Ratniks

Banned by Boris III, organizing a Bulgarian Kristallnacht

Despite decreeing their loyalty to the Bulgarian monarchy and King Boris III of Bulgaria, he officially dissolved the organisation in April 1939. The ban, however, was not enforced, and the Ratniks remained in existence. It was soon after the ban that they carried out one of their more notorious acts, the so-called "Bulgarian Kristallnacht" when, on September 20, 1939, the Ratniks marched in Sofia throwing stones at the Jewish shops. Police did not intervene, and some shop windows were smashed, although ultimately, it proved to have much less impact than the German version and was widely condemned by most politicians. Alexander Belev, a leading member of the group, later claimed that the attack had been his idea and that he had personally led the mob.