est ab lish ing ▁itself ▁in ▁the ▁Black ▁Sea ▁and ▁following ▁the ▁political ▁movement ▁attempting ▁to ▁free ▁B alk an ▁nations ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁principal ities ▁of ▁Roman ia , ▁Ser bia ▁and ▁Mont en eg ro , ▁each ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁de ▁fact o ▁so vere ig nt y ▁for ▁some ▁time , ▁formally ▁proc laimed ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁After ▁almost ▁half ▁a ▁mill en ni um ▁of ▁Ott oman ▁dom ination ▁( 1 3 9 6 – 1 8 7 8 ), ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁state ▁was ▁re est ab lished ▁as ▁the ▁Princi p ality ▁of ▁Bulg aria , ▁covering ▁the ▁land ▁between ▁the ▁Dan ube ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁B alk an ▁Mountains ▁( except ▁Northern ▁Dob r ud ja ▁which ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁Roman ia ) ▁and ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Sof ia , ▁which ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁state ' s ▁capital . ▁The ▁Congress ▁of ▁Berlin ▁also ▁allowed ▁Austria - H ung ary ▁to ▁occup y ▁Bos nia ▁and ▁Herz egov ina ▁and ▁Great ▁Britain ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁Cy pr us , ▁while ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁an nex ed ▁Southern ▁B ess arab ia ▁and ▁the ▁K ars ▁region . ▁ ▁Congress ▁of ▁Berlin , ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁ ▁The ▁Congress ▁of ▁Berlin ▁( 1 3 ▁June ▁– ▁ 1 3 ▁July ▁ 1 8 7 8 ) ▁was ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁states men ▁of ▁Europe ' s ▁Great ▁Pow