ch was held at Constantinople on April
5, 1886. To the infinite disgust of the czar, the dispute was decided
in favor of Prince Alexander.

Russia, however, had a pro-Russian party in Bulgaria. On August 21,
1886, Prince Alexander was kidnaped and carried across the Danube,
after being compelled to abdicate. At Lemberg, in Austrian territory
he was set free. The Bulgarians rallied under the President of the (p. 245)
National Assembly and forced the pro-Russians to flee, after which
Prince Alexander returned on the 3d of September. Once more he made an
attempt to pacify the czar, but when his telegram remained unanswered,
he abdicated three days later, rather than involve the country in a
war with Russia. He left on the same day, to the sorrow of the people.

The czar was angry. He knew that Austria would not have dared oppose
him unless assured of the support of Germany. The feeling in Russia
grew more bitter when the election in Bulgaria showed a total defeat
of the pro-Russian party, and the crown was offered to Prince Waldemar
of Denmark, who declined at the instance of the czar. The Bulgarians
then made an offer to Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, who accepted,
and in August made his formal entry in Tirnova. Alexander once more
protested to the powers, but it passed unheeded and he urged the
sultan to expel Ferdinand. Abdul Hamid declined with thanks,
preferring to have as neighbor a small independent country to Russia.
Alexander then demanded payment of the war indemnity due since the
Treaty of San Stefano, but could obtain nothing except a profusion of
excuses and apologies. Soon after the sultan had trouble in Armenia,
which was Russia's latest resort to arouse public opinion against the
Turk.

This is the age of colossal enterprises and combinations in every
direction, in politics as well as in other branches of human activity.
In Russia Slavophilism, gave way to Panslavism, that is, the scheme to
unite all Slav nations. Germany was quick to respond with Pan (p. 246)
Germanism, that is, to bring all German-speaking nations under one
scepter. The czar, obeying this impulse, made every effort to convert
the Baltic provinces,--which Germany called the German Provinces,--into
Slavs by making the Russian language the only language that was taught
in the schools; and Germany retaliated in the Polish provinces. Under
these circumstances friendship ceased. Russia established a protective
tariff, which was a rude