Ended the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and created an autonomous Bulgarian principality, though its terms were soon revised by the Congress of Berlin.
Key Facts
- Date signed
- 3 March 1878
- Parties
- Russian Empire and Ottoman Empire
- Ottoman rule in Bulgaria ended after
- ~500 years
- Superseded by
- Treaty of Berlin, three months later
- Bulgaria liberation day
- 3 March, celebrated annually
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 concluded with Russian military victory over the Ottoman Empire. Russia sought to formalize territorial and political changes in the Balkans, particularly regarding the status of Bulgaria and other Ottoman territories, through a bilateral peace agreement.
On 3 March 1878, representatives of the Russian and Ottoman empires signed the Treaty of San Stefano at the village of San Stefano near Constantinople. The treaty established an autonomous Principality of Bulgaria, recognized Serbian and Romanian independence, and granted Russia significant territorial concessions.
The enlarged Bulgarian state envisioned by the treaty alarmed neighboring Balkan states and the Great Powers, particularly France and the United Kingdom. The treaty's terms were never fully implemented; the Congress of Berlin, held three months later, superseded it with the Treaty of Berlin, which substantially reduced Bulgaria's boundaries.
Political Outcome
Established an autonomous Principality of Bulgaria and ended the Russo-Turkish War, but was superseded by the Treaty of Berlin after Great Power opposition.
Ottoman sovereignty over Bulgaria and dominance in the Balkans
Autonomous Bulgarian principality established; Russian influence expanded in the Balkans, later curtailed by the Congress of Berlin