Reasons for Bulgaria’s entry into World War I on the side of the Central Powers. Military, political, and diplomatic aspects
https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-1-43-56
Abstract
The article presents a complex of reasons for Bulgaria’s entry into World War I on the side of the Central Powers. It examines the role of the diplomatic factor, particularly in Bulgarian-Turkish relations, which have been scarcely studied in historiography. It is concluded that the threat of Constantinople being captured by Anglo-French troops increased Bulgaria’s significance for opposing blocs. German diplomacy succeeded in reconciling Turkey and Bulgaria, pressuring the Turks to make territorial concessions. That the Entente could not compel Serbia to yield land to Bulgaria, became a key factor that influenced the Bulgarian government’s decision. Public opinion in Bulgaria perceived Serbia as an enemy having taken Macedonia from the Bulgarians after the Second Balkan War. As a result, the Serbs and Bulgarians were not ready to fight on the same side until territorial disputes were resolved. The article also highlights that Bulgaria entered the war on October 1 (14), 1915, after Belgrade had fallen and most of the Serbian troops had been redirected to fight the Austro-German forces. Additionally, the author emphasizes the efforts of Russian diplomacy to persuade Bulgaria to side with the Entente.
Keywords
World War I,
Entente,
the Central Powers,
Bulgaria,
Germany,
Russia,
the Dardanelles Campaign,
Radoslavov,
Tonchev,
Genadiev
About the Author
D. K. Makarov
Ural Federal University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Dmitrii K. Makarov, postgraduate student
19, Mira St., Ekaterinburg, Russia, 620002
References
1. Becker, J.-J. (2012), War aims and neutrality, Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, USA.
2. Bol’nykh, A.G. (2014), Dardanelly 1915: samoe krovavoe porazhenie Cherchillya [Dardanelles 1915. Churchill’s bloodiest defeat], Yauza, Moscow, Russia.
3. Gusev, N.S. (2020), Bolgariya, Serbiya i russkoe obshchestvo vo vremya Balkanskikh voin 1912–1913 gg. [Bulgaria, Serbia and Russian society during the Balkan wars of 1912–1913], Indrik, Moscow, Russia.
4. Kabakchiev, H. and Karakolov, R. (1941), “Bulgaria in the First World Imperialist War”, Istorik-marksist, Moscow, USSR, vol. 89, book 1, pp. 58–72.
5. Kaplan, R. (2017), Balkanskie prizraki: Pronzitel’noe puteshestvie skvoz’ istoriyu [Balkan ghosts. A poignant journey through history], KoLibri, Moscow, Russia.
6. Kolenkovskii, A.K. (1938), Dardanell’skaya operatsiya [The Dardanelles campaign], Gosudarstvennoe voennoe izdatel’stvo Narkomata oborony Soyuza SSR, Moscow, USSR.
7. Petkov, D. (1925), Vinovnitsie za pogroma na Bolgariya [Blamed for the pogrom in Bulgaria], Pechatnitsa S.M. Staikov, Sofia, Bulgaria.
8. Shkundin, G.D. (2007), Razdelyai i vlastvui! Vopros o separatnom mire s Bolgariei v politike derzhav Antanty (oktyabr’ 1915 – mart 1916 g.) [Divide and conquer! Question of a separate peace with Bulgaria in the politics of the Entente states (October 1915 – March 1916)], M. Drinov, Sofia, Bulgaria.
9. Stanev, N. (1925), Nainova istoriya na B”lgariya [New history of Bulgaria], Pechatnitsa S.M. Staikov, Sofia, Bulgaria.
10. V”chkov, A. (2005), Balkanskata voina: 1912–1913 [The Balkan War 1912–1913], Anzhela, Sofia, Bulgaria.
11. Vinogradov, V.N., ed. (2002), Za balkanskimi frontami Pervoi mirovoi voiny [About the Balkan fronts of the First World War], Indrik, Moscow, Russia.
12. Wolfgang-uwe, F. (1976), “Bulgarian-Turkish relations in the summer of 1915”, in VIII. Türk Tarih Kongresi, 11–15 Ekim 1976, Ankara, 1976, vol. 2, pp. 1435–1449.
Review
For citations:
Makarov D.K. Reasons for Bulgaria’s entry into World War I on the side of the Central Powers. Military, political, and diplomatic aspects. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin Series "Political Science. History. International Relations". 2025;(1):43-56. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2073-6339-2025-1-43-56
Views:
43
Email this article 