Bulgarian Empire

Chapter 125: The Bulgarian-Serbian War 1

In the hope of getting the job done to the maximum, Dante Christov has let go to the maximum. The battlefield is ever-changing. It is difficult to be sure how to give the enemy the maximum kill!

"Well, Commander-in-Chief? It's okay if we shell a few more shots?" The artillery regiment commander asked with concern.

Dante Christov did not hesitate to reply, "Yes! The battlefield is ever-changing, as long as you can hit anyone, if the enemy hasn't surrendered and the shells haven't gone up in your eyes, a misfire is always possible!"

The smart man understood Dante Christov's hint at once. He could be 'shot by mistake'. It seems they can enlarge the scope, the battlefield, and the army, and there are many civilians well!

It is also justifiable that the poor Serbian government, which is not even equipped with military uniforms now, can be excused in case of misidentifying and giving a mishap!

Frankly, Dante Christov wouldn't dare to do that as a soldier with his conscience! But the hatred between Bulgaria and Serbia has overwhelmed the conscience in his heart, and as long as it's not a direct massacre of civilians, he's under no pressure!

By now, Dante Christov has found that many people have their eyes shining underneath to do something big!

He had no desire to stop it but instead asked with interest, "Are there any questions?"

"No!" The people said in unison.

Dante Christov nodded, then said, "The Military Council gave us the order that the war can begin as soon as war is declared, and when to fight is up to you! Next then, the Chief of Staff will lay out the order of battle!"

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The chief of staff thought about it and said: "In order to maximize the destruction of the enemy, as soon as war is declared, we will launch an attack!

I order the 107th and 109th Regiments. You will be the first wave of troops to attack and tear through the enemy's defenses..."

"Yes."

...

After laying out the mission, the chief of staff had advised: "The battlefield is ever-changing, from now on we must be ready for war! In case the Serbians can't think straight and take the lead, you can't let the trench fall over!"

The crowd laughed out loud. They expected this would be possible if the Serbian side were all a regular army! However, that group of peasants now, if it is used in defense, may still have some fighting power; if they take the lead, a single volley of fire may crumble them!

...

It was a pity that Ferdinand's declaration of war came in the evening, which forced Dante Christov's immediate plan of attack to be delayed; after all, an attack at night would almost nullify the power of the artillery!

But the Right Army, located above him, was now starting to strike! The Right Army, though the least in number, is no weaker in battle than the Left Army!

Two main divisions plus two artillery regiments had experience in night battles during the last Bulgarian-Serbian War.

At the end of the 19th-century, in terms of communication, it was not so progressed. Even if the telegrams also need time, the Bulgarian army can know the time in advance, but the Serbian army will have to wait for the notice!

When Ferdinand declared war, the news reached the generals at the front. Even if it was more efficient, it took several hours!

How come many classic wars were fought at night? It is not because the night is not a good time to fight, but also because it is the loosest defense!

Popov was the commander-in-chief of the Right Army (in 1885, due to the Bulgarian-Serbian War, Popov, who was only a captain at the time, along with Captain Athanas Benderlev, Captain Olimpij Penlov, and others, was given the command of the army to defeat Serbia. It is due to the withdrawal of officers by the Russians).

You read that right. The commander in the Bulgarian-Serbian War nine years ago only had the rank of captain!

One could not help that at that time, after the Russians withdrew their officers, Bulgaria simply did not have so many officers. The situation was in crisis, with those with relations backgrounds hiding.

The young officer, Popov, had the honor of being one of the bearers, but they won the fight and became heroes!

When Ferdinand succeeded to the throne, after clearing some of the 'military seniors', they started to rise in the ranks of these highly decorated generals!

Popov, who was a lieutenant colonel battalion commander in 1887, was promoted to colonel of a regiment in 1889, then to the commander of a division in 1892, and was now appointed commander-in-chief of the Right Army!

As the hero of the last Bulgarian-Serbian war, he was no fool! It only was after Ferdinand tested military literacy that he was able to make his way to the top!

The reason for choosing to attack at night is because the Serbs have given the push! Who made Vidin region unfavorable for large corps operations and did not pay attention to strategic locations?

On the other side, the Serbians put 80,000 troops, which looks like a lot, but it is a pity that these people are not used for defense! Most of them are young and healthy soldiers who are locally recruited, counted as training camps in the rear, who train and defend simultaneously!

If they just want to win the war, there is no need to fight! If the Serbian capital is to be threatened, the Left Army must break through Ni before the Right Army can advance without worry, or else it may break the supply line!

However, now that Ferdinand's policy was to take this chance to weaken Serbia, Popov had a major task ahead of him! Once a breakthrough is made, and the front is pushed to the Great Morava River, the Serbs will have to fight for their lives!

When the meat is in your mouth, there is no reason not to eat it!

You must worry about being ambushed by a surprise attack on the regular army at night! It would be perfect for attacking the peasants who just put down their hoes!

Since Popov's troops were deployed suddenly and were under the banner of militia, they did not attract the attention of the Serbs!

It's not a decisive place anyway, it basically has no strategic value as long as Ni is not lost, and their command base is in Ni!

At midnight, the Serbs, who had just finished a day of training, were asleep when they were suddenly startled by the sound of artillery fire!

The Bulgarian army is attacking!

The Serbian officers cursed the Bulgarians for their shameless surprise attack while they started to organize their army! It's a pity that the war came so suddenly and they were not a regular army!

In the darkness of the night, Bulgarian artillery was aiming at the bright light! One surprise attack on the Serbian barracks in the Danube area, and there was total chaos!

Officers can not find their soldiers, and soldiers can not find their officers! The whole barracks is in chaos. Under the tension, a soldier's gun went off and caused a chain reaction, in ancient times, that is, the Ying Xiao1)!

...

A gruesome night battle broke out while the Serbian front-line officers, on the other side, finally received notice of the start of the war!

The Bulgarians are really here, and Ni is the headquarters of the Serbian Army Command, and the officers can't be bothered to sleep and are busy meeting!

The commander-in-chief of the front, Subrovich, the elite leader of the Serbian army, is looking at the map and worrying!

Don't look at his usual slogans, such as "Flatten Sofia, capture Ferdinand alive"!

That was only for prestige, a political necessity! Now that the war is really here, Subrovich is having trouble accepting it instead!

Translator:

1) The "Ying Xiao" mostly refers to an unexpected incident in the ancient Chinese army, where prolonged mental tension is one of the main triggers. In ancient China, the military was strictly disciplined, and the punishment and reward were clear. It is emphasized that it will defeat the army in battle without strict discipline. Some unexpected situations (such as lightning strikes, ambushes, nightmares, etc.) during garrisoning or marching may cause a chain reaction among the military and cause a "broken window effect". It makes the long-standing tension in the group difficult to release to vent out, manifested as soldiers fighting and killing each other and causing self-destruction within the army, which has an extremely negative impact on the ancient military operations.