Ferdinand I
former King of Bulgaria. 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 observations 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, recognized 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 daughter 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 FERDINAND 1912-1913. The victories of the Bulgarian 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 Bulgaria. 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 FERDINAND I., KING OF BULGARIA 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.
FERDINAND, VICTOR ALBERT MAINRAD, King of Rumania, born at Sigmaringen, Prussia, in 1865, the second son of Prince Leopold of Hohen zollern, and elder brother of King Charles I. of Rumania. His father and his elder brother renounced title to the crown, and Ferdinand was declared presumptive. He became Senator in 1889 and on March 18 of the same year was vested with the title of Prince of Rumania and declared FERGUSON successor to the throne. He married on Jan. 10, 1893, Marie Alexandra Victoria, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh. He succeeded his uncle on the death of the latter on Oct. 11, 1914. In spite of the German birth and relationships, his influence was opposed, at the outbreak of the World War, to the participation of Rumania on the side of the Central Powers. He was also opposed during the first years of the war, to active affiliation with the Entente nations. In August, 1917, however, Rumania finally cast aside her neutrality and declared war against Austria-Hungary, and from this time on King Ferdinand's efforts were devoted to the direction of the Rumanian armies and to the welfare of his people who suffered greatly by the repeated Austrian and German invasions. At the end of the war he had firmly established himself in the admiration and affection of his people. FERDUSI. See FIRDAUSI.