The 1876 April Uprising in Bulgarian Marxist historiography

Abstract

In the initial period of its development Marxist historiography showed relatively little interest in the 1876 April Uprising. Nevertheles, the first Marxist historians, though on а general level, showed understanding of the nature of the Uprising, of its place in the national liberation movement, and of its significance for the liberation of Bulgaria. Interest in the Uprising grew after World War I. During that period, Marxist historiography devoted much effort to а study of the problems involved in the preparation of the April Uprising, to the problems of the creation and activities of the revolutionary organization of the Bulgarian national revolution, and to the ideology of its leaders. After the end of World War II, the efforts of Marxist historiography were directed mainly towards explaining the econornic foundations of Bulgarian society. These studies had an important effect on the correct scientific characterization of the April Uprising. During that period Bulgarian Marxist historiography studied such problems as: the role and behaviour of the various classes during the Uprising; the military skill of the insurgents and their armaments, the ideological and political training of the April insurgents, etc. One of the great achievements of Marxist historiography after the end of World War II is the discovery аnd publication of documents on the preparation and course of the Uprising. There are also several bibliographical publications dedicated to the April Uprising.