Consequences of the Wars on the Development of Sports in Bulgaria in the 20th Century

The article focuses on the effects of the wars on the development of sports in Bulgaria during the twentieth century. Sport is a civilizational achievement with significant economic implications. In the Bulgaria, it first appeared in the years following the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878), and it was fostered by foreign teachers, students returning from abroad, and officer movements. The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 and World War I had significant implications for the development of sports in the country. Sports emerged as training for wars, and wars as preparation for sports. After the signing of the Treaty of Neuilly (1919), with the clauses abolishing compulsory military service in Bulgaria, the importance of sports and physical education in preparing the nation for participation in military operations increased. After World War I, sports organizations developed and expanded their economic dimensions, securing significant revenues from various sources. During this period, the Bulgarian National Sports Federation and the Bulgarian Olympic Committee were established, which was recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The Second World War had significant consequences for sport at the international level, and the consequences for the development of sport in Bulgaria after this war and after the change in the political system were particularly significant. The athletic organizations that existed before September 9, 1944 were labeled bourgeois, reformed, and abolished. With the outbreak of the Cold War, sport was recognized as a tool for promoting socialist ideology and its importance in the national economy expanded. At the same time, sports and prize money from international events proved to be a valuable source of scarce foreign currency in the socialist economy. The massification of sports and the industrial manufacturing of athletes began in the 1960s, notably in specifically designed sports schools. The consequences of the wars on the development of sports in Bulgaria in the 20th century were significant.