Tonchev, Dimitri

Born in Eastern Rumelia; Studied since 1875 in Russia: first at a real school in Nikolaev (until 1880), then (until 1883) at the law faculty of Novorossiysk University in Odessa. In 1883 he left for his homeland, in Philippopol, where he served in the district court, where he was a judge.

In 1884, he retired and first started practicing law in Philippopol, but in the same year he decided to devote himself to journalism and political activities, for which he moved to Sofia. He wrote articles in various newspapers and magazines, was the editor-publisher of the “Sudden Newsletter”, then one of the founders and editors of the body of the united opposition against the Istanbul regime “Svobodno Slovo” (1893-1894), editor of the organ of the Radoslav party “Narodni Prava” (1895— 1899) and, finally, the newspaper “Free Duma” (1901). From 1884 to 1886 he was a member of the Liberal Party, in those same years he was vice-speaker of the 4th regular National Assembly. From 1886 to 1907 it was published in the newspaper Plovdiv. He was also a deputy in the 5th (1887–1889; in this meeting until 1888 he was a speaker), 6th (1890–1892), 8th (1894–1896), 10th (1899–1900), 12 m (1902-1903), 15th (1911-1913), 16th (1913) and 17th (1914-1919) national assemblies and the Grand National Assembly of the 3rd convocation (1886-1887; until June 1887 was his speaker).

In 1885, Tonchev took part in the preparation of the revolution connecting East Rumelia with Bulgaria, and was one of the delegates sent by the interim government to Emperor Alexander III in Copenhagen. From 1885 to 1892, Tonchev was a deputy, and in 1887-1889 he chaired the national assembly, where he belonged to the liberal party (Radoslavov's party). In 1886 he became one of the main organizers of the counter-revolution, with the goal of returning Prince Battenberg to the Bulgarian throne. In 1887 he was chairman of the great national assembly convened in Tarnovo to elect the prince to the vacant throne, and proposed the candidacy of Prince Ferdinand, who was elected.

In 1889-1891, Tonchev was the Minister of Justice in the office of Istanbul. In 1891, he retired and became a strong opposition to Istanbul, joining Radoslavov; in 1892 he fought against the Istanbul constitutional review, which was aimed at strengthening the power of the ministry. In 1894, after the coup that overthrew Istanbul, Tonchev received the post of Minister of Trade and Agriculture in the new coalition cabinet of Stoilov and Radoslavov, but in the same year he retired. During these years he wrote several works on civil law. After the fall of Stoilov, in 1899, Tonchev became a member of the liberal government and was appointed Minister of Public Works in Grekov’s coalition cabinet and kept the same portfolio in the Ivanchov’s ministry (1900), changing it a little later to a foreign affairs portfolio. In 1900 he became a full member of the Bulgarian Literary Society. In January 1901 he retired.

During the ministry of Karavelov, 40 deputies submitted to the People’s Assembly a proposal for the prosecution of all members of Ivanchov’s cabinet, including Tonchev, on charges of various actions aimed at personal enrichment (Toncheva - when passing public contracts for the construction of railway cars), and violations of the constitution (making loans and spending state funds without prior permission of the national assembly). On May 16, 1901, Tonchev made a long speech in his defense in his defense. Tonchev's defensive speech on May 16, 1901, together with other speeches of the accused ministers, was printed in the German translation in the brochure Auszug aus dem Protokoll der Verhandlung über die Ministeranklagen (Sofia, 1901). Like his comrades in the cabinet and the process (Radoslavov, Ivanchov, Tenev), he was sentenced to 8 months in prison with the deprivation of civil and political rights, but immediately thereafter (1903) came under the amnesty law adopted by the assembly in December 1903 after the fall of the progressive government in May. In 1904, Tonchev created his own Young Liberal Party, the leader of which was before the party joined the National Liberal Party in 1920.

Together with Vasil Radoslavov and Nikola Genadiev Tonchev was the leader of one of the three parties in the liberal coalition that ruled the country during the First World War. On November 4, 1919, he was arrested, after which he was sentenced by the Third State Court to life imprisonment as, according to the verdict, one of the main culprits for drawing Bulgaria into the war on the side as a result of the defeated Central Powers, which led to the so-called Second National Disaster. In prison, however, he remained only until 1924, after which he was pardoned. Having been released, he tried to participate in the activities of the National Liberal Party, but this was met with protest by its then leaders, who tried to distance themselves from the old leaders of the liberal parties who had discredited themselves. In subsequent years, Tonchev withdrew from active political activity and wrote eight volumes of comments on his work on the contract law of the Law on Payments and Agreements, starting work in 1927 and finishing it shortly before his death.

The following works by Tonchev were published as separate books: “Comments on the law for inheritance” (Sofia, 1893-1896), “Comments on the law and agree” (Volume I, Sofia, 1893), “Law on the annotation notes” (Sofia, 1896 ), "Anti-Constitutional Laws" (1921).

• Vodovozov V.V. Tonchev, Dimitri // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.

• Biography on the website of the Ministry of Finance of Bulgaria (bulg.)
• Article in Nordisk Familjebok (Swedish)