Stamboliyski was a member of the Agrarian Union, an agrarian peasant movement which was not allied to the monarchy, and edited their newspaper...
in 1923 and was chosen to head the coalition that succeeded the deposed Premier. The coup was able to succeed as the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
took a neutral attitude towards the Agrarians rather than supporting Stamboliyski. He became Prime Minister of Bulgaria on 9 June that same year and continued in the role until 4 January 1926. During that period he was the leader of the Democratic Alliance
Democratic Alliance (Bulgaria)
The Democratic Alliance was a Bulgarian party that existed between 1923 and 1934 when all parties were banned. During most of that period it was the ruling party in the country making it the third longest-ruling party in the country after the Bulgarian Communist Party and the People's Liberal...
. His Premiership was marked by deep internal struggles with the Bulgarian Communist Party, which Tsankov repressed mercilessly, declaring martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
and outlawing the Communists in 1925 following an attempt on Tsar Boris's
Boris III of Bulgaria
Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria , originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver , son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I...
life and a bomb attack on the St Nedelya Cathedral
St Nedelya Church assault
The St Nedelya Church assault was an attack upon St. Nedelya Church in Bulgaria. It was carried out on 16 April 1925, when a group of the Bulgarian Communist Party blew up the roof of the St Nedelya Church in the capital Sofia. This occurred during the funeral service of General Konstantin...
. His actions led to Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
denouncing the government as a "victorious Bulgarian fascist clique", whilst he later turned his attentions on the Agrarian Peoples Union, who were also suppressed, albeit less ferociously. A brief invasion by Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
troops followed and, although they did not stay long following condemnation by the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, the country was left crippled by debt and Tsankov was removed from office after failing to secure a loan for the country. By this point any support for Tsankov had dwindled as the people tired of his reign of terror.
After being removed from the political mainstream, Tsankov began to develop an admiration for Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and soon became a supporter of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. In 1932 he set up his own National Social Movement
National Social Movement (Bulgaria)
The National Social Movement was a minor Bulgarian political party formed in 1932 by Aleksandar Tsankov.Although a member of the governing People's Bloc of Nikola Mushanov, Tsankov had come to be a strong admirer of Adolf Hitler and as a result he set up the NSM to offer a version of Nazism...
largely in imitation of the Nazi Party
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
. The movement proved fairly unimportant (although it did represent a further fragmentation of the governing coalition), lacking the support of Zveno
Zveno
Zveno was a Bulgarian military and political organization, founded in 1927 by army officers. It was associated with a newspaper of that name....
and failing to secure Nazi approval, which was largely reserved for the Union of Bulgarian National Legions
Union of Bulgarian National Legions
The Union of Bulgarian National Legions was a fascist organization in Bulgaria that was formed in 1933.Also known as the Legionnaires’ Association, the movement was founded and led by Hristo Lukov, a Bulgarian army general who had commanded the 13th Division during the closing days of World War I...
. Nonetheless, Tsankov was appointed by the Nazis in 1944 as Prime Minister of the Bulgarian Government in Exile
Bulgarian government-in-exile
The Bulgarian National Government in Exile was the government of Bulgaria after the country had been occupied by the Soviet Union in September 1944. The Bulgarian Government in Exile commanded Bulgarian armed forces operating in Germany and Austria...
set up in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in response to Kimon Georgiev
Kimon Georgiev
Colonel General Kimon Georgiev Stoyanov was a Bulgarian general and prime minister.Born at Pazardzhik, Kimon Georgiev graduated from the Sofia military academy in 1902. He participated in the Balkan Wars as a company commander and in the First World War as a commander of a battalion. In 1916 he...
's Fatherland Front
Fatherland Front (Bulgaria)
The Fatherland Front was originally a Bulgarian political resistance movement during World War II. The Zveno movement, the communist Bulgarian Workers Party, a wing of the Agrarian Union and the Bulgarian Social Democratic Workers Party, were all part of the FF...
government. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Tsankov fled to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and died in Belgrano, Buenos Aires
Belgrano, Buenos Aires
Belgrano is a leafy, northern barrio or neighborhood of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Location :The barrio of Palermo is to the southeast; Nuñez is to the northwest; Coghlan, Villa Urquiza, Villa Ortúzar and Colegiales are to the southwest....
in 1959.