1940s in Bulgaria

The 1940s in the Kingdom of Bulgaria (until 1946) and the People's Republic of Bulgaria (from 1946).

Kingdom of Bulgaria

 * Tsar of Bulgaria:
 * Boris III (1918–1943)
 * Simeon II (1943–1946)
 * Regent:
 * Kiril, Prince of Preslav (1943–1944)
 * Bogdan Filov (1943–1944)
 * Nikola Mihov (1943–1944)
 * Todor Pavlov (1944–1946)
 * Venelin Ganev (1944–1946)
 * Tsvetko Boboshevski (1944–1946)
 * Prime Minister of Bulgaria:
 * Georgi Kyoseivanov (1935–1940)
 * Bogdan Filiov (1940–1943)
 * Petar Gabrovski (acting, 1943)
 * Dobri Bozhilov (1943–1944)
 * Ivan Bagrianov (1944)
 * Konstantin Muraviev (1944)
 * Kimon Georgiev (1944–1946)

People's Republic of Bulgaria

 * General Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party:
 * Georgi Dimitrov (1948–1949)
 * Valko Chervenkov (1949–1954)
 * Chairman of the Provisional Presidency: Vasil Kolarov (1946–1947)
 * Chairman of the Presidium: Mincho Neychev (1947–1950)
 * Prime Minister of Bulgaria:
 * Kimon Georgiev (1946)
 * Georgi Dimitrov (1946–1949)
 * Vasil Kolarov (1949–1950)

1940

 * 7 September – Bulgaria regained control of Southern Dobruja under the Treaty of Craiova.
 * 14 December – Shipwreck of the Salvador, a ship carrying Jewish refugees to Palestine, in the Sea of Marmara. 230 of the 326 passengers died in the wreck.
 * 24 December – The Law for the Protection of the Nation, an anti-Jewish racial law which included banning Jews from having Bulgarian citizenship, was ratified.

1941

 * March 1 – Bulgaria joined the Axis.

1942

 * June 5 – The United States declared war on Bulgaria following the latter's joined of the Axis bloc the previous year.

1943

 * December 10 – The allies conduct bombing raids over Sofia.

1944

 * August 26 – Bulgaria officially withdraws from World War II.


 * September 8 - Soviet forces cross the border. They occupy the north-eastern part of Bulgaria along with the key port cities of Varna and Burgas by the next day. By order of the government, the Bulgarian Army offers no resistance.

1945

 * 18 November – Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria.
 * 21 July – The University of Ruse was founded.

1946

 * 8 September – A referendum was held in Bulgaria on whether to become a republic. The result were unanimously in favour of the change, with 95.6% supporting and with 91.7% voter turnout.
 * 31 December – The 1946 Bulgarian census.

1947

 * Bulgaria's second constitution, the Dimitrov Constitution, came into effect. It was later replaced by the Zhivkov Constitution in 1971.

1948

 * 6 January – Balkantourist (the oldest still running Bulgarian tour operator) is established.

1949

 * 18 December – Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria.

Births

 * 1940
 * 2 July – Georgi Ivan Ivanov, first Bulgarian in space.
 * 8 December – Alexander Yossifov, composer and conductor.

Deaths

 * 1940
 * 23 March – Dimitar Stanchov, 15th Prime Minister of Bulgaria (b. 1863)
 * 10 September – Nikola Ivanov, Bulgarian general (b. 1861)
 * 23 December – Mariyka Popova, actress (b. 1866).