The Bulgarian History Podcast · Eric Halsey

249 The Death Knell of The Post-War Order

·34 min·2 clips

Boris says Lukov wanted to commit Bulgaria to another five billion without asking him.

Episode 249 opens with Arthur from A History of Romania sending listeners to Eric Halsey's book on the first Bulgarian empire, Bulgar horse riders, and the roots of modern Bulgaria. Then the episode gets back to the problem Boris cannot ignore: Lukov's power inside the military is growing, and it is making senior officials nervous. The police are where the fight gets sharp. Boris is said to have thought Lukov wanted slow control of the Ministry of the Interior too, and the dispute with the interior minister had reportedly gone as far as a physical fight. The corruption angle stays murkier. The host mentions reports of bribes or kickbacks around military contracts, but says he could not find authoritative proof. In 1938, before the first secret Bulgarian-German arms agreement is signed, Lukov is removed as war minister with care. He is still popular in the army, so Boris does not simply throw him out. Lukov is promoted and shifted into the reserves. Grof is used to show Boris's worry over Lukov's independence, with a warning that this is not finished. The episode then pulls Romania back into view. Its monarchy is getting stronger too, Germany is more tied into the economy, and Romania has held out better than Bulgaria and Yugoslavia so far. Jelovic's point lands hard: Balkan states, lacking firm outside direction, had to maneuver between rival blocs and great powers. The next stop is Bulgaria after the March 1938 elections, with Europe moving toward catastrophe.

As heard by us

A steady Balkan history piece that turns ministerial feuds into a wider political warning.

The episode follows Bulgaria's military modernization and court politics as they start to pull on the same thread. Eric Halsey keeps the story moving from Lukov's tension with the Ministry of the Interior to Romania's shifting politics and Germany's growing economic reach in the…

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Why you'd press play

Follow the Balkan power struggle as Bulgaria and its neighbors maneuver between rival blocs.

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