80 years ago on 9 September, a significant event unfolded in Bulgaria's history as a communist coup d'état ended the era of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. This coup occurred during World War II, with officers aligned with the Fatherland Front taking control of key sites in Sofia, resulting in the arrest of government ministers and the installation of a new government under Kimon Georgiev.
Following the coup, Bulgaria, previously allied with Nazi Germany, severed ties with the Third Reich and fell under the influence of the Soviet Union. The Soviet red army's occupation led to a period of intense repression and violence in the country, with the People's Court carrying out mass sentences, including numerous death penalties, which greatly impacted Bulgaria's political, state, military, and intellectual spheres. This turbulent time saw a dismantling of the existing elite structures, with severe consequences for the fabric of Bulgarian society.