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Writer's pictureEric D. Halsey

206 A Dream Realized?

Bulgaria finally enters the First World War, joining Germany and Austria-Hungary in a massive offensive against Serbia. But while some victories are coming easily, all is not as it seems. True, Bulgaria is finally realizing one of its greatest national ambitions, but will it all turn out to be just a dream?



Major Characters in this Episode:

Tsar Ferdinand

Alexander Stamboliiski

Field Marshal Von Mackensen


Timeline for this episode:

  • 1915, Oct 3rd - Bulgarian troops take Vranje, severing the rail link between Nis and Thessaloniki.

  • 1915, Oct 3rd-Nov 8th - The Battle of Krivolak.

  • 1915, Oct 5th - There is a mutiny in the 27th Chepinski regiment.

  • 1915, Oct 7th - Bulgarian troops take Kumanovo. The Anglo-French navy shells Bulgarian ports on the Aegean.

  • 1915, Oct 10th - Bulgarian troops take Skopje.

  • 1915, Oct 11th - Bulgarian troops take Negotin and Prahovo.

  • 1915, Oct 11th - Bulgarian troops take Knyazhevets and Burza Palanka.

  • 1915, Oct 11th - Bulgarian troops take the fortresses of Pirot and Zaječar.

  • 1915, Oct 18th - French units construct two bridges over the Vardar to keep their bridgehead supplied.

  • 1915, Oct 19th - Bulgarian troops take Veles.

  • 1915, Oct 17th - Alexander Nevsky Church is renamed “St. Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius”

  • 1915, Oct 23rd - Bulgarian troops enter the temporary Serbian capital at Nis, capturing 20,000 Serbian soldiers.

  • 1915, Oct 24th - Bulgarian troops take Leskovac.

  • 1915, Oct 24th - Bulgarian troops take Aleksinac.

  • 1915, Oct - Committee investigating the conduct of the Bulgarian governments during the Balkan Wars concludes its work.

  • 1915, Nov 1st - Bulgarian troops take Prilep.

  • 1915, Nov 2-10th - Bulgarian troops take control of Kosovo, capturing Pristina on the 10th.

  • 1915, Nov 3rd - Bulgarian troops take Tetovo.

  • 1915, Nov 11th - Bulgarian troops take Ferizovic.

  • 1915, Nov 13th - Serbian troops begin a strategic withdrawal to the Adriatic so they can be evacuated by the Italian and French navies.

  • 1915, Nov 16th - Bulgarian troops take Krushevo.

  • 1915, Nov 16th - Bulgarian troops take Prizren.

  • 1915, Nov 17th - New districts are formed in Macedonia and the Moravia region of Serbia.

  • 1915, Mid-Nov - The Entente suffers 6,000 casualties in a failed attack on the Black River at Krivolak.

  • 1915, Nov 21st - Bulgarian troops take Bitola and Resen.

  • 1915, Nov 22nd - Bulgarian troops take Dyakovo.

  • 1915, Nov 22-28th - Battle of Kosturino.

  • 1915, Nov 24th - Bulgarian troops take Ohrid.

  • 1915, Nov 25th - Bulgarian troops take Podredec and Struga.

Sources used in this episode:

История на България в Дати by Vasil Katsunov, Plamen Mitev, Valeri Kolev, Evgenia Kalinova, and Iskra Baeva

The Rough Road to Statecraft: The Life of Bulgaria’s Ivan E. Gueshoff by Elena Statelova

The Balkans by Misha Glenny

Balkan Breakthrough by Richard C. Hall

The First World War by John Keegan

Kosovo: A Short History by Noel Malcolm



A map showing the fighting in Vardar Macedonia.
A map showing the fighting in Vardar Macedonia.


A Bulgarian postcard depicting the Battle of Krivolak.
A Bulgarian postcard depicting the Battle of Krivolak.


Serbian cavalry retreating through the mountains.
Serbian cavalry retreating through the mountains.

Another image depicting the Serbian retreat.
Another image depicting the Serbian retreat.

A map depicting the offensive into Kosovo.
A map depicting the offensive into Kosovo.

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