ACT 2 WK BK NO 6 PGS 125 TO 126,

ACT 2 WK BK NO 6 PGS 125 TO 126,

(i)                  Catherine wants the Bulgarian army and its allies the Russians to Annex Serbia. However, we know that she has no love lost for the Russians and wants to see the dominance of her own country over the Balkans.

         She wants her country to annex Serbia as she is deeply patriotic and wants Bulgaria to dominate the Balkans – the symbol of this dominance and the rise of Bulgarian power would be the declaration of Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, Emperor of the Balkans.

         Catherine’s strong and passionate patriotism is seen from this statement.

(ii)                By saying “I don’t doubt it in the least”, Paul emphasises that if the roles were reserved between him and his wife, she would have pushed for the Bulgarian army to carry forward the momentum of their victory in Slivnitza. Paul emphasises his faith in Catherine’s patriotism.

(iii)               The reason Paul Petkoff gives for not annexing Serbia is that military action would have required that the Bulgarians would have to fight not only the Serbians but their allies the Austrians who had dominance over the Balkans – having created an Austrian Empire and such military action would have taken a very long time, even if the Bulgarians could have managed it, and have kept him far too long away from Catherine whom he loved and missed. Thus Paul’s reason was both correct and just as the Bulgarian’s present advantage might easily be reversed when they would take on a stronger enemy.

(iv)              Major Paul Petkoff has been kept away from his wife whom he says he has missed greatly by the war the Bulgarians were waging against the Serbians.

(v)                This extract tells us that while Catherine and Paul have a very caring and loving relationship, the two of them are very different personalities. Catherine is the stronger personality and Paul knows that he would do well do placate his wife and side track any confrontation.