On September 20, 1918, 1918 – .The Bulgarian government accepts the Austro-Hungarian proposal of September 14 for a general armistice.
This was reached after the tension in the army and the rebellion that arose, the government in Sofia instead of ordering Gen. Vladimir Vazov to proceed to Thessaloniki, decides to request armistice negotiations with the Entente.
The armistice that Bulgaria concluded in Thessaloniki on September 29, 1918, was in force until the signing of the Neue Peace Treaty on November 27, 1919. According to it, Bulgaria undertook to withdraw, disarm and demobilize its troops, with the exception of three divisions and four cavalry regiments. The Entente was given the right to hold captive a 100,000-strong Bulgarian army west of the Skopje meridian, to establish control over Bulgarian communications and partially occupy the country, notes the "Reference" department. of BTA.
Bulgaria ends the Battle of Doiran on September 19, 1918 during World War I with success. The Entente troops who began the action lost around 47,000 British soldiers and 20,000 Greek soldiers. Less than 500 soldiers were killed by the Bulgarian troops, notes the "Reference Information" editorial board.
A day earlier – on September 18, 1918, the troops of the Entente (the military-political bloc between Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia and other countries, formed in 1904-1907) launched an offensive against the Bulgarian troops on the Southern Front during the First World War. The Entente decided by two breakthroughs – to the French at Dobro Pole and to the English and Greeks at Lake Doiran, the Bulgarian army in Macedonia to be liquidated.
At Dobro Pole, the French broke through the front and advanced slowly, expecting the parallel breakthrough at Doirand. However, the situation there is different.
Four English, two Greek and one French divisions were assembled near Doiran, with the commander-in-chief, Gen. Milne against the 9th Pleven Division, headed by Gen. Vladimir Vazov. The twelve other Bulgarian divisions are deployed on the 600-kilometer front from the White Sea to Albania. The balance of power is 7:1 in favor of the Entente.
The attack on the Bulgarian positions at Doiran began already on September 16 with 350,000 shells (artillery training), but thanks to the ones built by Gen. Vladimir Vazov fortifications killed only nine and wounded 40 people. On September 18, 1918, the Entente troops advanced, determined to quickly end the military operation at Doiran. The Bulgarian army responded with its 220 cannons, 400 mortars, 440 machine guns and 30,000 Bulgarian rifles. A day later, the battle ended in defeat for the Entente troops.
This is how BTA informs about what is happening on the Macedonian front:
Bulletin on the military operations of September 14, 1918. Macedonian front. (...)
Along the entire front from Lake Prespa to Vardara, increased fire activity.
West and north of Bitola, several enemy companies were scattered with fire, which, after strong artillery preparation, tried to approach our trenches. (...)
Southeast of Gradeshnica and near Dobro Pole, after a long artillery preparation, the enemy attacked our front trenches twice with significant forces, but was bloody repulsed.
From Huma to Gevgeli, continuous artillery hurricanes from our side and the enemy.
East of Vardar and near Doiran, English assault detachments were repulsed by fire.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 15, 1918. Macedonian front. (...)
North of Bitola, after a long artillery preparation, French companies tried to approach our front trenches, but were scattered by fire. (...)
In the sector of Gradeshnica next to the Bachovsky ridge, fierce combat activity. Enemy detachments attacked our positions south of the town of Denitsa in several places, but were repulsed with significant losses. Several French prisoners remained in our hands.
Further east, after an extremely strong artillery preparation, French and Serbian divisions attacked our positions at Sokol, Dobro Pole and Vetrenik early today, and after a hard fight succeeded in capturing these points, suffering heavy losses. In order to save our troops from giving unnecessary casualties, we withdrew our units in this section to new positions further north. (...)
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 16, 1918. Macedonian front. After a short artillery preparation, Italian units attacked our positions east of the 1050 height, but were repulsed by fire.
From the village of Gradeshnitsa to Mount Kozhuh, throughout the day persistent infantry fighting in front of our new position. Our units repelled with fire and from units after hand-to-hand combat the numerous attacks of significant forces east of the village of Gradeshnitsa, north of Dobro pole and near the village of Sborsko, causing them heavy losses. (...)
At Doiran the artillery fire from both sides was too heavy. Several English platoons which advanced towards our forward position, south of Doiran, were driven off.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Berlin, September 17, 1918. Official Communiqué (…)
Macedonian front. To the east of Cherna, since September 15, the Bulgarians have been fighting the French, the Serbs and the Greeks. To repel the enemy, German companies also intervened.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 18, 1918. Macedonian front. (...)
South of Houma, our artillery set fire to a large enemy ammunition depot.
At Vardara, artillery fire from both sides was temporarily stronger.
On both sides of the Doiran lake, during the day, fierce fighting took place.
South and west of Doiran, after three days' most intense artillery preparation, during which the enemy fired more than 250,000 shells of various calibres, about three English and two Greek divisions attacked in dense masses, and succeeded in several places in penetrating our forward positions, but, immediately counter-attacked by our gallant infantry, with the excellent assistance of the artillery, were repulsed from all places, leaving on the field of battle many killed and wounded. More than 500 uninjured prisoners – English and Greeks, with many arms and other war materials remained in our hands.
Simultaneously with these actions, to the north-east of the lake, a Greek division advanced towards our position, and, having been allowed to approach sufficiently, was covered by the fire of our artillery and scattered with great loss, leaving prisoners also in our hands.
East of Cherna, German Vicefeldfebel Fieseler claimed his 17th victory in the air.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 20, 1918. Macedonian front. North of Bitola and in the bend of Cherna, our units dispersed with fire several enemy detachments, which, after a strong artillery preparation, advanced towards our positions.
Strong enemy attacks were repulsed in Morovsko, during which our units captured Serbs and French prisoners.
East of Cherna, stubborn fighting continues. Our front will be moved to the north.
South of Gevgeli, English detachments tried to approach our trenches, but were bloody repulsed.
At Doiran, after his defeat in the last two days, the enemy did not renew his attacks today.
During the day, three enemy planes were shot down.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 21, 1918. Macedonian front. From Shkumba to Cherna, the artillery fire from both sides was, in several places, temporarily stronger. At eastern Cherna, with a counterattack, our units repulsed several Serbian detachments. In the corner between Cherna and Vardara, the fighting continues with great ferocity.
After the strong Anglo-French attacks in recent days against our positions at Doiran were bloody repulsed by the brave Dorostolians and Svishtovians, combat activity on this front decreased. (...)
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Sofia, September 23, 1918. On September 22, the Chief of Staff of the Active Army made the following statement to a representative of the Press Directorate on the actions of our southern front:
“According to the information we had gathered, the attacks on the enemy were expected for a long time. They started on the 14th. with strong artillery training. The very next day, the enemy attacked our front between Sokol – Good field – Bachovsky ridge. By expending vast quantities of material and putting large masses of soldiers into battle, the enemy was able to capture some of our fortified positions and entrench themselves in them. So that our troops would not suffer significant losses and in order to preserve manpower for the further struggle, the units were ordered to retreat gradually until a more sound tactical situation was created.
The prescribed actions continue to date. They result, indeed, in a loss of certain ground. But this gain of the enemy is, so to speak, voluntarily given up by us. The general situation: a retreat from whole parts of our general front may become necessary, and in such case it will be ordered. However, it does not carry anything disturbing, because it will be the result of a previously taken decision. During the actions in this mountainous area, the small units that we oppose to the enemy inflict very sensitive losses on him. This is one course of action that is necessary in the current situation on the southern front. It may become necessary to abandon some settlements, but this will be of no consequence to the general course of the struggle, because the more the enemy advances, the more he will encounter greater and insurmountable hardships of a different nature.
The enemy tried another strike against our positions between Vardara and Doiran Lake.
His aim was to break through our lines in order to penetrate deep into our rear and create a difficult situation for our troops west of Vardara. Despite the much greater expenditure of funds and investment of forces on the part of the enemy, his pressure here was broken by the tenacious resistance of the 9th Pleven Division. Here the enemy suffered extremely heavy losses, during the turning attacks he left in our hands more than 600 English and Greek prisoners and lost about 8-9000 people killed and wounded. Our excellent position here afforded us too easy an opportunity of exploiting this brilliant success. However, for the same reasons – to protect the manpower of the Bulgarian army – we have given up actions which, although they would have brought us great results, would have cost us comparatively sensitive victims.
The Bulgarian High Command is doing its best to preserve the Bulgarian military power for the destructive moment. This will be best seen from subsequent events.
In these days of major military operations on the southern front, exceptional moral endurance and faith in the favorable outcome of the started operations is required of the Bulgarian people. Only the hand that holds the sword firmly will be able to impose its demands and will be able to realize the ideals of our people. This requires a great unity among all citizens and soldiers, who with friendly forces will find within themselves the flame of the first days of the struggle, in order to bring their bright right cause of Bulgaria to a good end.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 23, 1918. Macedonian front. In the Gorna Shkumba valley, our assault groups entered the enemy trenches, from where they returned with French prisoners.
Along the ridge of Mokra Planina and at the Red Wall, several enemy assault detachments were scattered with fire.
North of Bitola, after strong artillery preparation, enemy companies attacked our positions, but were repulsed with significant losses. (...)
North of Bitola, enemy aviators dropped bombs on our clearly marked military hospitals.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
After the battle at Doiran, gen. Vladimir Vazov reports in Sofia that there is no opponent in front of him and asks to advance to Thessaloniki together with the 11th division and the 2nd army occupying the front at Seres. At the same time, however, there was tension among other divisions of the Bulgarian army, and after the breakthrough of the Entente at Dobro Pole on September 24, 1918, the Military (Vladai) Uprising broke out – the first spontaneous armed attempt to forcibly abolish the monarchy in Bulgaria and replace it with a republican government, notes the “Reference” department. of BTA.
Bulgaria's participation in the war gave rise to strong dissatisfaction in the country. Resentment among the military masses intensified after the breakthrough of the Entente troops at Dobro Pole in Macedonia. The defeated troops retreat to Bulgaria. Some of them go to Gorna Jumaya (now Blagoevgrad), and another to Dupnitsa. On September 24, 1918, an insurgent detachment seized the headquarters of the Headquarters of the Active Army in Kyustendil and arrested the officers there.
In order to prevent the advance of the insurgent military units to the capital, the government sends a delegation headed by the Minister of Defense Gen. Sava Savov, which includes a group of people's representatives and the heads of the BZNS – Alexander Stamboliyski and Rayko Daskalov. This delegation goes to Radomir, where the main point of the insurgents is, and from there – for Kyustendil. Her efforts to stop the movement of soldiers towards Sofia remain unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the military actions of the Macedonian front continue, which BTA reports:
Bulletin on the military operations of September 24, 1918. Macedonian front. West of Lake Ohrid, artillery fire from both sides was temporarily quite heavy.
In Bitola, on several occasions enemy units fiercely attacked our positions, but were bloody repulsed, partly after hand-to-hand combat. Several wounded French prisoners remained in our hands.
North of Cherna, undisturbed by the enemy, our units systematically retreated to Babuna Mountain.
At Krivolak, the enemy attacked with considerable force. The fight continues.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
***
Due to the tension in the army and the rebellion that arose, the government in Sofia instead of ordering Gen. Vladimir Vazov to proceed to Thessaloniki, decides to request armistice negotiations with the Entente:
The parties of the bloc publish the following announcement: In agreement with the parties of the bloc, today, 25 tm, 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the Government made an official offer to the enemy for a truce and peace. The parties of the block appeal to the army and the population to maintain the military and public discipline, so necessary for the successful completion in these fateful times of the work of peace.
The National Assembly convenes for 30 tm.
***
Sofia, September 26, 1918. The Bulgarian Government, bearing in mind the circumstances which have recently arisen and having discussed the situation together with all competent factors to put an end to the bloodshed, have authorized the Commander-in-Chief of the Active Army to request the Commander-in-Chief of the Treaty troops in Salonica a cessation of hostilities, then to begin negotiations for an armistice and peace. The members of the Bulgarian delegation left last night to meet with representatives of the belligerent countries of the Agreement.
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The Bulgarian delegation, which is charged with negotiating a truce and peace, consists of Messrs. Andrey Lyapchev – Minister of Finance, Major General Ivan Lukov – commander of the second army, and the plenipotentiary minister S. Radev. Together with them, Mr. Murphy, the head of the American legation in Sofia, left for the front.
***
Bulletin on the military operations of September 26, 1918. Macedonian Front. West of Vardara, our units continue their planned movement to the north.
A strong enemy attack was repulsed east of Veles.
English detachments advanced after artillery preparation towards our positions on Visoka Chuka, north of the Doiran Lake, but were dispersed by fire.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
Tensions in the ranks of the army continue to grow. On September 27, 1918 in Radomir – the main assembly point of the Military (Vladai) Uprising, in front of jubilant soldiers, Rayko Daskalov announced the overthrow of the monarchy and proclaimed Bulgaria a republic, the so-called Republic of Radomir. Alexander Stamboliyski was declared its chairman, and commander-in-chief – Raiko Daskalov. The military actions in Macedonia also continue:
Bulletin on the military operations of September 28, 1918. Macedonian front. (...)
Between Vardara and Struma, rearguard battles with weak enemy units.
In the Struma valley, successful patrol skirmishes for us.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
On September 28, about 6,000 mutinous soldiers left for Sofia, overcame the resistance of the government units and on September 29 deployed on the front from Boyana to Gorna Banya.
The skirmishes on the Macedonian front are also a fact:
Bulletin on the military operations of September 29, 1918. Macedonian front. From Albania to Belasica, rearguard battles.
On the Belasitsa front, successful patrol skirmishes for us.
In the valley of the Struma, several Greek companies with artillery and machine guns tried to advance against our positions, but were driven off after leaving their weapons, several machine guns and prisoners in our hands.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
Same day – September 29, negotiations between Bulgaria and the Entente take place in Thessaloniki, which end with an agreement. It is for the cessation of hostilities:
Sofia, September 30, 1918. Last night, September 29, late at night, an armistice was signed between the Bulgarian delegates and the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Army in Thessaloniki. An order was given along the entire front to cease hostilities.
The Bulgarian people and the army are asked at this moment, once hostilities have ceased, to maintain complete calm and order, in order to give the government the opportunity to complete the work of peace.
From the day of the final peace, we have too little time, and for that all the more the feeling of warm affection for Bulgaria should speak for everyone.
Parallel to what is happening in Thessaloniki, the situation around Sofia is tense – the rebels are in the area from Boyana to Gorna Banya. On September 30, 1918, the government troops launched a counteroffensive. At the same time, this is the first day on which the hostilities on the Macedonian front end:
Bulletin on the military operations of September 30, 1918. Macedonian front. According to the concluded truce, from today hostilities cease.
Headquarters of the Active Army.
The military uprising was put down on October 2, 1918 with the capture of Radomir by the government units. About 400 people died from the rebel soldiers and 30 people from the government units. 98 people were injured.
The armistice that Bulgaria concluded in Thessaloniki on September 29, 1918, was in force until the signing of the Neue Peace Treaty on November 27, 1919. According to it, Bulgaria undertook to withdraw, disarm and demobilize its troops, with the exception of three divisions and four cavalry regiments. The Entente was given the right to hold captive a 100,000-strong Bulgarian army west of the Skopje meridian, to establish control over Bulgarian communications and partially occupy the country, notes the "Reference" department. of BTA.