September 16, 1872 — The Ecumenical Patriarchate Declares the Bulgarian Exarchate Schismatic
On this day in 1872, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople declared the Bulgarian Exarchate schismatic. The conflict followed the creation of the Exarchate in 1870, which gave Bulgarians a recognized church institution after decades of struggle for ecclesiastical independence. For Bulgarians, the Exarchate was not only a religious body, but also a pillar of education, language, and national identity under Ottoman rule. The schism deepened tensions between Greek and Bulgarian church authorities, yet it did not destroy the Exarchate’s role in Bulgarian public life. Instead, it confirmed how closely religion and national awakening were linked in the final decades before liberation.
September 16, 1913 — Bulgaria Signs the Treaty of Constantinople with Turkey
On this day in 1913, Bulgaria signed the Treaty of Constantinople with the Ottoman Empire after its defeat in the Second Balkan War. The treaty settled the border between the two states after a chaotic period of shifting fronts, alliances, and territorial claims. Bulgaria had suffered a severe diplomatic and military setback in 1913, losing gains from the First Balkan War and facing a painful reassessment of its national strategy. The Treaty of Constantinople confirmed Ottoman recovery of Eastern Thrace, including Edirne, while defining a new relationship between Sofia and Istanbul. It remains part of the difficult aftermath of the Balkan Wars and Bulgaria’s unresolved national questions.
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