Those Terrible Tzars Trivia Quiz

Answer: Boris III

Ferdinand I abdicated in 1918 and lived in exile in Germany until his death in 1948. At the age of nine, Simeon II was forced to abdicate. He lived abroad for many years before returning to Bulgaria after the fall of the Communist regime. Boris III (full name: Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver) (1894-1943) ruled Bulgaria from the waning days of World War One through the first few years of World War Two. Struggling with several challenges early in his reign, Boris became a popular leader later in his life.

After nearly twenty-five years on the throne, he died of heart failure although some believed poison might have also played a role.

Answer: None of them

The constitution was suspended by Alexander Joseph von Battenberg (1857-1883), who as Alexander I was the Ruling Prince (1879-1886) before Ferdinand I. Alexander had agreed, on becoming Prince, to uphold the constitution, which had also been written in 1879. Finding it difficult to govern Bulgaria, Alexander suspended the constitution in 1881.

Although a specially convened assembly upheld Alexander's decision, many opposed the decision to suspend the constitution. Restored in 1883, the constitution served as the basis for Bulgaria's government until 1947.

Answer: Simeon II

Simeon II (born 1937) would be forced into exile as a child in 1946. He lived abroad in several foriegn countries including the Unitex States (where he attended college at Valley Forge Military Academy and College) and Spain (where he was a businessman.

After returning to Bulgaria in the 1990s, Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (the name he used after abdication), he was elected prime minister in 2001, a position he held until 2005. During his time in office, Bulgaria joined NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

Answer: All of them

Ferdinand I was Tsar through the majority of World War One. Boris would become Tsar several weeks before the end of that war and served through the majority of World War Two. After the death of Boris, Simeon II served as Tsar for the last two years of World War Two. Boris attempted to keep Bulgaria neutral during World War Two.

Although he tried to maintain a neutral to friendly stance towards Gerrmany, he resisted attempts to involve Bulgaria in the Holocaust.

Answer: Ferdinand I

Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, to give his full name, ruled first as Knyaz or "ruling prince" of Bulgaria (1887-1908) and then as Tsar (1908-1918) after Bulgaria declared its de jure independence from the Ottoman Empire (it had been de facto independent since the 1870s). Before being elected prince by the Grand National Assembly, Ferdinand had been an officer in the Austro-Hungarian army. Ferdinand would abdicate in favor of his son near the end of World War One. Ferdinand lived in exile in Germany for nearly 30 years, sadly outliving both of his sons, Boris and Kiril.

Answer: Ferdinand I

Ferdinand I proclaimed Bulgaria independent of Ottoman control on October 05, 1908. This occurred at Holy Forty Martyrs Church in Tarnovo, Bulgaria. At the same time, Ferdinand declared himself Tsar, drawing on a title that Bulgarian leaders had used during the Middle Ages. As a fun fact, on July 05, 1910, Ferdinand became the first head of state to fly in an airplane.

Answer: Simeon II

As occurred in many Eastern European countries, the Soviet Union's armed forces established a presence in Bulgaria at the conclusion of World War Two. The Soviet Union had declared war on Bulgaria in December 1944. A referendum held while the Soviet army was occupying Bulgaria produced a 97% vote in favor of abolishing the monarchy.

Answer: Boris III

The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (1919) formed ended the state of war between Bulgaria and the Allied Powers after World War One. Under the terms of the treaty, Bulgaria list some territory to Greece, Romania, and the Kingdom of Serbs Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). Bulgaria's army was also reduced to 20,000 soldiers and the country was forcex to pay reparations to the Allies. During World War Two, Bulgaria temporarily reoccupied many of the territories it lost.

Answer: All of them

As grandfather, father and son, all three Tsars were members of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. A cadet branch of House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, it was formed when Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with Princess Maria Antonia Koháry de Csábrág. The last four monarchs of Portugal were also members of this branch.

Answer: None of them

While Ferdinand, Boris, and Simeon were each Tsar of Bulgaria, none of them claimed to rule Astrakhan. Tsar of Astrakhan was one of the titles claimed by the Russian Tsars. Astrakhan is located along the banks of the Volga River, near the Caspian Sea.

The title of the three Tsars was simply "Tsar of the Bulgarians". While there was significant support for restoring the monarchy at the time of Simeon's return in the 1990s, it has since waned.