Background
Many people are wondering how it was possible for a
country to support Nazi Germany and to save its Jews at the same
time. At first
glance it really doesn't make sense at all but a little bit of history
can help explain this paradox.
On September 15th, 1939 the Kjoseivanov government decided to follow
the policy of neutrality and to stay out of WWII. That was a very
sincere decision, yet not a very viable option given the country's
strategic geographical position. In 1940 Tsar
Boris III who was Bulgaria's
monarch at that time consolidated his power by dismissing the parliament.
The same year in 1940 a new government was elected and Bogdan
Filov became Prime Minister. He convinced Boris III that the
best strategy would be to follow the policy of neutrality. Bulgaria
naively
hoped that the war wouldn't affect the Balkans and the country wouldn't
have to take sides. But Germany had already occupied much of Western
Europe and during the summer of 1940 it seemed that no single force
could possibly stop Hitler.
Moreover, the situation was complicated by the fact that Bulgaria's
economy was highly dependent on Germany and Hitler used this as a
way to put additional pressure on the government to enter the war.
The province of Southern
Dobruja was another matter of importance
and the Axis powers promised to give this territory to Bulgaria if
the country became their ally.
Finally, Bulgaria joined the Axis
Powers on March 1st, 1941.
That was an unfortunate but unavoidable decision and a natural
consequence of the policies followed by all Bulgarian governments
after 1935.
It is important to mention that German troops had already been situated
in Romania and were just waiting for an order to invade the country
if it chose to remain neutral. If there wasn't such an imminent threat,
Bulgaria was likely to follow the example of Spain and preserve its
neutrality as long as possible.
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Tsar Boris III
Tsar
Bosris III was a controversial politician and historians find
it very difficult to assess his regime. On one hand, he was a personal
friend of Hitler, on the other he revoked the order which sentenced
Bulgarian Jews to death. Perhaps the best description comes from
George Url, who was an American diplomat in Sofia at that time.
In 1941 he expressed his opinion in the following way:
"Boris III
is more popular than ever before because he keeps the country out
of the war. He has consolidated power
by a very discrete and delicate way and although he never openly
shows his interference, he rules the country in precisely the way
he wishes to. I think that Boris III doesn't like the
Germans but, in his own confused manner of thought, believes that
they can still win
the war. Nevertheless, if it becomes perfectly clear that Hitler
will be defeated, Bulgaria will be one of the first countries to
abandon the sinking ship. Although the tsar supports the Germans, it
is quite clear that he doesn't want to ruin his relationship with
the US. In summary, Boris III is the most controversial politician
I've ever had to work with during my entire career as a diplomat."
The Tsar died mysteriously in 1943 and many people believed he was
poisoned by German agents. Hitler had every reason to wish him dead
-- Boris III had refused to deport Bulgarian Jews to Nazi
concentration camps and thus, he had become one of very few leaders
who dared oppose Hitler's deadly plan for extermination of Europe's
Jewry.
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Dimitar Peshev
Dimitar
Peshev was perhaps the most crucial figure behind the saving
of the Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust. As a member of the Bulgarian
parliament, he did not object to the anti-semitic
laws introduced
in the country in 1942 but thought that they were " a temporate
measure" and "not worrisome". However, when a Jewish
friend, trembling with fear, knocked on his door one night and
asked for help, he
realized that he had to do something to stop the deportation of
the Bulgarian Jews to Nazi extermination camps. He wrote a special
letter to Prime Minister Bogdan
Filov , in which he expressed his indignation at the proposed
measures. In only one day 42 members of Parliament signed the
letter and thus, the government could no longer
keep its actions in secret. His courage, boldness and willingness
to reveal the truth caused him to lose his post as a chairman of
the Parliament. Later, he was attacked by the Communists as well
who accused him of collaborating with the Nazis during the war.
Peshev died in 1973. Gabriele Nissim was extremely impressed by
his story and decided to write a book about him. To see the book's
outline, please click here.
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The People
In 1943, Beckerle, who was the German ambassador to Bulgaria, accused
the Bulgarians of "failing to think like the Germans". In
his own words:" The Bulgarian society
doesn't understand the real meaning of the Jewish
question.... I am convinced that the prime
minister and the entire cabinet desire and aspire to a final and
total solution of the Jewish question. But they are tied by the mentality
of the Bulgarian people, that lacks the ideological enlightenment
that we have...." (Beyond Hitler's Grasp). A
letter from Karl Hoffman, a representative of the (Nazi) Reich
Security Main
Office in Bulgaria, dated April 5, 1943 and cited in the Encyclopedia
of the Holocaust goes even further: "The
Jewish Question does not exist in Bulgaria in the sense that it
does in Germany. The ideological and racial prerequisites for convincing
the Bulgarian people of the urgent need for a solution of the Jewish
Question as in the Reich are not to be found here". What a great compliment to be made to the Bulgarian people! If
there were more "Righteous
Among the Nations " maybe the outcome of this shameful
event would have been different.
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