born Feb. 26, 1861, Vienna, Austria
died Sept. 10, 1948, Coburg, Ger.
King of Bulgaria (190818).
Elected prince of Bulgaria in 1887, he proclaimed Bulgaria's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908 and assumed the title of king or tsar. He spearheaded the formation of the Balkan League (1912), which led to the first Balkan War . Bulgaria was defeated in the second Balkan War (1913), and Ferdinand's resentments against his former allies determined Bulgaria's participation in World War I on the side of the Central Powers . Following his country's military defeat in 1918, he was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, Boris III.