THE INFLUENCE OF EXTERNAL FACTORS ON THE DE-SERBIZATION OF THE POPULATION OF CONTEMPORARY BULGARIA - A GEOPOLITICAL OVERVIEW

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze and shed light, in the most concise possible form, on the influence of foreign factors on the de-Serbization of the population on the territory of the modern Bulgarian state, primarily through a geopolitical lens. Although the problem of constructing a modern Bulgarian identity is one of the most complex issues in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula, and it is difficult to cover it in a short scientific form, the focus of this paper will be on one of its most important segments, closely linked to the formation of the contemporary Bulgarian nation. It is about de-Serbization. Given the significant interpenetration of Serbs and Bulgarians throughout history, very small differences throughout the Middle Ages, and especially during the Ottoman occupation, the de-Serbization of the Bulgarian population represented one of the cornerstones of the formation of modern Bulgarian identity, especially in contact areas. Since the modern Bulgarian state is the fruit of the geopolitical interests of the great powers, the influence of the latter is crucial for the formation of the modern Bulgarian nation. In this regard, the article itself will analyze the influence of specific external factors that have, to a greater or lesser extent, reshaped this area in terms of identity. These are Ottoman, Phanariot, Roman Catholic, German and Russian influences, which have predominantly favored the redefinition of the national identity of this territory. Therefore, due to the large number of factors, each of them will be considered through the most important reference points.