Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars

The Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and the First Bulgarian Empire, primarily during the Macedonian era of Byzantine history (867-1025 CE). These wars were often driven by territorial ambitions and struggles for dominance in the Balkans.12

A significant period of conflict involved Tsar Simeon I of Bulgaria, who, after being educated in Constantinople, sought to expand his empire and even claimed the title of "Emperor of the Bulgars and Autocrat of the Romans". His ambitions led to prolonged campaigns against Byzantium, though he ultimately exhausted Bulgaria's resources. The Byzantine emperor Basil II eventually crushed Bulgarian resistance in the early 11th century, incorporating Bulgaria into the Byzantine Empire for over a century and a half. These wars were part of a larger dynamic where Byzantium used both military conquest and diplomacy, including the evangelization of the Slavs and Bulgars, to extend its influence.231