Bulgaria has traditionally been a poor and weak country that happens to be strategically located on the Black Sea, surrounded by powerful neighbors that include Turkey, Russia and the Germanic world. Because of this, Bulgaria has been under the influence of foreign powers since at least the late 14th century. The longest lasting of these was the Ottoman Empire, which controlled it between the 14th and 19th centuries. Bulgaria achieved independence in the late 1870s after significant help from Moscow, only to fall under Russian influence shortly afterward. Territorial disputes with its Balkan neighbors pushed the Bulgarian government to ally with Austria and Germany in World War I. Under the threat of German invasion, Bulgaria joined the Axis powers during World War II. After the war, Bulgaria became a Russian satellite once more.