top of page
Writer's pictureEric D. Halsey

193 A Wave Against the Rocks

As the Greeks and Serbs complete the defeat of most Ottoman forces in the rest of the Balkans, the Bulgarians finally begin the attack on the final set of defenses standing between them and Constantinople.



Major Characters in this Episode

Tsar Ferdinand

General Dimitriev


Timeline for this Episode (old calendar)

  • 1912, Oct 30th - Serbian forces requested by Bulgaria arrive to assist in the siege of Adrianople.

  • 1912, Oct 30th - Ottoman forces in Europe are limited to Constantinople and a few fortresses. Kamil Pasha sends a letter to Tsar Ferdinand proposing a truce and the beginning of peace negotiations.

  • 1912, Nov 3rd - Serbian forces reach the Adriatic coast.

  • 1912, Nov 3-5th - Battle of Prilep

  • 1912, Nov 4 - The Bulgarians launch an offensive in the Rhodopi south towards the Aegean.

  • 1912, Nov 4-6th - A Bulgarian attack on Chataldzha fails.

  • 1912, Nov 4-5th - Battle of Bitola.

  • 1912, Nov 5th - Serb and Montenegrin forces take the port of Lezhe

  • 1912, Nov 5th - A Greek landing helps secure southern Albania.

  • 1912, Nov 5th - Tsar Ferdinand pressures Gueshoff to begin negotiations.


Main Sources for This Episode:

  • The Balkan Wars 1912-1913: Prelude to the First World War by Richard C. Hall

  • Prelude to the First World War: The Balkan Wars 1912-1913 by E.R. Hooton

  • The Wars of Yesterday: The Balkan Wars and the Emergence of Modern Military Conflict, 1912-1913 Edited by Katrin Boeskh and Sabine Rutar

  • Foxy Ferdinand by Stephen Constant

  • The Balkans: Nationalism, War, and the Great Powers, 1804-1999 by Misha Glenny

  • Greek plans for an assault on the Dardanelles (1912-1914) by Dionysios Chourchoulis


A photograph of the Bulgarian attack on the Chataldzha Line
A photograph of the Bulgarian attack on the Chataldzha Line

A Turkish map showing the attacks on the Chataldzha Line
A Turkish map showing the attacks on the Chataldzha Line

A postcard depicting the Battle of Prilep
A postcard depicting the Battle of Prilep

The Serbian cemetery where the soldiers who died taking Bitola are buried
The Serbian cemetery where the soldiers who died taking Bitola are buried


139 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Kommentare


bottom of page