How Asparuh Made an Empire Recognize a Newcomer

The Challenge

After the break-up of Old Great Bulgaria north of the Black Sea, Asparuh led his Bulgars west to the Danube delta in the 670s. They were newcomers on the edge of the Byzantine Empire, which regarded the lands south of the Danube as its own.

The Approach

• Held a fortified position in the delta, where Emperor Constantine IV's campaign against him in 680 failed
• Pursued the retreating Byzantine army, crossed the Danube and settled the lands between the river and the Balkan mountains
• Brought the local Slavic tribes into a common state with the Bulgars
• Turned the victory into a treaty in 681, in which Byzantium recognized the new state and agreed to pay it an annual tribute

The Impact

The First Bulgarian Empire was born as a state recognized by Byzantium by treaty. Within a generation its khan Tervel would hold the Byzantine title of Caesar.

The union of Bulgars and Slavs laid the foundation of the Bulgarian nation.

The Lesson for Leaders

A win on the battlefield lasts when it is turned into a formal agreement. Asparuh used his moment of strength to secure recognition and terms on paper, which gave the new state a standing that no single victory could.