FERDINAND I, former King of Bul garia. He was born in Vienna, in 1861, the youngest son of Prince Augustus of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Clementine of Bourbon-Orleans, who was the daughter of Louis Philippe. He was educated in the schools of Germany and developed a marked taste for natural history. He made several trips, including one to Brazil in 1879. He published his observa tions in botany. In 1886 he was offered the throne of Bulgaria which at that time was vacant. This he accepted and on Aug. 14, 1887, was crowned Prince of Bulgaria. He was not, however, recog nized by the Great Powers until 1896. He married in 1893 Marie Louise of Bourbon, the eldest daughter of Duke Robert of Parma. Following her death, he married in 1908, Eleanor, the daugh ter of a prince of the house of Reuss. In the same year he took advantage of the political difficulties of Turkey and proclaimed the complete independence of Bulgaria, assuming the title of King. This title was recognized by Turkey and the Great Powers in the following year. Ferdinand took an active interest in the formation of the Balkan League and in the carrying on of the Balkan War of 1912-1913. The victories of the Bul garian forces in this war increased his prestige, but the collapse of Bulgaria in the second phase of the war brought him discredit both at home and abroad. In
spite of the fact that the Bulgarian territory had been greatly enlarged as a result of the Balkan War, Ferdinand, who was a man of great ambition, was deeply disappointed that larger territory had not been secured. At the outbreak of the World War both the Entente and the Central Powers made strenuous efforts to secure the support of Bulga ria. Ferdinand's sympathies were with Germany, while it is believed that the majority of the people, had they been left free to choose, would have preferred to join with the Allies. There is evidence to indicate that Ferdinand, even before the outbreak of actual hostilities, had arrived at a friendly understanding with the Central Powers. In September, 1915, after a period of neutrality, Ferdinand finally decided to actively join against the Allied Powers. On the final defeat of Bulgaria in October, 1918, Ferdinand formally abdicated the crown in favor of the Crown Prince, Boris. See BUL GARIA ; WORLD WAR.