The Union of Bulgarian National Legions (Bulgarian: Съюз на Българските Национални Легиони) was a right extremist organization in Bulgaria that was formed in 1933.
Also known as the Legionnaires’ Association, the movement was founded and led by Hristo Lukov, a Bulgarian army general who had commanded the 13th Division during the closing days of World War I. Initially identifying as an extreme monarchist group, it later sought unsuccessfully to work with the National Social Movement before finally emerging as a harassed opposition party that was largely supportive of Nazism. In its early days it was known as the Union of Young National Legions and was nominally led by a three man group that included student leader Ivan Dochev.
The movement was initially small, although it did gain some support from Nazi Germany and experienced some growth during the Second World War as a result. The movement floundered after the assassination of its leader by a Communist insurgency group on February 13, 1943, and it did not survive the war. However Dochev and a number of other leading members would re-emerge in the anti-communist exile group, the Bulgarian National Front.
Famous quotes containing the words union of, union, bulgarian, national and/or legions:
“Union of the weakest develops strength
Not wisdom. Can all men, together, avenge
One of the leaves that have fallen in autumn?
But the wise man avenges by building his city in snow.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)
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—Golda Meir (1898–1978)
“In the end we beat them with Levi 501 jeans. Seventy-two years of Communist indoctrination and propaganda was drowned out by a three-ounce Sony Walkman. A huge totalitarian system ... has been brought to its knees because nobody wants to wear Bulgarian shoes.... Now they’re lunch, and we’re number one on the planet.”
—P.J. (Patrick Jake)
“Any honest examination of the national life proves how far we are from the standard of human freedom with which we began. The recovery of this standard demands of everyone who loves this country a hard look at himself, for the greatest achievments must begin somewhere, and they always begin with the person. If we are not capable of this examination, we may yet become one of the most distinguished and monumental failures in the history of nations.”
—James Baldwin (1924–1987)
“I have, thanks to my travels, added to my stock all the superstitions of other countries. I know them all now, and in any critical moment of my life, they all rise up in armed legions for or against me.”
—Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923)