Bulgaria’s army has been strictly controlled since…

Bulgaria’s army has been strictly controlled since the 1886 coup.

Voters have been intimidated to ensure the reelection of incumbent officials, and political patronage has grown rampant.

Stambolov, using his own and Ferdinand's ties with Germany and Austria-Hungary, has built a capitalist Bulgarian economic system on foreign loans, protectionism, an expanded industrial and transport infrastructure, and a strict tax system for capital accumulation.

Especially important to the Bulgarian economy are completion of the Vienna-to-Constantinople Railway through Bulgaria in 1888 and the Burgas-Yambol Railway in the early 1890s.

Stambolov derives strong political support from the entrepreneurs who benefit from his industrial policy.