740.0011 E.W./9–1144: Telegram
The Consul General at Istanbul (Berry) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:34 p.m.]
534R117. Reestablishment late yesterday of telephone connections between Istanbul and Sofia permitted my Bulgarian source to confirm from Sofia the following developments:
On September 5 amid efforts to maintain strict neutrality and preserve internal order Bulgarian Council of Ministers met at 3 p.m. faced with problem of taking measures against outbreak of various German reprisals within the country, brushes between German and Bulgarian troops, including German torture and imprisonment of the staff of a Bulgarian division occupying Serbia and disarming of various detachments.
While thus in session the Council of Ministers received the note from USSR announcing Russian declaration of war against Bulgaria. Without adjourning the meeting the Council sent three Ministers to the Soviet Legation in Sofia to request an armistice. The Council of Ministers had already decided to break off diplomatic relations with Reich and so informed diplomatic representative of USSR. Also diplomatic relations were broken off with Social Fascist Italian Republic and independent Croatia and Slovakia. Council on September 6 dissolved all Fascist organizations of National Socialist ideology which are influenced from abroad.
Commander of Fifth Army, Major General Constantin Stoyanov, and Chief of Staff of Bulgarian Armies, Major General Trifon Trifonov, were dismissed. Major General Cyril Yanchulev was named Chief of Bulgarian Forces. Regent Filoff resigned.
An amnesty was declared for those accused of plotting against Fascist ideology. By ministerial decree all military ranks of Allied countries were liberated. State gendarmerie was dissolved and its formations returned whence derived, the police or the army.
On September 6 the Russian Army entered Bulgaria and on the 8th the Bulgarian Government replied to the proclamation of General Tolbukhin, commanding Russian troops in Bulgaria, that no obstacle exists to ending state of war. The Government was ready to begin armistice immediately.
Late in the 8th Moscow Radio announced that the Government of Muraviev was unable to give the necessary guarantees for the execution of the armistice and the Government immediately resigned. On [Page 412] the 9th a new leftist Government under Kimon Gheorgiev was announced. This Government attested the intention of national front to consolidate all its forces to assist USSR, Allies to rid Balkans of Germans. It proclaimed that every effort will be made to establish solid relations with USSR and the new Yugoslavia and sincere friendship with western democratic powers. It then relieved of their functions Prince Cyril and General Michoff, the two remaining Regents, and published the declaration of war against Germany.