The success of the Unification elevated the status of the Bulgarian prince, to the detriment of the strategic interests of Russia, who lost control over the Bulgarian army and her standing among part of society. Disagreements over the prince’s persona, the conditions for the recognition of Bulgarian Unification, and relations with Russia increased internal political tensions and triggered attempts to use the army to resolve those. In this context, pro-Russian officers organized a coup against Prince Alexander I. Despite the subsequent counter-coup organised by the chairman of the National Assembly, Stefan Stambolov, and the garrisons in the country that remained loyal to the prince, after unsuccessful attempts to reconcile with the Russian emperor, he abdicated. This led to the election of the second prince of the Principality of Bulgaria, Ferdinand Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Over the next years, Bulgaria underwent a rapid growth in economy, education, and culture. Still, shockwaves on the domestic arena persisted, with the strengthening of the prince’s so-called “personal regime”, exhibited through attempts at imposing his will on the governments, through heavy leaning on the officer corps, and to usurp the country’s foreign policy. The historical narrative is augmented with personal belongings of Prince Ferdinand I (1887–1918) and of leading statesmen of the period. Emphasis is also placed on the modernization of the Bulgarian army in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, illustrated through the displayed weapons and uniforms.
The declaration of the Independence of Bulgaria has its well-deserved place in the exhibition of the National Military History Museum, and features artifacts that have carried through the years the spirit of the historic act that celebrated the ambition of the Bulgarian people to have equal place on the map of Europe, as an independent country. Among the relics on display are personal belongings of Tsar Ferdinand I, the Minister of War, Lieutenant General Danail Nikolaev, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lieutenant General Stefan Paprikov. The participation of the Bulgarian army in the process of declaring the Independence is presented with the mobilization of 8th Infantry Tundzha Division, which covered the border with Turkey, and also with the contribution of a number of senior officers – diplomatic representatives of Bulgaria and military attachés to European countries. Thanks to their actions and the efforts of the political class, in April of 1909, the Independence was recognized – first by the Ottoman Empire, later by the Great Powers.