Kimon Georgiev - Definition and Overview

Kimon Georgiev (Stoyanov) (1882-1969) was a Bulgarian prime minister. In the 1930s he was a member of the rght-wing military Zveno ('Link') movement. Together with fellow officers he committed a coup d'etat in June 1934 and became prime minister. He abolished all political parties and trade unions. As an imitator of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini he introduced a corporative economic system. In 1935 King Boris III, an enemy of Zveno politics (because of their republicanism) committed a coup and Georgiev went in exile. Later he returned to Bulgaria but was arrested and put in jail. Later he was released. During WWII when Bulgaria was fighting on the side of the Axis he joined the anti-Axis pro-communist Fatherland Front (FF). In September 1944 the FF committed a coup d'etat and Georgiev became prime minister (until 1946). In 1946 he was succeeded by the communist leader Georgi Dimitrov and he became Minister of Defence. Later he resigned and withdrew from politics.