However, it was not a secret that Bulgaria's target was the fulfillment of the never-materialized Treaty of San Stefano, signed after the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78.
Only several years after its inception in 1878, Bulgaria became a regional military power and was involved in several major wars – Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), First Balkan War (1912–13), Second Balkan War (1913), First World War (1915–1918) and Second World War (1941–1945), during which the Army gained significant combat experience.
George's Day (6 May) is an official holiday in Bulgaria. ==History of the Bulgarian Army== === Medieval Period === The modern Bulgarian military dates back to 1878.
On 22 July 1878 (10 July O.S.) a total of 12 battalions of opalchentsi who participated in the Liberation war, formed the Bulgarian armed forces.
Bulgaria has a military stockpile of about 5,000,000 small arms, models ranging from World War II-era MP 40 machine pistols to modern Steyr AUG, AK-74, HK MP5, HK416 and AR-M12F assault rifles. ===National guard unit=== The National Guard of Bulgaria, founded in 1879, is the successor to the personal guards of Knyaz Alexander I.
Established almost simultaneously with the Ground forces in 1879, initially it consisted of a small fleet of boats on the Danube river.
In 1883 the military was reorganised in four infantry brigades (in Sofia, Pleven, Ruse and Shumen) and one cavalry brigade. ===Serbo-Bulgarian war=== The Serbo-Bulgarian War was the first armed conflict after Bulgaria's liberation.
It was a result of the unification with Eastern Rumelia, which happened on 6 September 1885.
Lured by Austria-Hungary's promises of territorial gains from Bulgaria (in return for concessions in the western Balkans), Milan IV declared war on Bulgaria on 14 November 1885. Military strategy relied largely on surprise, as Bulgaria had moved most of its troops near the border with the Ottoman Empire, in the southeast.
A peace treaty was signed in Bucharest on 19 February 1886.
Greek officers, revolting in August 1909, had secured the appointment of a progressive government under Eleftherios Venizelos, which they hoped would resolve the Cretan issue in Greece's favor and reverse their defeat of 1897 by the Ottomans.
No territorial changes were made to either country, but Bulgarian unification was recognised by the Great Powers. ===First Balkan War=== Instability in the Balkan region in the early 1900s quickly became a precondition for a new war.
Serbia's aspirations towards Bosnia and Herzegovina were thwarted by the Austrian annexation of the province in October 1908, so the Serbs focused their attention onto their historic cradle, Kosovo, and to the south for expansion.
Greek officers, revolting in August 1909, had secured the appointment of a progressive government under Eleftherios Venizelos, which they hoped would resolve the Cretan issue in Greece's favor and reverse their defeat of 1897 by the Ottomans.
Bulgaria, which had secured Ottoman recognition of its independence in April 1909 and enjoyed the friendship of Russia, also looked to districts of Ottoman Thrace and Macedonia for expansion. In March 1910 an Albanian insurrection broke out in Kosovo.
Bulgaria, which had secured Ottoman recognition of its independence in April 1909 and enjoyed the friendship of Russia, also looked to districts of Ottoman Thrace and Macedonia for expansion. In March 1910 an Albanian insurrection broke out in Kosovo.
In 1911 Italy launched an invasion of Tripolitania, which was quickly followed by the occupation of the Dodecanese Islands.
Thus, in the spring of 1912 consultations among the various Christian Balkan nations resulted in a network of military alliances that became known as the Balkan League.
For the latter, Bulgaria had a secret agreement with Serbia to divide it between them, signed on 13 March 1912 during the negotiations that led to the establishment of the Balkan League.
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912-May 1913, strengthened Bulgaria's position as a regional military power, significantly reduced Ottoman influence over the Balkans and resulted in the formation of an independent Albanian state. ===Second Balkan War=== The peace settlement of the First Balkan War proved unsatisfactory for both Serbia and Bulgaria.
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912-May 1913, strengthened Bulgaria's position as a regional military power, significantly reduced Ottoman influence over the Balkans and resulted in the formation of an independent Albanian state. ===Second Balkan War=== The peace settlement of the First Balkan War proved unsatisfactory for both Serbia and Bulgaria.
Armed skirmishes between Serbian and Bulgarian troops occurred. On 16 June 1913, just a few months after the end of the first war, the Bulgarian government ordered an attack on Serbian and Greek positions in Macedonia, without declaring war.
Southern Dobruja had been part of Romania since 1913.
After a month and two days of fighting, the war ended as a moral disaster for Bulgaria, and at the same time its economy was ruined and its military demoralised. ===First World War=== The Kingdom of Bulgaria participated in World War I on the side of the Central Powers between 15 October 1915, when the country declared war on Serbia, and 29 September 1918, when the Armistice of Thessalonica was signed.
However, Bulgaria now had no claims against the Ottomans, whereas Serbia, Greece and Romania (allies of Britain and France) were all in possession of lands perceived in Bulgaria as its own. In 1915 Germany promised to restore the boundaries according to the Treaty of San Stefano and Bulgaria, which had the largest army in the Balkans, declared war on Serbia in October of that year.
The Russian Revolution of February 1917 had a great effect in Bulgaria, spreading antiwar and anti-monarchist sentiment among the troops and in the cities.
After a month and two days of fighting, the war ended as a moral disaster for Bulgaria, and at the same time its economy was ruined and its military demoralised. ===First World War=== The Kingdom of Bulgaria participated in World War I on the side of the Central Powers between 15 October 1915, when the country declared war on Serbia, and 29 September 1918, when the Armistice of Thessalonica was signed.
In 1919 Bulgaria officially left the war with the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine. ===The army between the World Wars=== The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine proved to be a severe blow to Bulgaria's military.
On 7 September 1940 Bulgaria succeeded in negotiating a recovery of Southern Dobruja with the Treaty of Craiova (see Second Vienna Award).
The country joined the Axis Powers in 1941, when German troops preparing to invade Yugoslavia and Greece reached the Bulgarian borders and demanded permission to pass through its territory. On 1 March 1941, Bulgaria signed the Tripartite Pact and Tsar Boris III officially joined the Axis bloc.
The Bulgarian government declared a token war on the United Kingdom and the United States near the end of 1941, an act that resulted in the bombing of Sofia and other Bulgarian cities by Allied aircraft. Some communist activists managed to begin a guerrilla movement, headed by the underground Bulgarian Communist Party.
A resistance movement called Otechestven front (Fatherland front, Bulgarian: Отечествен фронт) was set up in August 1942 by the Communist Party, the Zveno movement and a number of other parties to oppose the elected government, after a number of Allied victories indicated that the Axis might lose the War.
Throughout the years the structure of the guards has evolved, going from convoy to squadron, to regiment and, subsequent to 1942, to division.
In 1943 Tsar Boris III died suddenly.
In the summer of 1944, after having crushed the Nazi defense around Iaşi and Chişinău, the Soviet Army was approaching the Balkans and Bulgaria.
On 23 August 1944 Romania quit the Axis Powers, declared war on Germany and allowed Soviet forces to cross its territory to reach Bulgaria.
On 26 August 1944 the Fatherland Front made the decision to incite an armed rebellion against the government, which led to the appointment of a new government on 2 September.
On 5 September 1944 the Soviet Union declared war and invaded Bulgaria.
On 8 September 1944 the Bulgarian army joined the Soviet Union in its war against Germany. ===Cold War era=== As the Red Army invaded Bulgaria in 1944 and installed a communist government, the armed forces were rapidly forced to reorganise following the Soviet model, and were renamed the Bulgarian People's Army (Bălgarska Narodna Armiya, BNA).
It was heavily fortified with concrete walls and turrets of T-34, Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. The army was involved in a number of border skirmishes from 1948 to 1952, repulsing several Greek attacks, and took part in the suppression of the Prague Spring events.
Some military and medical aid was also supplied to North Korea and North Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s.
It was heavily fortified with concrete walls and turrets of T-34, Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. The army was involved in a number of border skirmishes from 1948 to 1952, repulsing several Greek attacks, and took part in the suppression of the Prague Spring events.
Some military and medical aid was also supplied to North Korea and North Vietnam in the 1950s and 1960s.
During the 1970s the Air Force was at the apogee of its power, possessing at least 500 modern combat aircraft in its inventory.
During the Cold War the People's Republic of Bulgaria maintained one of the largest militaries in the Warsaw Pact, numbering an estimated 152,000 troops in 1988.
In 1989, when the Cold War was coming to its end, the army (the combined number of ground, air and naval forces) numbered about 120,000 men, most of them conscripts.
In 1990, Bulgaria had a total of more than 2,400 tanks, 2,000 armored vehicles, 2,500 large caliber artillery systems, 300 fighter and bomber aircraft, 100 trainer aircraft, more than 40 combat and 40 transport helicopters, 4 submarines, 6 fast missile craft, 2 frigates, 5 corvettes, 6 torpedo boats, 9 patrol craft, 30 minesweepers and 21 transport vessels.
Inadequate payments, fuel and spare part shortages and the disbandment of many capable units led to an overall drop in combat readiness, morale and discipline. After partially recovering from the 1990s crisis, the Bulgarian military became a part of the collective defensive system of NATO.
In the early 1990s the budget was so small, that regulars only received token-value payments.
Bulgaria has a coastline of about 354 kilometres – thus, naval warfare is not considered a priority. After the downturn in 1990, the Navy was largely overlooked and received almost no funding.
Today it includes military units for army salute and wind orchestra duties. In 2001, the National Guard unit was designated an official military unit of the Bulgarian army and one of the symbols of state authority, along with the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem.
In 2002, Bulgaria disbanded the Rocket Forces despite nationwide protests, and has disbanded its submarine component.
Bulgaria joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on 29 March 2004 and currently maintains a total 776 deployed troops in three countries. The patron saint of the Bulgarian Army is St.
Nikolai Tsonev, defence minister under the 2005–2009 cabinet, undertook steps to provide the members of the military and their families with certain privileges in terms of healthcare and education, and to improve living conditions. Military education in Bulgaria is provided in military universities and academies.
As of 2005, the budget was no more than $400 mln., while military spending for 2009 amounted to more than $1.3 bln.
No projects for modernisation were carried out until 2005, when a Wielingen class frigate (F912 Wandelaar) was acquired from Belgium.
The first of them was renamed 41 Drazki and took part in several operations and exercises, most notably the UNIFIL Maritime Patrol along the coast of Lebanon in 2006, and Operation Active Endeavour.
In 2006 the Bulgarian government signed a contract with Alenia Aeronautica for the delivery of five C-27J Spartan transport aircraft in order to replace the Soviet made An-24 and An-26, although the contract was later changed to only three aircraft.
The first aircraft arrived on 29 November 2007 and final delivery was due in 03/09.
Embassy Sofia views via United States diplomatic cables leak on appropriate future equipment purchases, 2007 http://www.mediafire.com/download/heyrxhrnpqx06mz/Bulgarian_Military.docx and http://www.mediafire.com/download/ba571l7jiid2tf8/Bulgarian+Military.pdf - Download the word file and a pdf file for the Bulgarian Military's equipment list and specific details. Military of Bulgaria Permanent Structured Cooperation
Cooperative drills with the United States are very common, the last series of them conducted in 2008.
Army. Until recent years the Air Force suffered somewhat from fuel shortages; a problem which was overcome in 2008.
Bulgaria's most recent full-scale exercise simulating a foreign invasion was carried out in 2009.
As of 2005, the budget was no more than $400 mln., while military spending for 2009 amounted to more than $1.3 bln.
As of 2009, military spending were about 1.98% of GDP.
By 2009, Bulgaria acquired two more frigates of the same class.
In 2010 the budget is to be only 1.3% due to the international financial crisis. ==Land Forces== The Land Forces are functionally divided into Deployable and Reserve Forces.
It also participated in the enforcement of the naval blockade against Muammar Gaddafi's regime off the coast of Libya from 2011 until 2012. The equipment is typical for a small navy, consisting mostly of light multi-purpose vessels – four frigates, three corvettes, five minesweepers, three fast missile craft and two landing ships.
It also participated in the enforcement of the naval blockade against Muammar Gaddafi's regime off the coast of Libya from 2011 until 2012. The equipment is typical for a small navy, consisting mostly of light multi-purpose vessels – four frigates, three corvettes, five minesweepers, three fast missile craft and two landing ships.
Bulgaria is to have 27,000 standing troops by 2014, consisting of 14,310 troops in the land forces, 6,750 in the air force, 3,510 in the navy and 2,420 in the joint command.
The brigade was transformed into the JSOC, taking effect on November 1, 2019 and its commander, Brigade General Yavor Mateev was promoted to a major general as the chief of the new command. ===Personnel and education=== Bulgaria's total military personnel as of 2014 is 37,100, of which 30,400 (80.1%) are active military personnel and 8,100 (11.9%) are civilian personnel.
Annual spending per soldier amounts to 30,000 leva (~ 15,000 euro) and is scheduled to increase to 43,600 leva by 2014. Unlike many former Soviet bloc militaries, discipline and morale problems are not common.
The commander-in-chief is the president of Bulgaria, who since January 2017 is Rumen Radev.
In 2018, the Bulgarian Armed Forces numbers around 33,150 soldiers, 73 aircraft, 2234 vehicles including 531 tanks, and 29 naval assets. ==Organization== === Defence Staff === The Bulgarian Armed Forces are headquartered in Sofia, where most of the Defence staff is based.
The brigade was transformed into the JSOC, taking effect on November 1, 2019 and its commander, Brigade General Yavor Mateev was promoted to a major general as the chief of the new command. ===Personnel and education=== Bulgaria's total military personnel as of 2014 is 37,100, of which 30,400 (80.1%) are active military personnel and 8,100 (11.9%) are civilian personnel.
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