Bulgarian myself, I ofc know the story about Boris 3 suspicions of being poisoned. I didn't expect however the story to be of interest to others than Bulgarians. It is great that there are channels like this that popularize not well known facts about 2nd world war and history in general, and that's why you have my appreciation and thumbs up.
Wasn't the leader of the orthodox church involved in protecting the Jews. Threatening the government with excommunication if they let the Jews be taken.
"My generals love Germany, my wife loves Italy, my diplomats love England, my people love Russia. I'm the only neutral person in a country." (Boris III)
Bulgarian and Romanian royal families were of German origin and placed there by the west. Romanians are Dachan Serbs whose Serbian identity was changed into new roman/"romanian" identity and their Serbian language was changed into mix language of Serbian and modern latin (not vulgar latin). Bulgars are Trachan Serbs who never called themselves T-Rachans but Rashans & Rasseni. Among Trachan Serb majority the minority of Mongolian-Turkic Bulgars lived named after river Volga as Volgari/Vulgari/Bolgari/Bulgari. Vatican invented a negative word of being Vulgar after them. Vatican inposed ifentity of mongolian Bulgar minoriry to Serbian majority and when catholic cardinals wrote to Pope they wrote:"when we changed identity of Trachan Serbs into identity of mongolian Bulgars we did a big mistake that we also didn't change their language as we did in Dakia." That is why up to 19th century Bulgarian language was labled as dialect of Serbian language by official western historiography. Well before 5th century a.d. all slavic people were calling themselves Serbs while also using Serbian tribal names Tribali, Illyrians, Dachans, Rasseni/Rashans/T-Rashans, Sarbati/Sarmati, Anti, Alani/Sorbolani/Rosolani, Vendi/Wendi/Veneti/Vandali, Srbi/Sorbi/Serbi/Surbi/Sirbi/Sirvi/Sarbi/Sardi/Suebi/Suevi/Sarabiti/Serboi/...
@@grendel7097 You are manipulated by mainstream media and historiography and all you have to do to get to the truth is to research Original sources and for complete truth you just have to research Vatican library & Vatican archives. You don't know anything and that is why you can't write ONE ARGUMENT.
I always thought Tzar Boris was just another one of Hitlers puppets, it’s incredible to see a king on the side of the axis that attempted to protect his own people and resist German hegemony. Always a pleasure to watch these Mr Felton.
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 The main driver was the Soviet threat. They wanted the territories that had been taken from them back but not enough to go to war. They were between a rock and a hard place. Bad as he was, Hitler was less of a threat to Bulgaria than Stalin.
Dr. Felton, as a Bulgarian, I'd like to thank you for doing an episode on our last tzar. Bulgaria's involvement in WW2 is often reduced to the margins and it is refreshing to see you shine the spotlight on such an important moment of our history.
He didnt. The first one you should thank is the viceminister of the parliament Dimitar Peshev. He's a politician from Kiustendil, and the first one to stand up against the fascist bullshit. Boris III actually ordered Philov to "neutralize" Peshev for this. The next one you should thank is Plovdiv's archpriest Cyril. As the jews were being loaded on to the train for Poland, the archpriest got in with them and said: "If you send them, im joining them too." But the main person you should thank is Giovanna of Savoy, Boris III's wife and tsaritsa of Bulgaria. She was an insane perverted nymphomaniac - and SHE is the one who actually save the jews. Boris III had a garden of roses he enjoyed very much, and his wife one day decided to chop them off and destroy the whole garden. When he asked her: "Why did you do this, what did the poor roses ever do to you?" And she asked him in reply: "Well what did the jews do to you?" BTW This is no joke, Bogdan Philov confirms the tsar was very much in favor of deporting the jews. 12000 were already deported from Macedonia, and 8000 were being deported from Plovdiv when the archpriest stopped them. Our goverment was promised 250 reichsmarks for each person sent to the extermination camps, and thats the truth.
@@AG-jh1ky The tsar is too romanticized and glorified. Boris III was actually weak and indecisive, partly thanks to his father Ferdinand who didnt bother giving him or his brother any political education whatsoever. Thats cuz Ferdinand thought he would rule for life (ironic since he outlived both his sons) :D
If he did have a heart condition, dealing with Hitler, then realising Axis were going to lose, & a Soviet invasion likely, would just have been a constant stress.
Actually, Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
@@lairdcummings9092 Well, nope. He did stop deportation of Jews who had Bulgarian citizenship, mainly because population and some prominent figures protested. Jews from newly acquired territories (Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania) were deported to concentration camps. Overall, number of Jews in Bulgaria with those territories was low (maximum 40 000) and Hitler was not concerned about them. He wanted Bulgarian troops in war with USSR, but this was in fact even less possible.
@@aleksazunjic9672 Just to make it clear, Bulgarians would not invade Yugoslavia and Greece without the Germans. The Germans did the all work so Bulgarian puppets could walk in, you seam to forget the main role of the Germans. I just hate false history, how you make it look like Bulgarian army invaded something, while not mentioning the German army that did everything by itself.
@@ivankovacic7466 Of course, but they did join the Axis in this attack. Also, without Bulgarian staging points and airfields, Germans would have much tougher time invading. In fact, they could have been stalled sufficiently so some kind of front in the south would be possible, and invasion of USSR postponed.
The Tsar seemed caught between a several rocks and several hard places. I’m sure a hero to the Bulgarian people but unfortunately a person only a very small minority of people here in the US have ever heard of. Thank you for enlightening us Dr Felton.
He was know as "The People`s dzar" (Народния цар) at the time. Not so much for saving the Jews although that was well known at the time but for saving the Bulgarians from genocide. Northern Greece and Macedonia used to be majority Bulgarian at the time. After the war the Serbs created the pseudo state Macedonia out of the Bulgarians there and the Greeks killed, oppressed and assimilated the population. He was also instrumental in rebuilding the nation after "Second National Tragedy" fallowing WW1. He used to travel a lot around the country and talk to villagers about their problems which he later used to shape policy. He also used to say that if he wasn`t dzar he would go to America and become a car mechanic.
The interesting thing is that we didn’t even learn much about him in school. I was in high school in the 2000s so years after the fall of communism but I wonder if that has anything to do with how the history was presented to us. Our teachers obviously had lived most of their lives during communism and I imagine the tsar was always depicted in the worst possible way during these times. It’s funny how things like your teacher’s attitude toward a subject can affect your early understanding of the subject. Obviously now we have Google and UA-cam channels like this one so information is readily available but it wasn’t always the case.
If Russia is the motherland, then Bulgaria is the vagina all Slavism originates from (lingually at least). Damn. Just realized I'm using a woman for exemplifcation's sake. You're right. We'll leave it at: "Its complicated." Hope it was still interesting to learn about Tsar Boris, his name is one of few of the political realm which holds any positive connotation in my home.
What's wrong with 2021? I have my problems with it relating the authoritarian governments, mandates, propaganda, stupid people etc etc. Just curious why it's bad for you
That is both very generous and wise of you to write. Boris was far from perfect but he loved his subjects. This video was informative. It is the first time that I had heard that the high command in Germany were surprised at Boris's death. I personally would doubt that the Italians would poison Boris. Boris was half Italian and his wife the daughter of the Italian king. It is very likely that he had a weak heart and succumbed under the pressure of the war and Hitler's constant harassment.
Very interesting! I am Bulgarian and have never heard of the “Italian” theory or of the Goebels diary entry. The poisoning theory is widely believed in Bulgaria, and also by his family. At the same time, immediately after returning from Germany the king undertook several high-intensity mountain treks on two consecutive days (21 and 22 August), including climbing Bulgaria’s highest peak, mount Moussala at almost 3000 m. His condition rapidly deteriorated on the next day, 23 August. Such extraordinary exertions do fall in line with the behavior pattern of a middle-aged man preceding a heart attack. We will probably never know the truth…
The problem for me is that it was the propaganda minister saying that shortly after the Italians had swapped sides. But it was a very interesting video.
I could believe the heart attack theory after his mountain-climbing episode. I have had heart troubles for a while, and while waiting for an angiogram, I had a heart attack at home just watching a documentary. I ended up with a quadruple bypass. More than once a strenuous walk would have me stopped with chest pain. As you say, we'll probably never know the truth, even if his body is ever found. He sounds like a man who was trying to preserve his country while walking a tightrope. Anthony Eden & the Allied leaders were stupidly uncompromising.
"tsar feodore IV: of course the truth will come out eventually.the bible said that things got hidden in order that they may get manifest. What if the king of Bulgaria's wife got replaced by a Jewish spy ? This would explain why he protected the Jews in his county. What would you do if I told you that tsar nicholas had secret grandchildren and I decended from nicholas ? In 1979 vanga (?the burgarian prophetess) supposedly told valentin sidorov that russia would end up lord of the world thanks in part to vladymirs glory the glory of russia. Do in part indicate another like me ?
Rather poor presentation by Felton. Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
Something does add up. A lot of the monarchs were supporters of nationalism, fascism and national socialism. I'd say this story has a lot of complexity and details left out.
Perhaps he was trying to protect his people, knowing that Russia was far too strong, and that any Bulgarian contribution to the German war against Russia was symbolic at best.
@@dragosstanciu9866 The Bulgarian military was not capable of taking part in an invasion of a country as vast as Russia. Even in 1941 the writing was on the wall, that for Bulgaria there was nothing to gain from the invasion of the USSR that more competent powers could do. Like I said it was a death sentence for the Bulgarian military to take part in such an engagement when it appeared there was no need.
My grandma always told me Boris had been poisoned by Hitler. His heart is in the church of the Rila Monastery, the most sacred place in terms of history and religion in Bulgaria. I’m Bulgarian. Thank you for your amazing work ! I really enjoy it.
When I saw the title I was hoping this was on Tsar Boris as his story is almost completely unknown outside Bulgaria and students of Balkan history. Thanks for a sympathetic telling and relating in fuller detail much that I was either completely unaware of, or only partially knew. Very well done!!
I always felt Boris was in much the same straits as Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Both while far from perfect was trying to chart a course of avoiding absolute domination by Nazi Germany. Sadly both were largely unable to totally succeed. I tend to believe the stress of his situation caused Boris’s heart condition to become fatal. He and Bulgaria deserved a better fate.
This guy was playing 3D chest trying to save his people while not getting invaded by extremely powerful countries surrounding him. Respect for the moves made.
The executions were so severe even on provicial level that put from that point on real farmers were put to the riches of the nation, their political inheritors are still here and we might have to burn the whole house of parliament to remove these rats and spineless people.
I love Mark Felton's videos. It has some of the questions and answers that you don't typically think about when you talk about WW2 and that's what makes it even more interesting. That and also the illustrations of old war footage and imagery
As a bulgarian i really appreciate this video. There are not many videos about the history of our country and many of them are misleading or even entirely false but it's clear you've made a research and for that i thank you. I've been a fan for almost 2 years and I'm happy to see video about the subject. It's true that we were allies with Germany during ww2 but we didn't agree with theres philosophies and even opposed them. We also had a strong partisan movement opposing the government and the germans during the war. That is an idea for future video if you decide to do one.
I call bs on the bulgarian partisan movement. Only the biggest idiots were part of it and furthermore the word strong couldn't be further from the truth.
We even had a Partisan movement with up to 7000 strong fighting in the mountains oposing the Soviet ocupation all the way to the later 50s. That's also very interesting.
Respect to Tsar Boris III. I honestly feel bad for a lot of the kingdoms and Tsardoms of eastern europe, all snuffed away by the germans, italians and in the end, the soviets.
@@SirAntoniousBlock That's because I was not talking about Boris lol I was talking about the kingdoms and Tsardoms of Eastern Europe. Which all fell victim to either Italy or Germany, during or before ww2, then the soviet union after the war.
WW2 is such a vast and complex period in history even though it lasted only a few years in Europe. Your videos are very informative. Greetings and good wishes from Poland!
@@overlord5068 it wasn't "all about race" it is more complex then just that alone, shouldn't you know this if you watch mark Felton? It is very much complex, possibly one of the most complexed wars in history at that.
Just like in World War I the Bulgarians were rather conservative with their actions and wanted to merely defend their homeland. It is a shame that the Monarchy fell and a Soviet Puppet state was put in place. By no means do I think Boris or his government were perfect yet they saved thousands of lives when they could have just caved into the Nazis demands.
@@naketo The issue I see from the recent Election is that they are allowing Populists and Communists into the government. A Liberal Conservative type of party or even Social Democracy based on the Nordic Style of Mixed Capitalism would benefit them well. Yet, I cannot choose the peoples votes. it is just sad to see Populists and Authoritarian Capitalists gain control around the world.
The simple fact is, and one Churchill was always ready to do, was sacrifice other countries. Churchill was nasty and only had Britain in his mind (he was even ready to sacrifice Australia which is why our PM gave him the finger and brought troops home to defend us from the Japanese). He was in no place to criticise Bulgaria, situated as it was. Churchill never offered to land troops to defend Bulgaria so the king did the only thing he could do, negotiate with the devil to try and keep them out and keep some semblance me of a balance. It was either that or he would have been invaded outright.
Of all the newspapers you could choose to headline that Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers, you chose my hometown Tulsa Tribune (in Oklahoma, USA). What a nice surprise. You bring the reality of history so close to home. The Balkan and other southern European nations engaged in WWII tend to get glossed over, so appreciate coverage of this topic. It's so important to understand different parts of the world, their history, people and mindset, to help us make better decisions among one another today and in the future. I didn't realize the Bulgarians were more tolerant and sympathetic to their Jews than can be said then of most of Eastern Europe.
The bulgaria nation is a mixture of tracians, slavs, old-bulgarians, than cumans joined...so we are accept everyone who comes with peace. Also the oldest gold in the world is found in Bulgaria ;) And the oldest country in Europe who did not change its name since 681 is Bulgaria ;) Something funny - i have read that the bulgarians jews are not accepted well in Israel because they are soft, kind, polite and warm-hearted. Features that a jew should not possess!
Boris III was also the beloved uniting figure of the bulgarian nation/state at that time. His charisma kept the state and calculated moves kept the system running. When he died, the whole security apparatus of the country froze and rather facing the soviets it simply coup'd the regency and allowed the Fatherland Front coalition (dominated by the commies) to get into power. So there's that. With a strong figure like Boris III, who was in contact with the allies for a peacefull end to the war, the country might've ended up in a different sphere of influence.
@Kv N2O Дете, почти нищо от това което си написал не е вярно. Използваш полуистини и неща извадени извън контекстът им. Няма как някой да те вземе насериозно.
I remember my social studies & ELA teacher telling us about the story of St. Father Maximillian Kolbe. He too, like me, was Catholic and one of the best teachers I had. What an awesome story and an awesome saint
@@loganw1232 Because the guy didnt make sense. He also died for his personal morals, which most people dont even have morals even if life is not in danger.
Sadly although Boris took a courageous stand to protect the Jews, his concession to declare war of the US and Britian resulted in the suffering of his own people from the bombing.
@@lexprontera8325 As Dr. Felton pointed out, it was a declaration of war written in size 4 font. Perhaps if the U.S. knew anything about the countries they bombed beforehand, they would know that Bulgarians generally, if they care at all about geopolitics, the only invasion that would ever occur with Bulgarian troops would be towards the Mediterranean through the part of Greece which was already Bulgaria for a good long while (and then wasn't and then was again and then wasn't, going backwards in time). Its just like Manila. And recently, Damascus. "Who bombs human achievements which stand as our pride and joy and are the treasures of our cultures?" England: "Don't look at me." France: "Je ne comprends pas. We have our own problems, f*ck off English." American fighters & bombers with freshly relieved hardpoints, whistling innocently:
His son, Simeon II also dismissed "foul play" in the death of his father. But he said that at that time he was very young and didn't remember details. So, the mystery is still unsolved.
Rather poor presentation by Felton. Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin - False. Being of German origin does not make him "pro-German". He was pursuing a Neutral policy until faced a treat of invasion by Nazi forces, especially after the fresh memories of the fiasco in the WWI. Felton explained this well. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside - False. No Bulgarian soldier ever fought in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece or participated in "Führer Directive No. 25" or "Operation Marita". Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. - False. The most common theory is "Poisoned by Hitler".
@@Ribarlan Well, he was pro-German and he was of German origin. He was certainly no neutral, and did attack neighboring countries alongside Germans, although he did not have to. He never attempted to turn Bulgaria into Sweden or Switzerland of Balkans. Bulgarian soldiers did invade Yugoslavia and Greece and were occupying forces there. They even committed numerous war crimes on territories of those countries. And finally, lot of Bulgarians do believe Boris was poisoned by British agents . Germans did not have reason to kill him, and at that same time US and British planes were bombing Bulgaria with considerable damage.
12:00 For the record: Mussolini was NOT dismissed by the King but rather tended his resignation. After the vote of no-confidence at the Fascist Grand Council the night before, Mussolini asked the King for an audience in order to tend his resignation. The King accepted the resignation and had him arrested as soon as Mussolini left the audience room. As incredible as it may sound, yes indeed he may very well be the only dictator in History to have resigned !
@Lawofimprobability the not egotistical tyrants are the exception rather than the rule in modern times, as well... (and pls, it was just a flippant joke along lines that murderous tyrants deserve their just deserts at hands of the mob...) That I'm sure is less contentious.
Fascinating, riveting history. Brightens my day in these dark dreary times, The best channel on UA-cam by far, absolutely fantastic stuff. Keep up the good work Dr!
Kolbe is the man who has brought me the closest to actually becoming Catholic in my life. The example par excellence of the Imitatio Christi - volunteering to die a horrific death for a man you have never met before. A truly incredible story.
The Tzar was charming and he had his way with Hitler. They got along well. He was not antisemitic for sure but his main goal was to save his dynasty and prevent Bulgaria’s participation in the war against Soviet Union (Soviet Union and Bulgaria maintained diplomatic relations though out the war. It must have been awkward for German and Russian diplomats to bump into each other on the streets of Sofia). The real savior of the Bulgarian Jews was not the tsar but the citizens of Bulgaria. In 1943 anti deportation protests spread though out Bulgaria. Thousands of demonstrators showed up on the streets to stop the deportations. The Bulgarian Orthodox church openly sided with the Jews and so did a number of prominent members of government and the parliament. Unlike most other Europeans, the Bulgarians were not antisemitic at all and this was acknowledged by Nazi officers who visited Bulgaria during the war. Bulgarian government continued to prevent deportations after the death of the tsar.
Thank you for the additional information. The other venue in Europe where all the powers who were at war bumped into each other was Lisbon. It was like one giant Casino Royale of James Bond vintage during WWII.
My wife’s Polish grandfather and family were in Sofia when war broke out. He was an architect, born in Russia his father had previous worked as a surveyor on the trans Siberian railway. In Sofia he was working on the construction of the Polish consulate. I still have his Bulgarian documents and pay checks from that era. He was evacuated to Palestine moving to London after the war.
I just checked - today in Germany there are 188 streets that are named Dietrich Bonhoeffer Straße, 68 named Sophie Scholl Straße and 61 named Maximilian Kolbe Straße. RIP.
@KingK The moment I heard of Tsar Boris II I wondered, because this has been a contention among many historians for decades. As he clearly says, no specific intel was ever found so speculation has always been part of these arguments. Mark cleared up a whole lot of what I thought I understood years ago. Thanks anyway....
@KingK I could also mention that I have spent decades looking into the plight of the Jewish population of Europe. Probably the finest museum of this history is found in Israel at Yad Vashem where some of this history can be found. You should visit there sometime.
@UChjmooxgmRshDF9nyXijYmg Well I suppose you would not be impressed so I won't try to explain to you something that might be above your capacity to understand. I knew about some of this when I read of Tsar Boris III, it has always been a controversy among historians, Mr. Felton did indeed clear some of this up. Does that help you?
There is a wonderful account of the saving of the Bulgarian Jews: “Beyond Hitler's Grasp: The Heroic Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews” by Michael Bar-Zohar. Another book is “The Fragility of Goodness” by Tzvetan Todorov. The best biography of Boris III is “Crown of thorns” by Stephane Groueff. It is also a great introduction to Bulgarian and Balkan history of the period.
One interesting thing that wasn't mentioned was that Hitler legitimately got along well with Boris and even considered him a friend. This is backed up by multiple statements from advisors and generals that were relieved whenever they saw the Tzar arrive because his presence had a good effect on Hitler's mood. This is a big part of the reason why Hitler even put up with him instead of just taking over the country via coup with pro fascist forces like the soviets did. When you think about it nothing was really stopping him from doing that.
That is an interesting observation. Boris would have spoken German well since his father was a German. Perhaps the royal German connection was something that allowed Hitler to behave leniently with Boris.
Could Joseph Stalin have had a hand in his death? Stalin was known to eliminate his enemies. He was known to eliminate his rivals and any opponents. Then again Stalin would wait until after the war and then dispatch the Tzar.
Thank you so much for making this video, as a Bulgarian nothing makes me happier than remembering heroes like Tsar Boris III, of whom we are all very proud to this day.
An absolutely beautiful retelling of a lot of detail! As a Bulgarian, I have always been proud of these facts and the stance our Tsar had against Hitler. Bulgaria only joined to war to regain the rightful San Stefano territories promised. Though being a European nation in that time meant invasion of collaboration.
Thank you for the video. Our Bulgarian king did not want an alliance with Hitler.Germany offers Bulgaria an ultimatum.Bulgaria can choose voluntarily to become an ally of Germany by gaining territories to rule or Bulgaria to be occupied by the Nazis. This happened in 1943 when the Allies were pressed by the Reich. Bulgaria became an ally of Germany but never sent troops against the Allies.
Yet another example of the myriad of intertwined interests and the conflicts arising from them. WWII was amazingly complex and we are thankful to Mark for digging these stories out of the history books and presenting them to us in an entertaining fashion. Thank you Mark.
Came to learn about a historical regicide. Stayed to learn the amazing answer to the trivia question: "Which former WW2 national leader held a public office in his country in the 21st century?"
Several interesting side notes: 1. Not only was Bulgaria not at war with USSR up till Sept 1944, it kept full diplomatic relations with USSR. It was USSR which announced war to Bulgaria, when Soviet armies approched the Danube in 1944. 2. The Bulgarian society as a whole was strongly against the deportation of the Jews, not only the king. Politicians, academicians, religious leaders of majority Orthodox church, Islam, Catholics, etc, etc... all openly opposed such actions. Perhaps the only other case of such unanimous rejection was recently on the so called Istanbul Convention.
Mark you are hero of XXI century. Why? Simply, with calm nice voice you explain things that cannot be forgotten mate. Underrated channel. Yeah thats My opinion.
I never heard anything about this king..... I believe that even in the Yad vaShem Museum I never read anything about this king.... WHAT A HERO ! MAY GOD AVENGE HIS DEATH AND KEEP HIS SOUL IN A GOOD PLACE IN THE HEAVENS ! Excellent video as usual ! May God bless you always, Mr Felton !
Thank you, Aryeh. The truth is Boris was put in an impossible position. Nazis on one side. Soviets on the other. All while being bombarded into oblivion by the US and UK. He made a deal with the devil himself. Nearly sent our jews too but the Orthodox patriarch as well as many prominent people convinced him to stop. Last good man to ever rule our country.
What I find so much better about Mark's docos is that they are even handed in a way that doesn't point the finger of blame only one way.WW2 was a far more complex and politically beyond a good deal of Europe's aristocrats and leaders of the time who were,in many cases,still gun shy from WW1 and were not presenting a united front to German sabre rattling and internal persecution of some of its own citizens Mark always gives ALL sides of the story as all conflicts are multi dimensional and usually not for the reasons that the official accounts tell you.History is recorded by the winner.
Rest in piece Tsar Boris III. Great video regardless, the man had to navigate his nation through some of the most complex times in history, and largely succeeded. For being the last 'real' Tsar of Bulgaria, his achievements surely don't fall behind that of the first Khan of Bulgaria.
I have to admire the amount of research that must go into creating a story like this one, especially when it is presented in a non partisan style. Honest history, so rare in 2021
I listened. I did not just hear, but I listened. I have learned apart of history that I, sadly, knew not of. Many thanks, good friend. I am now a new subscriber.
Finally something about Bulgaria. Id love if you could do a video on Bulgarias switch to the allies and how they were technically at war with axis and allied for a few days. They took part in the battle of Graz in Austria and maybe Vienna but im not too sure on that
Good research there! As a Bulgarian and also a fan of your channel for some time, thank you! On Tzar Boris III he was loved by the Bulgarian people for the most part. He did serve on the front in WW1 under Mackensen so he was well experienced in war. The theory that he was poisoned by the Nazis is widely spread in Bulgaria. I personally believe that the Nazis did not poison him. Nazi sympathisers or communist terrorists are far more likely to have tried to do so if indeed it was a poisoning. I think though that it was just a extreme coincidence. Never the less the former Tzar Boris III is well remembered in Bulgaria even today.
I am Bulgarian and I am amazed by Felton how he scrutinizes so deeply the process with laser precision. I didn`t know about the deporting Jews to Palestine in order to save them from Hitler`s paws.
Thank you Mark for bringing more light to my Homeland. There is a small mini series, about the Bulgarian Jews and their tribulations called -Недадените (The Ungiven). It depicts all the major roles mentioned in this video and a little more about a secretary called Liliana Panitza, that was part of the Bureau of Jewish Questions. She has also great contributions to saving the Jews, and is awarded the Righteous amount Nations .
Why? He refused to join the war against the USSR, and at a time that a decisive Soviet victory was still not guaranteed the Soviets probably didn’t need a new enemy.
Nah, he would just be executed as his brother was on the behalf of the working people. Or even let him go to Italy and twist some propaganda how him being in Italy shows that the capitalists can't be trusted.
King Boris III of Bulgaria died on 28 August 1943 aged 49. Two weeks before his death, Boris had flown to Rastenburg for a meeting with Hitler. Two German doctors looked after him during his final illness. One of them was Germany‘s best doctor the well-known Dr. Ernst Ferdinand Sauerbruch who was requested by Hitler himself to fly to Bulgaria to treat King Boris III. They believed that he had been poisoned with the same poison that had shown up in the post-mortem of the Greek leader Metaxas in 1940. Suspicion for the poisoning of King Boris to death fell on his Italian wife ( the Giovanna of Savoy, daughter of the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III)and not on Adolf Hitler. This suspicion still continues in certain quarters in Bulgaria.
During WWII when a woman from small bulgarian village complain that there is only black bread, HM King Boris III answered "Better to eat black bread than to wear black mourning clothes". HM King Boris III is the most loved statesman of Third Bulgarian State (1878 - to present)
Bulgarian myself, I ofc know the story about Boris 3 suspicions of being poisoned. I didn't expect however the story to be of interest to others than Bulgarians. It is great that there are channels like this that popularize not well known facts about 2nd world war and history in general, and that's why you have my appreciation and thumbs up.
Horrible paragraph.
@@fgoogleinthea7475 who asked ?
Wasn't the leader of the orthodox church involved in protecting the Jews. Threatening the government with excommunication if they let the Jews be taken.
@@fgoogleinthea7475 Май-ата -у!
Your country is cruelly underrayed, when it's a great part of the world to travel around and simply be in. Да живее България!
"My generals love Germany, my wife loves Italy, my diplomats love England, my people love Russia. I'm the only neutral person in a country." (Boris III)
."..I'm the only bulgarians" Boris III
Bulgarian and Romanian royal families were of German origin and placed there by the west.
Romanians are Dachan Serbs whose Serbian identity was changed into new roman/"romanian" identity and their Serbian language was changed into mix language of Serbian and modern latin (not vulgar latin).
Bulgars are Trachan Serbs who never called themselves T-Rachans but Rashans & Rasseni. Among Trachan Serb majority the minority of Mongolian-Turkic Bulgars lived named after river Volga as Volgari/Vulgari/Bolgari/Bulgari. Vatican invented a negative word of being Vulgar after them. Vatican inposed ifentity of mongolian Bulgar minoriry to Serbian majority and when catholic cardinals wrote to Pope they wrote:"when we changed identity of Trachan Serbs into identity of mongolian Bulgars we did a big mistake that we also didn't change their language as we did in Dakia." That is why up to 19th century Bulgarian language was labled as dialect of Serbian language by official western historiography. Well before 5th century a.d. all slavic people were calling themselves Serbs while also using Serbian tribal names Tribali, Illyrians, Dachans, Rasseni/Rashans/T-Rashans, Sarbati/Sarmati, Anti, Alani/Sorbolani/Rosolani, Vendi/Wendi/Veneti/Vandali, Srbi/Sorbi/Serbi/Surbi/Sirbi/Sirvi/Sarbi/Sardi/Suebi/Suevi/Sarabiti/Serboi/...
@@ninobelov4153 Dude ... what are you smoking? Put down the crack pipe!
@@ninobelov4153 That's history no one ever heard about? You should write sci fi novels.
@@grendel7097 You are manipulated by mainstream media and historiography and all you have to do to get to the truth is to research Original sources and for complete truth you just have to research Vatican library & Vatican archives.
You don't know anything and that is why you can't write ONE ARGUMENT.
I always thought Tzar Boris was just another one of Hitlers puppets, it’s incredible to see a king on the side of the axis that attempted to protect his own people and resist German hegemony. Always a pleasure to watch these Mr Felton.
I mean, he just went in with the Nazis just to get lost lands. Same with Hungary...
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 The main driver was the Soviet threat. They wanted the territories that had been taken from them back but not enough to go to war. They were between a rock and a hard place. Bad as he was, Hitler was less of a threat to Bulgaria than Stalin.
He was, but his insane wife Giovanna of Savoy wasnt. lol
We were pround Nation
@@axelpatrickb.pingol3228 If he dint join them he would likely be steam-rolled like poland and france
Dr. Felton, as a Bulgarian, I'd like to thank you for doing an episode on our last tzar. Bulgaria's involvement in WW2 is often reduced to the margins and it is refreshing to see you shine the spotlight on such an important moment of our history.
King Boris saved my grandmother's life. She is still alive today over 90.
Awesome man ✊
He didnt. The first one you should thank is the viceminister of the parliament Dimitar Peshev. He's a politician from Kiustendil, and the first one to stand up against the fascist bullshit. Boris III actually ordered Philov to "neutralize" Peshev for this. The next one you should thank is Plovdiv's archpriest Cyril. As the jews were being loaded on to the train for Poland, the archpriest got in with them and said: "If you send them, im joining them too." But the main person you should thank is Giovanna of Savoy, Boris III's wife and tsaritsa of Bulgaria. She was an insane perverted nymphomaniac - and SHE is the one who actually save the jews. Boris III had a garden of roses he enjoyed very much, and his wife one day decided to chop them off and destroy the whole garden. When he asked her: "Why did you do this, what did the poor roses ever do to you?" And she asked him in reply: "Well what did the jews do to you?" BTW This is no joke, Bogdan Philov confirms the tsar was very much in favor of deporting the jews. 12000 were already deported from Macedonia, and 8000 were being deported from Plovdiv when the archpriest stopped them. Our goverment was promised 250 reichsmarks for each person sent to the extermination camps, and thats the truth.
@@meganoobbg3387
BG expat here: that’s some really interesting information I didn’t know,maybe the tsarina had a jewish lover.
@@AG-jh1ky The tsar is too romanticized and glorified. Boris III was actually weak and indecisive, partly thanks to his father Ferdinand who didnt bother giving him or his brother any political education whatsoever. Thats cuz Ferdinand thought he would rule for life (ironic since he outlived both his sons) :D
@@meganoobbg3387 source?
If he did have a heart condition, dealing with Hitler, then realising Axis were going to lose, & a Soviet invasion likely, would just have been a constant stress.
Hitler: Gimme all the Jews, Declare was on the USSR.
BORIS: I have a heart condition, how about we plant flowers and go painting together.
Cyanide's bad for the heart too
Because of all the evidence of his pre-existing health problems and the stress, I'm sure he did suffer a heart attack.
@@badxradxandy lmao
@George Washington hey George... Thanks for mandating smallpox vaccinations on the American soldiers...it saved lives..very American
Felton - King of WWII documentaries.
For propaganda
@@Makeitliquidfast seems like a rejected artist, oh wait
@@Makeitliquidfast keep doing your "art" bro.
A man of rare moral courage, caught in one hell of a tight spot.
Actually, Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
@@aleksazunjic9672 and yet he had the moral courage to thwart the SS and Hitler, on the subject of Jews, *to their faces.*
@@lairdcummings9092 Well, nope. He did stop deportation of Jews who had Bulgarian citizenship, mainly because population and some prominent figures protested. Jews from newly acquired territories (Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania) were deported to concentration camps. Overall, number of Jews in Bulgaria with those territories was low (maximum 40 000) and Hitler was not concerned about them. He wanted Bulgarian troops in war with USSR, but this was in fact even less possible.
@@aleksazunjic9672 Just to make it clear, Bulgarians would not invade Yugoslavia and Greece without the Germans. The Germans did the all work so Bulgarian puppets could walk in, you seam to forget the main role of the Germans. I just hate false history, how you make it look like Bulgarian army invaded something, while not mentioning the German army that did everything by itself.
@@ivankovacic7466 Of course, but they did join the Axis in this attack. Also, without Bulgarian staging points and airfields, Germans would have much tougher time invading. In fact, they could have been stalled sufficiently so some kind of front in the south would be possible, and invasion of USSR postponed.
The Tsar seemed caught between a several rocks and several hard places. I’m sure a hero to the Bulgarian people but unfortunately a person only a very small minority of people here in the US have ever heard of. Thank you for enlightening us Dr Felton.
He was know as "The People`s dzar" (Народния цар) at the time. Not so much for saving the Jews although that was well known at the time but for saving the Bulgarians from genocide. Northern Greece and Macedonia used to be majority Bulgarian at the time. After the war the Serbs created the pseudo state Macedonia out of the Bulgarians there and the Greeks killed, oppressed and assimilated the population.
He was also instrumental in rebuilding the nation after "Second National Tragedy" fallowing WW1. He used to travel a lot around the country and talk to villagers about their problems which he later used to shape policy. He also used to say that if he wasn`t dzar he would go to America and become a car mechanic.
The interesting thing is that we didn’t even learn much about him in school. I was in high school in the 2000s so years after the fall of communism but I wonder if that has anything to do with how the history was presented to us. Our teachers obviously had lived most of their lives during communism and I imagine the tsar was always depicted in the worst possible way during these times. It’s funny how things like your teacher’s attitude toward a subject can affect your early understanding of the subject. Obviously now we have Google and UA-cam channels like this one so information is readily available but it wasn’t always the case.
As a Bulgarian, this question bothered me ever since my school years.
I am extremely grateful for your research Dr. Felton!
Truly sad. A noble man, cornered in a "doomed if he did, doomed if he didn't" situation.
Bulgaria is a country in the balkans. The best you can say is, "it's complicated."
If Russia is the motherland, then Bulgaria is the vagina all Slavism originates from (lingually at least).
Damn. Just realized I'm using a woman for exemplifcation's sake.
You're right. We'll leave it at: "Its complicated." Hope it was still interesting to learn about Tsar Boris, his name is one of few of the political realm which holds any positive connotation in my home.
@@GarioTheRock that analogy is certainly unique...
is it really consdiered a Balkan country?
Yugoslavia:Allow me to intruduce myself!
@@nino71 the Balkan mountain splits the country in half, it's impossible to get more Balkan than that
I love escaping the reality of 2021 with a history lesson from Mark Felton.
Idk man it all sounds too familiar
@@pumpkinspicenick923 lol
We are bitching about 2021, 2020, mean while learning about a much much worse and dark time.
What's wrong with 2021?
I have my problems with it relating the authoritarian governments, mandates, propaganda, stupid people etc etc.
Just curious why it's bad for you
@@ishadowxhunter-0135 Its repeating history... people have not learned from it AGAIN!
I love all your videos, but this was especially fascinating. As a Jew, I am greatful for the Bulgarians’ help.
That is both very generous and wise of you to write. Boris was far from perfect but he loved his subjects. This video was informative. It is the first time that I had heard that the high command in Germany were surprised at Boris's death. I personally would doubt that the Italians would poison Boris. Boris was half Italian and his wife the daughter of the Italian king. It is very likely that he had a weak heart and succumbed under the pressure of the war and Hitler's constant harassment.
Brave man, never heard of him before. Thank you RIP King Boris (Balls of Steel)
Very interesting! I am Bulgarian and have never heard of the “Italian” theory or of the Goebels diary entry. The poisoning theory is widely believed in Bulgaria, and also by his family. At the same time, immediately after returning from Germany the king undertook several high-intensity mountain treks on two consecutive days (21 and 22 August), including climbing Bulgaria’s highest peak, mount Moussala at almost 3000 m. His condition rapidly deteriorated on the next day, 23 August. Such extraordinary exertions do fall in line with the behavior pattern of a middle-aged man preceding a heart attack. We will probably never know the truth…
The problem for me is that it was the propaganda minister saying that shortly after the Italians had swapped sides. But it was a very interesting video.
I could believe the heart attack theory after his mountain-climbing episode. I have had heart troubles for a while, and while waiting for an angiogram, I had a heart attack at home just watching a documentary. I ended up with a quadruple bypass. More than once a strenuous walk would have me stopped with chest pain. As you say, we'll probably never know the truth, even if his body is ever found. He sounds like a man who was trying to preserve his country while walking a tightrope. Anthony Eden & the Allied leaders were stupidly uncompromising.
Anthony Eden was not an effective Prime Minister of England and was a pitiful leader !!
"tsar feodore IV: of course the truth will come out eventually.the bible said that things got hidden in order that they may get manifest.
What if the king of Bulgaria's wife got replaced by a Jewish spy ? This would explain why he protected the Jews in his county.
What would you do if I told you that tsar nicholas had secret grandchildren and I decended from nicholas ? In 1979 vanga (?the burgarian prophetess) supposedly told valentin sidorov that russia would end up lord of the world thanks in part to vladymirs glory the glory of russia. Do in part indicate another like me ?
Rather poor presentation by Felton. Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
It is amazing that Bulgaria refused to participate in the invasion of the USSR, given that communism was the enemy of the Bulgarian monarchy.
It's likely the government saw in the invasion for what it was. A death sentence.
@@adulescentuluscarnifex8412 A death sentence? Why? In 1941 the entire world believed the USSR would be defeated very fast.
Something does add up. A lot of the monarchs were supporters of nationalism, fascism and national socialism. I'd say this story has a lot of complexity and details left out.
Perhaps he was trying to protect his people, knowing that Russia was far too strong, and that any Bulgarian contribution to the German war against Russia was symbolic at best.
@@dragosstanciu9866 The Bulgarian military was not capable of taking part in an invasion of a country as vast as Russia. Even in 1941 the writing was on the wall, that for Bulgaria there was nothing to gain from the invasion of the USSR that more competent powers could do. Like I said it was a death sentence for the Bulgarian military to take part in such an engagement when it appeared there was no need.
Love your work!
Greetings from Bulgaria!
My grandma always told me Boris had been poisoned by Hitler. His heart is in the church of the Rila Monastery, the most sacred place in terms of history and religion in Bulgaria. I’m Bulgarian.
Thank you for your amazing work ! I really enjoy it.
your grandma was not well-informed and she was probably pro-communist. Russians poisoned Boris and even his close people know that.
When I saw the title I was hoping this was on Tsar Boris as his story is almost completely unknown outside Bulgaria and students of Balkan history. Thanks for a sympathetic telling and relating in fuller detail much that I was either completely unaware of, or only partially knew. Very well done!!
Long time Bulgarian fan. With the state of my country right now it's really nice to look into something I can be proud for as a Bulgarian. Thank you
Thank you Doc. No one does history better.....
I always felt Boris was in much the same straits as Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Both while far from perfect was trying to chart a course of avoiding absolute domination by Nazi Germany. Sadly both were largely unable to totally succeed.
I tend to believe the stress of his situation caused Boris’s heart condition to become fatal. He and Bulgaria deserved a better fate.
Amen
This guy was playing 3D chest trying to save his people while not getting invaded by extremely powerful countries surrounding him. Respect for the moves made.
Unfortunately for the Bulgarian people they would suffer for 6 decades under communist rule being a Soviet ally and not by choice.
Rather four-and-a-half decades. The rest- 100% truth. *:)
what would you have done in his position?
The executions were so severe even on provicial level that put from that point on real farmers were put to the riches of the nation, their political inheritors are still here and we might have to burn the whole house of parliament to remove these rats and spineless people.
Fantasticly interesting and unknown part of history - at least to me.
@George Washington Unrelated but certainly not invalid
Chancellor Hitler was the King of Gemany.
I love Mark Felton's videos. It has some of the questions and answers that you don't typically think about when you talk about WW2 and that's what makes it even more interesting. That and also the illustrations of old war footage and imagery
Yes indeed, Dr. Felton's research and presentations on the "Rat Lines" were incredible!
As a bulgarian i really appreciate this video. There are not many videos about the history of our country and many of them are misleading or even entirely false but it's clear you've made a research and for that i thank you. I've been a fan for almost 2 years and I'm happy to see video about the subject. It's true that we were allies with Germany during ww2 but we didn't agree with theres philosophies and even opposed them. We also had a strong partisan movement opposing the government and the germans during the war. That is an idea for future video if you decide to do one.
Partisan movement consisted of criminals and soviet agents
I call bs on the bulgarian partisan movement. Only the biggest idiots were part of it and furthermore the word strong couldn't be further from the truth.
@@carrotbg it was the only way they could progress
Stalin and Lenin were thiefs too
At least they were brave and they fought for what they believed in
We even had a Partisan movement with up to 7000 strong fighting in the mountains oposing the Soviet ocupation all the way to the later 50s. That's also very interesting.
@George Washington no, no just god is with you.
Respect to Tsar Boris III. I honestly feel bad for a lot of the kingdoms and Tsardoms of eastern europe, all snuffed away by the germans, italians and in the end, the soviets.
Oh you must have missed the part about the British refusing to help them relocate Jews and the Americans bombing them.
@@SirAntoniousBlock not sure why you said that in my comment lol.
@@FRIEND_711 Because you omitted to mention the British and Americans also "helped" in the overthrow of Boris, as Mark said.
@@SirAntoniousBlock That's because I was not talking about Boris lol
I was talking about the kingdoms and Tsardoms of Eastern Europe.
Which all fell victim to either Italy or Germany, during or before ww2, then the soviet union after the war.
@@FRIEND_711 Why, the video was about Bulgaria?
i cannot believe you didnt mention the USSR having a hand in his death. Such a biased video.
WW2 is such a vast and complex period in history even though it lasted only a few years in Europe. Your videos are very informative. Greetings and good wishes from Poland!
WW2 didn't end until 1991 for Poland. Czesc from the US.
A few years for the USA and USSR but 6 years for most other countries and double that for some Asian ones.
@@anthonyoer4778 Yeah pretty much, we were under the communist occupation for the entire second half of the 20th century.
Not complex. On the Nazi side it was all about race. Period.
@@overlord5068 it wasn't "all about race" it is more complex then just that alone, shouldn't you know this if you watch mark Felton? It is very much complex, possibly one of the most complexed wars in history at that.
Love the history behind the minor nations of the war, Bulgaria included
@green dragon 💪🇧🇬🇭🇺
@green dragon Well, technically we're like cousins. It is believed that the ancient Magyars and Bulgars had a lot in common.
@@InhalingWeasel yes it true. I have read a lot about that. I think it is a well known fact.
@green dragon 🇧🇬❤🇭🇺
Just like in World War I the Bulgarians were rather conservative with their actions and wanted to merely defend their homeland. It is a shame that the Monarchy fell and a Soviet Puppet state was put in place. By no means do I think Boris or his government were perfect yet they saved thousands of lives when they could have just caved into the Nazis demands.
Bulgaria was in it's best shape during the late monarchy period. Communism ruined everything.(And democracy as well.)
@@naketo The issue I see from the recent Election is that they are allowing Populists and Communists into the government. A Liberal Conservative type of party or even Social Democracy based on the Nordic Style of Mixed Capitalism would benefit them well. Yet, I cannot choose the peoples votes. it is just sad to see Populists and Authoritarian Capitalists gain control around the world.
@@BigJOL77 Agreed.
The simple fact is, and one Churchill was always ready to do, was sacrifice other countries. Churchill was nasty and only had Britain in his mind (he was even ready to sacrifice Australia which is why our PM gave him the finger and brought troops home to defend us from the Japanese). He was in no place to criticise Bulgaria, situated as it was. Churchill never offered to land troops to defend Bulgaria so the king did the only thing he could do, negotiate with the devil to try and keep them out and keep some semblance me of a balance. It was either that or he would have been invaded outright.
@@BigJOL77 Liberal conservatives are by definition authoritarian capitalists. Freedoms for the corporations, regulation for the people.
A profile in courage and moral clarity. All the more remarkable since his country was surrounded by monsters on all sides
Of all the newspapers you could choose to headline that Bulgaria joins the Axis Powers, you chose my hometown Tulsa Tribune (in Oklahoma, USA). What a nice surprise. You bring the reality of history so close to home.
The Balkan and other southern European nations engaged in WWII tend to get glossed over, so appreciate coverage of this topic. It's so important to understand different parts of the world, their history, people and mindset, to help us make better decisions among one another today and in the future. I didn't realize the Bulgarians were more tolerant and sympathetic to their Jews than can be said then of most of Eastern Europe.
The bulgaria nation is a mixture of tracians, slavs, old-bulgarians, than cumans joined...so we are accept everyone who comes with peace.
Also the oldest gold in the world is found in Bulgaria ;)
And the oldest country in Europe who did not change its name since 681 is Bulgaria ;)
Something funny - i have read that the bulgarians jews are not accepted well in Israel because they are soft, kind, polite and warm-hearted. Features that a jew should not possess!
Boris III was also the beloved uniting figure of the bulgarian nation/state at that time. His charisma kept the state and calculated moves kept the system running. When he died, the whole security apparatus of the country froze and rather facing the soviets it simply coup'd the regency and allowed the Fatherland Front coalition (dominated by the commies) to get into power. So there's that. With a strong figure like Boris III, who was in contact with the allies for a peacefull end to the war, the country might've ended up in a different sphere of influence.
@Kv N2O Първо ми пиши на български, паляк, после се опитвай да ми доказваш нещо, безродник.
@Kv N2O Или не, първо ми кажи на колко си. Но бъди честен.
@Kv N2O Дете, почти нищо от това което си написал не е вярно. Използваш полуистини и неща извадени извън контекстът им. Няма как някой да те вземе насериозно.
@Kv N2O Дете, не се усещаш въобще. Лек ти път, дано се оправиш.
@@starhawck Забавното е, че си е изтрил коментарите
I remember my social studies & ELA teacher telling us about the story of St. Father Maximillian Kolbe. He too, like me, was Catholic and one of the best teachers I had. What an awesome story and an awesome saint
yeah, he paid with his life for his compassion and kindness to Jewish people.
@@TigerTankIII Why would he die with them if he didn’t like them?
He volunteered to be starved to death, instead of a fellow prisoner.
@@TigerTankIII Idiot troll with no common sense, he sacrifices himself for people he doesnt like.
@@loganw1232 Because the guy didnt make sense. He also died for his personal morals, which most people dont even have morals even if life is not in danger.
Another great video by the great historian: Mark Felton
You live in KOP by any chance? 🤔
The reason they had him killed is because he wanted to save his Jewish population, when the Nazis wanted them killed.
I had never heard of Tsar Boris III. Thank you for bringing him to my attention. As usual, you have done a wonderful job of bringing history to life.
“We declare war on the US” Bulgaria
“Alright, we will pencil you in for the 12:30 bombing” United States
Sadly although Boris took a courageous stand to protect the Jews, his concession to declare war of the US and Britian resulted in the suffering of his own people from the bombing.
...aaaand gave Stalin the perfect excuse to invade.
If joining the Axis wasn't one already, declaring war on the Allies certainly was.
@@lexprontera8325 As Dr. Felton pointed out, it was a declaration of war written in size 4 font. Perhaps if the U.S. knew anything about the countries they bombed beforehand, they would know that Bulgarians generally, if they care at all about geopolitics, the only invasion that would ever occur with Bulgarian troops would be towards the Mediterranean through the part of Greece which was already Bulgaria for a good long while (and then wasn't and then was again and then wasn't, going backwards in time).
Its just like Manila. And recently, Damascus. "Who bombs human achievements which stand as our pride and joy and are the treasures of our cultures?"
England: "Don't look at me."
France: "Je ne comprends pas. We have our own problems, f*ck off English."
American fighters & bombers with freshly relieved hardpoints, whistling innocently:
Wouldn't be the first or last time the US massed bombed civilians first and asked questions later.
@@SirAntoniousBlock Its pretty close to the first time at least. it certainly wasnt the last tho.
His son, Simeon II also dismissed "foul play" in the death of his father. But he said that at that time he was very young and didn't remember details. So, the mystery is still unsolved.
Rather poor presentation by Felton. Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin, but his subjects not so much so he had to balance his policies. Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside Germans, and was an occupying force there . They did declare war on UK and US in Dec of 1941, not in 1943. Jews were not a major stumbling block, in fact they were of lesser importance to Hitler. There weren't that much of them in Bulgaria anyway, and some have been deported. Hitler did want from Bulgaria to declare war on USSR, but this was impossible to Boris due to long standing ties between Bulgaria and Russia, and Hitler partially understood that. Boris was mostly likely poisoned by pro-Allied faction. In fact, lot of Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. In any case, Bulgaria switched sides and joined the fight against Germany as soon as Soviets appeared on its borders. Hitler and Germans were actually that Boris died and wanted to investigate, but were not allowed.
@@aleksazunjic9672 ah, here comes the Tito's propaganda.
@@Ribarlan Did I say something wrong ? Please enlighten me ;)
Tsar Boris was very much pro-German, being himself of German origin - False. Being of German origin does not make him "pro-German". He was pursuing a Neutral policy until faced a treat of invasion by Nazi forces, especially after the fresh memories of the fiasco in the WWI. Felton explained this well.
Bulgaria did invade Yugoslavia and Greece alongside - False. No Bulgarian soldier ever fought in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece or participated in "Führer Directive No. 25" or "Operation Marita".
Bulgarians today believe he was poisoned by British, which Churchill hinted. - False. The most common theory is "Poisoned by Hitler".
@@Ribarlan Well, he was pro-German and he was of German origin. He was certainly no neutral, and did attack neighboring countries alongside Germans, although he did not have to. He never attempted to turn Bulgaria into Sweden or Switzerland of Balkans. Bulgarian soldiers did invade Yugoslavia and Greece and were occupying forces there. They even committed numerous war crimes on territories of those countries. And finally, lot of Bulgarians do believe Boris was poisoned by British agents . Germans did not have reason to kill him, and at that same time US and British planes were bombing Bulgaria with considerable damage.
12:00 For the record: Mussolini was NOT dismissed by the King but rather tended his resignation. After the vote of no-confidence at the Fascist Grand Council the night before, Mussolini asked the King for an audience in order to tend his resignation. The King accepted the resignation and had him arrested as soon as Mussolini left the audience room. As incredible as it may sound, yes indeed he may very well be the only dictator in History to have resigned !
@THE BLACK BOX CHANNEL I stand corrected and I sincerely thank you.
all dictators ¨resign¨ under a lampost.
@Lawofimprobability the not egotistical tyrants are the exception rather than the rule in modern times, as well...
(and pls, it was just a flippant joke along lines that murderous tyrants deserve their just deserts at hands of the mob...)
That I'm sure is less contentious.
Now that’s something I was unaware of. Maybe Marc can do a video on “The Fall of Mussolini “.
As an Asian I like Bulgaria, they're a small country but is very strong
Edit: I swear I am not a Japanese
Nein nein nein
Fascinating, riveting history. Brightens my day in these dark dreary times, The best channel on UA-cam by far, absolutely fantastic stuff. Keep up the good work Dr!
I am from Bulgaria.
Pleasure seeing you include this in your video.
The Imperial Grand Moff is back with yet another great video
Ah yes, great governor Wilhuff Tarkin.
@@locakovvonloczkov7147 you mean Grand Moff Felton
You may upload when ready.
The IGM strikes back!
"I find your lack of knowledge of history ... disturbing."
Kolbe is the man who has brought me the closest to actually becoming Catholic in my life. The example par excellence of the Imitatio Christi - volunteering to die a horrific death for a man you have never met before. A truly incredible story.
Christianity is a blood cult for weak minded simpletons. Anyone that believes in a magic man in the sky is either delusional or stupid.
@@PhilosophersLegacy83 change your meds as they are not working
@@Buildbeautiful hes not the one communing with invisible skybeasts
Something I never before realised I absolutely need to know.
The Tzar was charming and he had his way with Hitler. They got along well. He was not antisemitic for sure but his main goal was to save his dynasty and prevent Bulgaria’s participation in the war against Soviet Union (Soviet Union and Bulgaria maintained diplomatic relations though out the war. It must have been awkward for German and Russian diplomats to bump into each other on the streets of Sofia).
The real savior of the Bulgarian Jews was not the tsar but the citizens of Bulgaria. In 1943 anti deportation protests spread though out Bulgaria. Thousands of demonstrators showed up on the streets to stop the deportations. The Bulgarian Orthodox church openly sided with the Jews and so did a number of prominent members of government and the parliament. Unlike most other Europeans, the Bulgarians were not antisemitic at all and this was acknowledged by Nazi officers who visited Bulgaria during the war. Bulgarian government continued to prevent deportations after the death of the tsar.
A brave and imaginative king - sorry, tsar - leading an even braver people. God bless Bulgaria 🇧🇬
I think Boris does deserve some credit, he did save 8000+ Jews by his orders
Thank you for the additional information. The other venue in Europe where all the powers who were at war bumped into each other was Lisbon. It was like one giant Casino Royale of James Bond vintage during WWII.
My wife’s Polish grandfather and family were in Sofia when war broke out. He was an architect, born in Russia his father had previous worked as a surveyor on the trans Siberian railway. In Sofia he was working on the construction of the Polish consulate. I still have his Bulgarian documents and pay checks from that era. He was evacuated to Palestine moving to London after the war.
I just checked - today in Germany there are 188 streets that are named Dietrich Bonhoeffer Straße, 68 named Sophie Scholl Straße and 61 named Maximilian Kolbe Straße. RIP.
A search for "Geschwister Scholl Straße" (Scholl siblings street) would probably turn up way more.
And there is probably not one street in any German city named after Adolph Hitler.
@@hananokuni2580 and not one person is called Adolf, apart from some people still alive in their 90s
@@hananokuni2580 There were dozens after the Nazis took over, there was even an Adolf Hitler street in the US.
@@hananokuni2580 is not. no need for probably. its a crime to celebrate hitler or nazism in germany nowadays.
Now this is really interesting--I had known a bit of this but you have cleared up a whole lot more. Thank you.
@KingK The moment I heard of Tsar Boris II I wondered, because this has been a contention among many historians for decades. As he clearly says, no specific intel was ever found so speculation has always been part of these arguments. Mark cleared up a whole lot of what I thought I understood years ago. Thanks anyway....
He did have a few queen's over but a king?
@KingK I could also mention that I have spent decades looking into the plight of the Jewish population of Europe. Probably the finest museum of this history is found in Israel at Yad Vashem where some of this history can be found. You should visit there sometime.
@George Washington AMEN
@UChjmooxgmRshDF9nyXijYmg Well I suppose you would not be impressed so I won't try to explain to you something that might be above your capacity to understand. I knew about some of this when I read of Tsar Boris III, it has always been a controversy among historians, Mr. Felton did indeed clear some of this up. Does that help you?
Amazing video, pure history! Thank you for your work mr Mark Felton. Greetings from Bulgaria 🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬
There is a wonderful account of the saving of the Bulgarian Jews: “Beyond Hitler's Grasp: The Heroic Rescue of Bulgaria's Jews” by Michael Bar-Zohar. Another book is “The Fragility of Goodness” by Tzvetan Todorov.
The best biography of Boris III is “Crown of thorns” by Stephane Groueff. It is also a great introduction to Bulgarian and Balkan history of the period.
Thank you very much.
One interesting thing that wasn't mentioned was that Hitler legitimately got along well with Boris and even considered him a friend. This is backed up by multiple statements from advisors and generals that were relieved whenever they saw the Tzar arrive because his presence had a good effect on Hitler's mood.
This is a big part of the reason why Hitler even put up with him instead of just taking over the country via coup with pro fascist forces like the soviets did. When you think about it nothing was really stopping him from doing that.
That is an interesting observation. Boris would have spoken German well since his father was a German. Perhaps the royal German connection was something that allowed Hitler to behave leniently with Boris.
@@ricardo53100 and Bulgaria alying with Germany in the WW1.
Could Joseph Stalin have had a hand in his death? Stalin was known to eliminate his enemies. He was known to eliminate his rivals and any opponents. Then again Stalin would wait until after the war and then dispatch the Tzar.
@@AppleReviews why would he ? He was his best ally in his leadership role in Germany.
Boris refused to declare war on USSR, why would Stalin kill him, so that Bulgaria could declare war on USSR?
It was almost certainly Italy. Poison was especially a telltale method of Italian assassination.
@@daviddsun9702 why would they declare war on bulgaria?
Why assassinate him if you’re going to invade and occupy Bulgaria anyway?
I’m simple man, Mark Felton posts something, I like even before the video starts playing.
More outstanding work from Mr. Felton. this channel easily has the best information on WW2
Again I learned something new from Dr Felton. And RIP Tsar Boris, well done, your Majesty, well done!
Thank you so much for making this video, as a Bulgarian nothing makes me happier than remembering heroes like Tsar Boris III, of whom we are all very proud to this day.
An absolutely beautiful retelling of a lot of detail! As a Bulgarian, I have always been proud of these facts and the stance our Tsar had against Hitler. Bulgaria only joined to war to regain the rightful San Stefano territories promised. Though being a European nation in that time meant invasion of collaboration.
In the 70's it used to be "Mum, Dad's Army's on!" Now, it's "Mum, Mark Felton's on!"
Now there's a fine series! "Don't panic!!"
Thank you for the video. Our Bulgarian king did not want an alliance with Hitler.Germany offers Bulgaria an ultimatum.Bulgaria can choose voluntarily to become an ally of Germany by gaining territories to rule or Bulgaria to be occupied by the Nazis. This happened in 1943 when the Allies were pressed by the Reich. Bulgaria became an ally of Germany but never sent troops against the Allies.
Lmfao tell yourself if that helps you sleep at night but Bulgaria is the one who reached out looking for easy expansion not Germany.
Mark Felton brings us fantastic historical knowledge the world wants us to forget, I don’t know what life would be like without his amazing videos.
Another excellent video! The quality of content and evidence of unparalleled research is obvious indeed. Well done.
Yet another example of the myriad of intertwined interests and the conflicts arising from them. WWII was amazingly complex and we are thankful to Mark for digging these stories out of the history books and presenting them to us in an entertaining fashion. Thank you Mark.
Came to learn about a historical regicide.
Stayed to learn the amazing answer to the trivia question:
"Which former WW2 national leader held a public office in his country in the 21st century?"
Extremely fascinating Dr. Felton. Thank you!
Thanks for filling in the details that have not been given adequate attention throughout history, Dr Felton.
Now this is a part of history I had no idea about. You knocked it out of the park again Dr. Felton.
Another excellent video dr. Felton!
Wow, didn't know that he was this brave. Respect from Romania!
Several interesting side notes:
1. Not only was Bulgaria not at war with USSR up till Sept 1944, it kept full diplomatic relations with USSR. It was USSR which announced war to Bulgaria, when Soviet armies approched the Danube in 1944.
2. The Bulgarian society as a whole was strongly against the deportation of the Jews, not only the king. Politicians, academicians, religious leaders of majority Orthodox church, Islam, Catholics, etc, etc... all openly opposed such actions.
Perhaps the only other case of such unanimous rejection was recently on the so called Istanbul Convention.
Exceptional content again, Mr. Felton. Thanks for your dedication and presentation of the unvarnished history of this era.
Yet another relatively unknown story brought vividly to life by the King of Documentaries!!!!
Mark you are hero of XXI century.
Why?
Simply, with calm nice voice you explain things that cannot be forgotten mate.
Underrated channel. Yeah thats My opinion.
I never heard anything about this king..... I believe that even in the Yad vaShem Museum I never read anything about this king....
WHAT A HERO !
MAY GOD AVENGE HIS DEATH AND KEEP HIS SOUL IN A GOOD PLACE IN THE HEAVENS !
Excellent video as usual ! May God bless you always, Mr Felton !
That's fair. You don't see anything in Yad Vashem about Folk Bernadotte either and he saved Jews as well.
Thank you, Aryeh. The truth is Boris was put in an impossible position. Nazis on one side. Soviets on the other. All while being bombarded into oblivion by the US and UK. He made a deal with the devil himself. Nearly sent our jews too but the Orthodox patriarch as well as many prominent people convinced him to stop. Last good man to ever rule our country.
Free palestine
What I find so much better about Mark's docos is that they are even handed in a way that doesn't point the finger of blame only one way.WW2 was a far more complex and politically beyond a good deal of Europe's aristocrats and leaders of the time who were,in many cases,still gun shy from WW1 and were not presenting a united front to German sabre rattling and internal persecution of some of its own citizens Mark always gives ALL sides of the story as all conflicts are multi dimensional and usually not for the reasons that the official accounts tell you.History is recorded by the winner.
What a strange story...thumbs up for Mark again
You are my favorite channel on UA-cam! Thank you for all the education you provide.
Rest in piece Tsar Boris III. Great video regardless, the man had to navigate his nation through some of the most complex times in history, and largely succeeded. For being the last 'real' Tsar of Bulgaria, his achievements surely don't fall behind that of the first Khan of Bulgaria.
Yet another little-known story of mystery and international political intrigue re-lit by Dr. Felton, UA-cam’s best history teacher.
I have to admire the amount of research that must go into creating a story like this one, especially when it is presented in a non partisan style. Honest history, so rare in 2021
I listened. I did not just hear, but I listened. I have learned apart of history that I, sadly, knew not of. Many thanks, good friend. I am now a new subscriber.
I can always rely on Mark Felton for a history lesson I've never heard before 👍
A very interesting report, you do an excellent job Mark.
I enjoy each and everyone of your videos Mark. Thank you.
Keep 'em coming, Mark! A wonderful mystery programme to watch when I come home from work! Well done!
Finally something about Bulgaria. Id love if you could do a video on Bulgarias switch to the allies and how they were technically at war with axis and allied for a few days. They took part in the battle of Graz in Austria and maybe Vienna but im not too sure on that
Good research there! As a Bulgarian and also a fan of your channel for some time, thank you!
On Tzar Boris III he was loved by the Bulgarian people for the most part. He did serve on the front in WW1 under Mackensen so he was well experienced in war. The theory that he was poisoned by the Nazis is widely spread in Bulgaria. I personally believe that the Nazis did not poison him. Nazi sympathisers or communist terrorists are far more likely to have tried to do so if indeed it was a poisoning. I think though that it was just a extreme coincidence. Never the less the former Tzar Boris III is well remembered in Bulgaria even today.
I am Bulgarian and I am amazed by Felton how he scrutinizes so deeply the process with laser precision. I didn`t know about the deporting Jews to Palestine in order to save them from Hitler`s paws.
Thank you Mark for bringing more light to my Homeland. There is a small mini series, about the Bulgarian Jews and their tribulations called -Недадените (The Ungiven). It depicts all the major roles mentioned in this video and a little more about a secretary called Liliana Panitza, that was part of the Bureau of Jewish Questions. She has also great contributions to saving the Jews, and is awarded the Righteous amount Nations .
Seems like a big elephant in the room here is the Soviets, who definitely would have had an interest and capability in taking him out.
Why? He refused to join the war against the USSR, and at a time that a decisive Soviet victory was still not guaranteed the Soviets probably didn’t need a new enemy.
@@hobofactory Maybe Moscow expected a communist insurgency?
Nah, he would just be executed as his brother was on the behalf of the working people. Or even let him go to Italy and twist some propaganda how him being in Italy shows that the capitalists can't be trusted.
@@thilgu conversely they would’ve risked a more enthusiastically pro-Axis government taking hold.
@@hobofactory True.
Fascinating Mark, thank you.
King Boris III of Bulgaria died on 28 August 1943 aged 49. Two weeks before his death, Boris had flown to Rastenburg for a meeting with Hitler. Two German doctors looked after him during his final illness. One of them was Germany‘s best doctor the well-known Dr. Ernst Ferdinand Sauerbruch who was requested by Hitler himself to fly to Bulgaria to treat King Boris III. They believed that he had been poisoned with the same poison that had shown up in the post-mortem of the Greek leader Metaxas in 1940. Suspicion for the poisoning of King Boris to death fell on his Italian wife ( the Giovanna of Savoy, daughter of the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III)and not on Adolf Hitler. This suspicion still continues in certain quarters in Bulgaria.
This is the way I like documentaries to
be made! Well done, Mark.
Oh gosh! Another important history nugget that no one told me about! Thanks Mark.. again 😊👍
I'm addicted to all these history lessons From Mark 🖤
2:37 Tsar Ferdinand, answering the question of "How many medals, is too many medals" once and for all
Thanks! I am another Bulgarian who watches every video you post here... Keep up the good work!
During WWII when a woman from small bulgarian village complain that there is only black bread, HM King Boris III answered "Better to eat black bread than to wear black mourning clothes". HM King Boris III is the most loved statesman of Third Bulgarian State (1878 - to present)