Bogdan Filov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bogdan Filov
Богдан Филов |
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| 28th Prime Minister of Bulgaria | |
| In office 16 February 1940 – 9 September 1943 |
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| Monarch | Boris III (– 28 August 1943) Simeon II (28 August 1943 –) |
| Preceded by | Georgi Kyoseivanov |
| Succeeded by | Petur Gabrovski (acting) |
| Regent of Bulgaria | |
| In office 28 August 1943 – 9 September 1944 Serving with Prince Kiril and Nikola Mikhov
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| Monarch | Simeon II |
| Prime Minister | Himself Petur Gabrovski (acting) Dobri Bozhilov Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov Konstantin Muraviev |
| Preceded by | Regency established |
| Succeeded by | Todor Pavlov Venelin Ganev Tsvyatko Boboshevski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 April 1883 Stara Zagora, Eastern Rumelia (today Bulgaria) |
| Died | 1 February 1945 (aged 61) Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Evdokia Peteva-Filova |
Bogdan Dimitrov Filov (Bulgarian: Богдан Димитров Филов; born April 10, 1883 – died February 1, 1945) was an important person in Bulgaria. He was an archaeologist, who studies old things, and an art historian, who studies art from the past. He was also a politician.
Filov served as the Prime Minister of Bulgaria during World War II. During his time as leader, Bulgaria joined the Axis Powers. These were a group of countries that fought against the Allies in the war.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Bogdan Filov was born in Stara Zagora, a city in Bulgaria. He studied in Imperial Germany in cities like Leipzig, Freiburg, and Würzburg. He earned his Ph.D. from Freiburg.
In 1906, he started working at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia. He continued his studies in archaeology and numismatics (the study of coins) in places like Bonn, Paris, and Rome.
Filov became a leading expert in ancient archaeology in Bulgaria. He found many interesting things, like gold and iron items, at a place called Trebenishta. From 1910 to 1920, he was the director of the National Archaeological Museum. He also led the first studies of an ancient city called Kabile.
In 1920, Filov became a professor at Sofia University. He taught archaeology and art history there. Later, he was chosen to lead the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1937.
Becoming Prime Minister
On February 15, 1940, Bogdan Filov became the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. He was a close supporter of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria, who was the king at the time.
During his time as Prime Minister, Bulgaria gained the southern part of Dobruja through an agreement called the Treaty of Craiova. This happened on September 7, 1940.
On March 1, 1941, Bulgaria officially joined the Tripartite Pact. This was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan, forming the Axis Powers. Soon after, German troops moved through Bulgaria to invade nearby countries. Even though Bulgaria was part of the Axis, it tried to stay out of the fighting as much as possible.
After King Boris III passed away in August 1943, Filov became part of a special group called the Regency Council. This council was formed because the new king, Simeon II, was too young to rule by himself.
Laws During World War II
In November 1940, Bogdan Filov's government proposed a law called the "Law for Protection of the Nation." This law was approved by the Parliament in December 1940. It took away many rights from Jewish people in Bulgaria.
Filov also created a special office to deal with Jewish affairs. In March 1943, the government decided to send Jewish people from newly taken territories to German camps. Over 11,000 Jews from northern Greece and Vardar Banovina were sent away. Sadly, almost none of them survived.
However, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and a politician named Dimitar Peshev strongly spoke out against sending away the 50,000 Jewish people who were Bulgarian citizens from the older parts of Bulgaria. Because of this pressure, the government did not deport these people, and their lives were saved.
Later Life and Death
In 1944, forces from the Soviet Union entered Bulgaria. A new government, led by Communists, was then formed. The members of the Regency Council, including Filov, were arrested.
On February 1, 1945, Bogdan Filov and many other officials were put on trial by a "People's Tribunal." They were sentenced to death. That night, they were put to death in Sofia. Their bodies were buried in a large hole that had been made by a bomb.
Bogdan Filov's belongings were taken away, and his wife was sent away from the country. In 1996, the Bulgarian Supreme Court officially canceled the sentence against him. His personal diary was published in 1986.
See also
In Spanish: Bogdan Filov para niños
- Treaty of Craiova
- Military history of Bulgaria during World War II
