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“The Most Important Engines for the Development of a Country” – The Role of District Councils as an Institution in Northeastern Bulgaria (until 1912)

Author

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  • Petar Dobrev

    (Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski', Bulgaria)

Abstract

It is a widely shared opinion that local governments had limited power in the new Balkan states at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. While this was also true for Bulgaria, this paper tries to show that holding positions in the local government and especially in the District councils proved to be very beneficial for big landowners in Northeastern Bulgaria prior to the Balkan Wars. The District councils provided powerful leverage to shape local policies in areas such as agriculture and infrastructure and also helped its members form influential political networks. While Bulgarian government policy focused mainly on industry in that period, local institutions, under the tutelage of the big landowners, served as a channel through which to divert some state funds towards agriculture, especially in areas like Dobrudja where large estates predominated.

Suggested Citation

  • Petar Dobrev, 2018. "“The Most Important Engines for the Development of a Country” – The Role of District Councils as an Institution in Northeastern Bulgaria (until 1912)," Proceedings of the Centre for Economic History Research, Centre for Economic History Research, vol. 3, pages 312-321, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:ceh:journl:y:2018:v:3:p:312-321
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    District councils; local government; local institutions; capitalist agriculture; Dobrudja; Varna; capital accumulation; political networks; merchant networks; Bulgaria;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N94 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - Europe: 1913-

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