[en] History

[Xuca]

I couldn't understand the second part, which seems the most important one. I know that you don't have it in your list, but could you tell us something about the Bulgarian flag?

[Traveller]

Bulgarian flag? I haven't posted anything about the Bulgarian flag, where did that came to your mind? And of which Bulgarian flag do you want to know (and what exactly do you want to know): the modern one or some older?

Translation of the text in the picture:
"M. Nesri for the Serbian armament and tactics
M. Nesri in his book "Mirror of the world" gives the following description of the Serbian army before the battle at Kosovo Pole in 1389: "When the infidels wear their grey irons, when they take in hands their swords and rush forward like wild pigs, noone can stand against them. Whoever they reach - they cut him in two. To divide themselves and retreat, they can't. That's why it's needed, while they advance forward in a group, to divert them from their way, to flank them in the back and not to stop hitting with the maces, because they're all in armour."
I believe this M. Nesri is a Turkish chronicler... And around the text you could see some pictures of armament from this time.

[Xuca]

Yeah, that infidels really confused me. And at my religion classes (what's the English name for this? We call it veronauka) our teacher asked my friend to describe the Scandinavian flags. He also told something thAT almost all Slavic flags are made of red, blue and white. And the modern Bulgarian one isn't, so I wanted to know the history of it.

[Traveller]

Ahh, well white, blue and red are because of our good "friends", the Russians, I think. Wait, in the Paradox history forums there was something... Here (http://flagspot.net/flags/bg.html):

"According to Fischer Weltalmanach '99, Russia, at the begin of the 19th century the only independent Slavic state, was the example for all Slavic states under Ottoman Turk and Austrian-Hungarian rule. These would be would be Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, and Bulgaria. In the Bulgarian flag, the blue banner was replaced by the freedom color of green.
Stefan Härtel, 17 October 1999

The flags in green, white and red colours were used by Bulgarian Legia (revolutionary organisation founded in Serbia by Bulgarian emigrants led by G. Rakovsky) in 1861-1862. The first white-green-red striped flag was made by S. Paraskevov and presented to Russian-Bulgarian troops (during the war against Turkey) in the Romanian town of Braila in 1877. It was a swallow-tailed banner. There was a lion and inscription "BULGARIA" in the centre (in Cyrillic characters). Now the "banner of Braila" is kept in War Museum in Sofia. The Bulgarian Constitution of 1878 confirmed this flag (but rectangular and without a lion).
Victor Lomantsov, 03 September 2000

Each year since the fall of the communist government, a ceremony is conducted in Sophia, where the Bishop sprinkles holy water on a symbolic horses tail and a flag from the Russo-Turkish war. The flag and horses tail are provided by the Museum of Military History. The celebration occurs on January 6, a religious festival day in Bulgaria. In addition, the bishop throws a silver cross into a river or lake, from which it is retrieved by a devout believer.
from news sources provided by David Fowler, 10 January 2000"


And another "explanation" is something like that, if I remember correctly: the three colours are the three Bulgarian regions: Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia. Or another one: red - the blood we gave for our freedom (also - Macedonia, which was left by the Great Powers under the Turks and continued to give its blood), green - the freedom of our nation and the free green plains (especially green Moesia), white... I don't remember what white is (Thrace)...

[Mircoslavux]

Matheus de Trinchinio III,
historical adventure trilogy

the concept of my novel is done - it will be trilogy (ideas about titels:
1. part: Matheus - release 2007, 2. part - Palatin release 2008, 3. part The Land of Matheus (Matusova Zem) (2009)) about the mightest and hardest ruler on Slovakian land in our history, ..

I'm cooperating now with two historicians in Slovakia, who are searching some more historical background. Because the knowledge about this magnat is very poor, e.g. nobody knows were is his grave, nobody knows how his son died and so on...

We estimated roughly the costs e.g. for one book in 1000 pieces we will need about 300 000 SC - thats about 7 700 Euro, of course some cost for publicite and propagation has to be calculated. And the marketing study and planing has to be done.

I hope I can finish the first book "Matheus" till the end of next year,
with a translation in English, hm we will see, what will happened with slovakian version....

here you have some factographical background (short):
Matthew Csák III (of Trenčín) (Matúš Čák III (Trenčiansky), Chak, Chaak, Czak; in (modern) Hungarian Csák Máté) (about 1260 – 1321) was the ruler of the Váh and the Tatras region, and lived in Trenčín castle in Slovakia.

Although never being an official king of Slovakia, he – as a very rich and influential Hungarian magnate – de-facto became the ruler of what is today Slovakia at the beginning of the 14th century. He owned 14 counties and 50 castles and fortresses in the region of present day central and western Slovakia, had an own army and was conferring the same degrees and functions as are awarded by the Hungarian king.

After his defeat in the battle near Rozhanovce (at the river Torysa) in 1312, where his army fought against the troops of King Charles Robert of Anjou, his influence started to decrease and his "empire" ceased when he died in 1321 in Trenčín.

and here is the link to the castle of trencin with galleries:
http://www.muzeumtn.sk/trencian1.htm

[Mircoslavux]

some links about castle of trencin in english:
http://www.slovakheritage.org/Castles/trencin.htm

http://www.spectacularslovakia.sk/ss2002/trencin_ascii.html

http://www.slovakia.org/tourism/trencin.htm

http://castles.sk/trencin.php?image=list


etc.

[Xuca]

That castle looks like new :eek:

@Traveller I just went to wikipedia and found the pan-slavic colours
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Slavic_colors

[Mircoslavux]

That castle looks like new :eek:

@Traveller I just went to wikipedia and found the pan-slavic colours
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Slavic_colors


it was restorated (becuase is a national monument) and is the third biggest in Slovakia,
still is renovated, but some mistakes were done and very big defending walls (weight about 1100 tones) fallen down in 2003 ....

the biggest castle in Slovakia and one of the biggest in Middle Europe is Spiss with built area of 42 000 m2

http://www.spisskyhrad.sk/en.html

[Traveller]

Wow! That Spiss castle looks awesome! :eek:

[Mircoslavux]

yet some notice to castle Spiss,

now the caslte looks total differently because of historical movie shooting from romans time:

The Last Legion
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462396/

http://www.firth.com/lastleg.html
http://www.firth.com/lastleg_gal01.html

[Traveller]

And an update of the Boina Slava threads:
World history:
Antiquity:
Second Madara horseman?
How old is the human sense of humor? - type Discussion
Ancient armies
Information about a sketch of defensive gear
Discussion for the hoplites
The lake Nemi and the ships of Emperor Kaligula
The battle of the Catalonian fields
When China awakes...
Achiles
For the Roman eagles
Alexander the Great
The peltas in Thrace - yes or no?
For the gladiators, Spartacus and their revolt
Alexander the Great vs. Hannibal - who who?
Myths and legends
The horned helms
The rebellion of the Britts
Carthage

Middle Ages:
The technical "wonders" of Byzantium
The tactics of medieval Europe - type Discussion
The defense of the Tatars - the people from Hell, 14-15 century
Miriokefalion - 17.ІХ.1176 - type Discussion
The armour of the Russian cavalry - 15-17 century
The history of Romania
History of Albania - type Discussion
Manzikert
Logistics of the medieval armies
The slavery in Byzantium
Vlad Tepes
Collisions of Mongol army with Western knights
Economical and social information for the early Middle Ages
Development of armour in the West and East
Conquering Constantinople
The heavy cavalry of Rech Pospolita
Kingdom of Thailand
Demography, natural conditions and subsistence - type Discussion

New History:
Russian military art in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars - type Discussion
Messieurs les Anglais, tirez les premiers!
Parliamentary rule of the USA
Stalin and Hitler - two persons with not-understood mental adjustments

Modern Times:
What's going on in France?
Вся правда об 11.09 :-)
The future of the European Union - type Discussion
Strength, crazyness or "slyness" from the Turkish side?
News


Elite:
Information reports:
The ancient-Greek fleet - type Report
Spartacus



Bulgarian history:
Middle Ages:
Bulgarian kingdoms in Asia Minor
Was there a Turkish slavery 15-17 century?
Illustrations of warriors
25/09 - An anniversary from the battle of Nikopol, 1396 - type Discussion
Did the Dobrudzha despoty also have military/trading fleet? - type Discussion
3th of June 1395 - 610 years from the slaying of Tsar Ivan Shishman
1366 - The campaign of Graf Amadeus of Savoy - type Discussion
17th of July 1393 - The fall of Tarnovgrad
10th of November 1444 "A memorable battle of the nations"
The Ottoman Empire - An attempt for a state
The Christians won the battle of Kosovo Pole
Exchange of books
The prostitutes [following the medieval armies?]
Genetics of the Bulgarians!?
Bulgarian medieval coats of arms

Vazrazhdane:
Georgi Rakovski
135 years Bulgarian exarchate

New History:
Museums in military units
A request [WWI]
120 years from the epopee at Slivniza
Interesting things on the site of the Military Academy
The Petrich incident 19.10.1925

Common:
The Bulgarian fleet
Myths and realities in the Bulgarian military history
Bulgarian military history
The Volga Bulgarians
Drawings on historical subject
Nationalism and nihilism in the new history of Bulgaria
Favourite Bulgarian rulers!
Modern Bulgarian dirks
The day of the national Revivors
The applied arts in Bulgaria
The reform in the Bulgarian education
The big "ordered murders" here: 2002 - 2005
A mystery [a statement of some Mithad about the origins of the Muslims in Bulgaria]

[Traveller]

Two more from Hanovete:
"The legend for the Minotaur" by Apofis
"Old-Greek gods" by Apofis

Edit: Also:
"Profanation of the Bulgarian history" by glav4o
"The myth for the Trojan war" by Apofis

[Traveller]

Ok, since nobody has chosen anything for translation (and Xuca forgot (or I've forgot?) to translate or has no time for that), maybe I'll pick up something short myself...

==================================================

[Bulgarian] Folk customs


Koleduvane
A winter custom for fertility, health and happiness. It derives from the Roman word – calendae – the first days of January, when rites for fertility and well-being in the year were done. On Christmas Eve [Budni Vecher], a band of koledari led by a statenik, dressed as for holiday, visit the houses with songs and good wishes, performed anti-phonic by two groups of singers. The Christmas songs are sung lively and festively. The koledari enter and leave the house with special songs. At parting the statenik says fast a long Christmas blessing, filled with humour, in which near the traditional content there are repercussions and a slight satire from the present times. Koleda [in Bulgaria Koleda is a synonym of Christmas] ends at dawn on the fountain with horos [horo – Bulgarian folk dance] of Christmas songs.
On Christmas Eve the “budnik” is made – a tree with a small hole in one end, which is put in the fireplace and burns slowly during the whole night. At some places people told fortunes over the “budnik” and knew what the year will be. The dishes, which are prepared on Christmas Eve, are Lenten/meatless and are 5, 7, 9 by number, but everything on the table had a symbolical sense. Garlic, dried fruits, stuffed peppers with beans, Lenten stuffed cabbage leaves [sarmi], walnuts etc.

Gergiovden
A big folk holiday, celebrated on the 6th of May by all peasants. Many of the customs for this day are accompanied with songs and games, as on some places they start the previous day. On the eve of Gergiovden [George’s day] and on the holiday itself the women play around the church a slow ritual horo with a song. The Gergiovden songs are sung only on this day and show the worries and hopes of the shepherds for fertility. Gergiovden is also a day of the flowers; it’s called “tsveten Gergiovden” [flower’s/colourful Gergiovden].
Early morning before sunrise, the people from the village go out to pick greenery and flowers, from which they’ll entwine ritual wreaths for the sacrificial lamb [Note: Sacrificial is IMO a wrong word; we just eat lamb, just like the Americans traditionally have turkey at Thanksgiving Day (I think)], for the bucket, in which the herd will be milked this day, for the “buchka”, in which they churn butter, for the gate, for the bunch, with which they’ll decorate the sheep pens, the house, the farm buildings and the table with the roasted lamb. The going for flowers and the returning is accompanied with songs, in which the hearty emotions of the young and their longing for happiness are reflected. After noon until dusk a horo is played with a song for health, as well as with instrumental accompaniment. On the Gergiovden swings love refrains are being sung. In some villages “Laduvane” is also done.

Laduvane
(Singing on rings) telling fortunes for joy, dramatized custom with song performances, conducted on different days in the year:
14th of January – Vasiliovden; New Year; Gergiovden – 6th of May; Eniovden – 7th of July, and on other local based holidays.
In copper it’s being poured “silent water” – poured in full silence.
Everyone, who wishes, dips a wreath with a tied to it sign – ring, bracelet or any other sign. On the eve before the holiday and on the holiday itself in the morning a girl or a boy with living parents takes out the wreaths and girls and women sing on “otpevki” or say riddles.
During the whole time they shake “the tree” – a big branch of a fertile sapling, dipped in the copper and decorated with apples, colourful ribbons, wreaths of crane’s bill [zdravec, coming from zdrave - health], strings of popcorn, as they sing over the rings, kick the copper, so that the water pours out and everybody takes from the barley, spread under the copper. They put it under the pillow and whatever dream they dream, thus will their luck be in this year. The Laduvane starts and ends with horos and songs.


Lazaruvane
A spring maidenly before-wedding custom, performed in the Lazar Saturday and on Vrabnitsa [Palm Sunday], the week before Velikden [Easter].
A group is gathered of 6 to 40 or even more “lazarki” girls in a group. There are many variants. Like the koledari, so are the lazarki visiting the houses with good wishes of fertility and personal happiness, and are expected with joy by the hosts. In some villages the lazarki are with very rich decoration on the head and a festive clothes. The Lazarovden games are: solo, by couples or all the lazarki are playing a horo in a closed circle, led horo – buenets, lazara – or a ruchenitsa [another Bulgarian folk dance] on “sriata”; in two short contrary columns. Depending on the local style – on some places live, wildly, on other places moderate and slow. At dusk all the lazarki groups gather at the megdan [village square] or on some meadow to play a common horo, on which the young men also join the dance. In Thrace the lazarki “poklaniat Lazara” [“adore the Lazara”] – a doll, made by yarn-beam, clothed in woman’s clothes, decorated with kerchiefs and flowers. After the end of the games they throw the “Lazara” in the river. In some rare cases the games have dropped off from the ritual and they lazaruvat only with songs.

Kumichene
A spring, magical-predicting, maidenly rite with songs and games. It’s performed for fertility and against hailstorm. It’s done on Lazarovden or on Tsvetnitsa [Palm Sunday] by girls, which stopped to lazaruvat (more rarely by the lazarki themselves) and on some places with the common participation of all the women. In some villages they choose the kumitsa with a special ritual – on a paddle they put pieces of bread or flowers and let the paddle in the river along the flow. The girl, whose piece of bread or flower, comes forward, becomes “kumitsa”. Besides this, they predict three times by the same way of who will get married first. After choosing they play a horo in the house of the kumitsa around the table, on which a freshly baked cake is put. The kumitsa lets herself go and while the others are playing, she breaks up the cake and gives to every girl from the group a piece for health. From Tsvetnitsa to Velikden the kumitsa govee (doesn’t talk) in front of her friends. She otgoviava on Velikden, when everybody visits her with a kolak [ring-shaped cake] and a red egg. The kumitsa prepares the table. Every separate episode of the kumichene has special songs and some episodes are strengthened with horos. The kumichene ends with swings and songs. The higher the swing swings, the higher will the wheat grow.

[Traveller]

Hanovete new threads or with new posts:
The old one: ""Profanation of the Bulgarian history" by glav4o" renamed to and joined to "Theses for the origin of the Bulgarians" by Nike, also including "The ancient Bulgarian states" by Apofis
"The weapons in the First World War" by Apofis
"The Serbian-Bulgarian war" by Apofis
"The nomadic Pax (nomadic empire) | from the el. encyclopedia "History of Bulgaria" by Nike
"Carthage" by Apofis
"Hunu and the Bulgars. The problem with identity | from the el. encyclopedia "History of Bulgaria" by Nike
"The Slavic writing" by Apofis
"Orpheus and Rhodopa" by Apofis
"List of the Bulgarian khans | from the el. encyclopedia "History of Bulgaria" by Nike

[Xuca]

The Serbian-Bulgarian war. It's the one during King Milan, right?

[Traveller]

From Hanovete or from Boina Slava? Actually, maybe I'll translate both - the Hanovete thread and one newspaper article, posted in Boina Slava. But I won't be here often this week, so in the best case I'll post them next week.
Btw I think you still haven't translated the thing about Krali Marko...

[Xuca]

I'm sorry, but I can't. I feel like spending my free time on something else, rather than translating.

[Traveller]

Hanovete forum – The Serbian-Bulgarian war



[This is right after the Union of Kniazestvo Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia on the 6th of September, 1885] Serbia and Greece don’t stay indifferent to the events and immediately start having territorial claims towards Turkey as a compensation for Bulgaria’s extension. Belgrade understands very well that the Union will lead to a major change in the balance of powers on the Balkans. This is not by chance one of the main motives, which the Serbian King Milan points out in his proclamation for the declaration of war on Bulgaria. One unified Bulgaria would turn into a state, twice as big by territory as Serbia. This would have a decisive effect on the proportion of powers in one equal economical temp of development. That’s why the Serbian attack is one logical and desperate step and a last attempt to keep the balance on the Balkan Peninsula. King Milan and the Serbian political elite feel that they should take immediate actions exactly in this critical for the young Bulgarian state moment and take advantage of the international situation by joining new territories. The adventurous policy of the Serbian bourgeoisie was encouraged and supported by Austro-Hungary. She, from her side, attempted to divert the attention of the Serbs form the lands, which are under Austrian rule and to inflame the fire of contradictions between the two Slavic peoples, so that she could increase her influence on the Balkans. For the leading of the war the Viennese bankers grant to the Serbian government huge loans. The Serbian king is sure in his victory and believes that by seizing Bulgarian lands, he could divert the discontent of his own people from the policy he leads.

Under the pretence that with the declaration of the Union Bulgaria is violating “the balance” on the Balkans, King Milan orders on the 2nd of November 1885 his forces to attack Bulgaria. The total number of the Serbian army is 60 000 men. The main forces of the adversary are concentrated along the valley of the Morava River and have the strategic goal to direct straight to Sofia and to reach the Ihtiman heights, where they would meet the coming from the south Bulgarian forces. Other, smaller parts of the Serbian army, which are situated along the valley of Timok, advance in North-Western Bulgaria and besiege Vidin. Not only King Milan, but also all other European states firmly believe that Serbia will win the war very fast. It was a common opinion that Bulgaria doesn’t have a trained army. At that the army also had no high officers’ personnel, while the Russian officers were recently called back from the state. Everybody neglected though one essential fact – the great patriotic uplift of the Bulgarian people and their willingness to fight for their independence.

The Serbs advance in two columns. The first one is on the line Tsaribrod – Dragoman – Slivnitsa. The second one – Trun – Breznik – Gurguliat and has the task to gain the rear of the Slivnitsa position in the day of the strike of the main column.
In the first days of the war the situation is very critical, as the North-Western border of Bulgaria is bare, because the Bulgarian army is concentrated along the southern border with the Ottoman Empire, where the attack was expected. In the first battles the small and without experienced commanders Bulgarian army puts up courageous resistance. In the meantime with extremely fast temp the main part of the army, situated on our southern border with Turkey, is moving extremely fast to the field of the battle actions. The Bulgarian command is naturally starting to transfer its one-hundred-twenty-eight-thousand strong army from the Turkish border towards Sofia. But there is a railroad only to Belovo. From there the army should walk by foot in cold, snow or icy rain. In normal for one army conditions this distance is covered for 10 days. The Bulgarian army divisions cover it for only five days. Within the frame of these critical five days the Serbs could reach Sofia.
Among the circles of the high Bulgarian command a contradiction for the place of the decisive battle with the Serbs emerges. Kniaz Alexander Batenberg thinks that the troops should be concentrated on the heights of Vakarel. The advantage of this plan is that by this way the danger of the Serbian army, fighting on parts with the coming from the south Bulgarian forces is avoided. The flaw is that Sofia is surrendered without a fight. The young command of the army, however, rejects this plan for abandoning Sofia.
The main forces of the Western Corpus are concentrated at Slivnitsa. In Radomir is formed another detachment, under the leadership of captain Kisiov, which should hold back the Moravian division by hindering her to reach Slivnitsa. Under the command of major Kosta Panica a flying detachment is formed, which should advance to the villages of Buchino and Ginci.
In the realization of this plan the Bulgarian soldiers show astonishing endurance and discipline. While shifting from the Turkish border towards Slivnitsa, they walk night and day, with no sleep and rest, among darkness and blizzards, without food and shoes, shouting “Hurrah”, in order to defeat the fatigue and hunger. In this hard march they beat nature and achieve the unachievable. In the same time fortifications are tirelessly being built at Slivnitsa. The officers are among the soldiers, in order to lift their battle spirit.
It’s hard to describe the fights in details. The battles are led on the whole front, on the flanks and in the centre. The numerical superiority of the adversary gives him the possibility to attack in all directions. The Serbs are repulsed everywhere with fury and fierceness. History will always remember the names of young commanders of the Bulgarian army Captain Olimpi Panov, Captain of cavalry [Rotmeister] Atanas Benderev, Captain Marin Marinov, Captain Andrei Bluskov, Captain Mihail Savov, Major Gudzhev, Captain Kosta Panica and many others.
The third day of the battle – November 7th, proves to be decisive for the outcome of the war. In the beginning of the fight the Bulgarian troops are in an unenviable situation. From the two eastern peaks of “Tri ushi” the Serbs are firing at the positions near “Meka Tsrev” and are attacking the fortifications on the whole flank. In the critical moment, the Bulgarians dash into a counter-attack “on knife” [“na nozh”] and with a mighty “Hurrah” at their mouths. Horrified by this fury of the Bulgarian soldiers, the Serbs take a flight without waiting for the engagement. Thus even before noon the eastern heights of “Tri ushi” fall in Bulgarian hands. But the battle is still not over. Worried by the vigorous advance on the right Bulgarian flank, the Serbs send reinforcements. The situation is so hard that the commanding Kniaz Batenberg leaves the front and heads to Sofia to prepare a new defensive position at the Ihtiman heights.
By the look of this “army”, fearing disorganization of the soldier’s discipline of his entrusted units, Olimpi Panov orders Panica to outflank the Serbs at Godech. The chetniks [volunteers, also used as rebels in the Ottoman times] indeed sweep over the weak Serbian forces at Godech and come to the road between Tsaribrod and Pirot. Panica’s raid, of course, doesn’t change the situation at Slivnitsa. In the late afternoon the Serbs launch a general assault on the whole front line. The defenders think that this is the end; left with no bullets and shells and awaiting the Serbs to come closer, so that they can fight “on knife”. Their despair grows further when in the falling dusk they see dense masses of troops in their back. They believe that the Trun Serbian column has breached the defenses at Gurguliat.
Suddenly, among this approaching dense mass, resounds “Shumi Maritsa” [the old Bulgarian anthem] and the battle shout “Hurrah”. To the front are arriving the first 32 000 soldiers from the Turkish border. Wet, hungry, with tattered boots, some even bare-footed, they immediately enter the fight and repulse the Serbs from Slivnitsa.
This is the end of the Slivnitsa battle. The Bulgarian forces counter-attack immediately the next day. After three days the Bulgarian army is on Serbian territory. On the 14th of December jubilant Sofia welcomes the victors. In the city are entering the units, which held the epic defense at the Slivnitsa positions and then chased the invader all the way to Pirot.
In the battles at Slivnitsa the Bulgarian army, commanded by its young officers, spreads to the whole world the glory of the Bulgarian weapons. Despite of the strong artillery fire of the Serbs, the brave Bulgarian soldiers do not bend under the mouths of the cannons. In the bloody battles are falling dear sacrifices and despite of the material losses the Bulgarians hold off a great morale victory. They show to the world their fighting efficiency and ability to win. The officers prove to be capable of commanding the army and winning battles. Under the enemy fire they behave like old veterans and raise the fighting spirit of the troops.

Whole of Europe hears for the victory of the Bulgarians. Slivnitsa turns out to become an epopee of patriotism, a symbol of courage, a victory over evil. A wild rapture takes over whole of Bulgaria, because one whole nation takes part in the war.
After the capturing of Dragoman, Tsaribrod and Pirot, the road to Nish is open. Left without munitions and demoralized from the suffered defeats, the Serbian army is incapable of continuing the war. King Milan escapes total defeat only thanks to the help of Austro-Hungary, which via its ambassador in Belgrade, Count Kewenhuller, issues an ultimatum to the Bulgarian command to immediately stop the advance; otherwise they would meet Austrian forces.
In this situation on the 7th of Devember 1885 is signed the truce and on the 19th of February /3rd of March/ in Bucharest between Bulgaria and Serbia is concluded the peace treaty, with which the situation from before the war was restored.

The victory at Slivnitsa is the first independent military victory of the young Bulgarian army after the restoration of our state in 1878. It is not only a shining defense of the Union, but it will also play the role of a major psychological factor in the following fight for the liberation of the left under foreign yoke Bulgarian lands. Slivnitsa gives us the pleasant and great self-confidence of a nation, which decides its fate in its own hands. A nation, whose place in history could not be taken by anyone else…




You might also check this thing (http://web2.london047.server4you.de/wbb2/thread.php?threadid=5233&sid=1683887ef6f5d41055641a8b9c883770) (another thread in another forum, which I found with Google)...

[Traveller]

Boina Slava – Myths and reality in the Bulgarian military history – Newspaper article for the Serbian-Bulgarian war


“November, 1885: Bulgaria proved itself as a state”
Goran Blagoev

They call it our fratricidal and victorious; they compare it with the biblical story for the young David, who overcomes the giant Goliath. Many people know it as the war of the Serbian generals against the Bulgarian captains. In our new history there is no other war, which has so many epithets. And not only because it is the first baptism of fire of the young Bulgarian army, but also because it is the most fateful. Without the victory of the Bulgarian armament in this war, Bulgaria would hardly be the same – by territory and spirit.
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On the 6th of September 1885 the political and intellectual elite from the two sides of the Balkan dares to declare the Union of Northern and Southern Bulgaria. The Unionists, as they’re called, know well that they would hardly get out without a fight. Sultan Abdul Hamid II could any moment send forces to the former Eastern Rumelia, in order to restore his power. The Ottoman Empire loses one of its richest provinces – Rumelia is the pearl in the sultan’s crown. But as much as dissatisfied from the Bulgarian Union the sultan is, thrice more mean are Serbia and Greece. They start blowing the trumpets that the status quo of the Berlin treaty from 1878 is violated and by a typical Balkan way they want territorial compensations, because Bulgaria allowed herself to make a part of her national union and become “bigger”. Most greedy is the Serbian King Milan. In order to accept the Union, he demands from Bulgaria compensate him with its own lands, to give him the Vidin, Trun and Radomir regions.

On the 2nd/14th of November 1885 [difference is because of change of calendars] Milan’s forces rush in Bulgarian territory. At that time the Eastern corpus of our army is awaiting Ottoman armies to attack us and is therefore stretched along the whole Bulgarian-Turkish border – from the Black Sea almost to the Rila Mountain. The Western corpus is also preparing for an assault from south and is in the region of Kiustendil and Dupnitsa. Along the western border – against the Serbs – there are small Bulgarian units. On the top of it all, our army has no battle experience, while the Serbs have already taken part in two wars. Serbia has experienced commanders and Bulgaria lacks around 100 officers. Twenty days before the war Emperor Alexander III decides to punish Bulgaria for her self-will from the 6th of September. He orders the Russian officers, which are on duty in the Bulgarian army, to immediately leave the country. This ok, but exactly these officers held the main command posts in the army – the Bulgarians hadn’t yet the necessary qualification. But they were forced to take command of the army when the “bratushki” [afaik, “brothers” on Russian] abandoned them. Doesn’t matter they were young and inexperienced. Oldest – 33 years old, are the commander of the Eastern Corpus Lieutenant-Colonel Danail Nikolaev and the commander of artillery – Captain Olimpi Panov. The Minister of war – Captain Konstantin Nikiforov, is 29 years old. The commander-in-chief – Kniaz Alexander I – is 28. Milan thinks that against such “puppies” the war will be like a walk to Sofia and promises his generals to drink “bela kava” (coffee with milk) after 6 days in the centre of the Bulgarian capital. But alas.
Right from the first day the Serbian divisions meet a fierce resistance from our men and succeed in entering Bulgarian territory only to 5-7 km. At the ridge of “Duschan kladenec” in Rui Mountain, for example, 60 Bulgarian volunteers manage to hold off for 7,30 hours a whole Serbian division – the Moravian one. Several tens dare to stand up against several thousands.

The heroism and the juvenile spirit of adventure, as some authors call it, is the most decisive Bulgarian trump card in this war. While the Serbs meet the manifesto for the war with weariness and unwillingness to fight, here it causes an explosion of enthusiasm. The Bulgarians have for the first time the chance to measure their strength on the battlefield, and in a time when the dignity of a nation is defined by its readiness to shed its blood for its territory and its cause. At the declaration of the war there’s almost not a single Bulgarian, who doesn’t want to fight the Serbs. Even students, which are studying abroad, head back to their motherland. Boys from the gymnasiums in the country are also burning from desire to go to the front – a schoolboy legion is formed out of them. Over 10 000 volunteers sign in the army. Most of them leave to the front with their own clothes. There are uniforms only for the regular army. “Instead of fear the war excited one irresistible and furious zeal” – writes later Colonel Iordan Venedikov, researcher of the Serbian-Bulgarian war.
When the Timok army besieges Vidin, the Serbian General Mlioka Leshanin offers the town-major, Captain Atanas Uzunov, to surrender to him the Vidin fortress. But the young Bulgarian officer start in front of the famous hero from the Serbian-Turkish war and proudly states to him that he has learned how to conquer fortresses, but not how to surrender them. In the course of two weeks Vidin is under a heavy siege and a permanent Serbian fire, but in the end gen. Leshanin is forced to beat a retreat as defeated.
Undoubtedly the most glorious page of this war is written by the Bulgarian soldier near Slivnitsa and Gurguliat. The transfer of the units from the southern to the western border is a real feat, which has no analogue in the world history. At that time the railway line reached only to station Belovo – the leaving from there to Slivnitsa about a hundred km. the soldiers walk on foot – often without a rest, on the edge of physical survival: “Hardly fed, scarcely with good shoes, shouting “Hurrah” on the road, in order to stun their tiredness and their hunger. The riders got off their horses, so that they don’t fall, asleep, from their saddles; the infantrymen walked like exalted phantoms. For discipline you couldn’t say a word: the patriotism was enough.” Thus the publicist Simeon Radev decribes the supreme trial of strength, which the Bulgarian soldiers overcome – after the unearthly march they enter directly into the fight.
The three days fight at Slivnitsa opens the road to the Bulgarian victory. Here the famous Bulgarian “Na nozh!” [“On knife”] gives its first results – the Serbs, otherwise used to gun fights, feel a tremendous fear of the Bulgarian’s fierceness to fight with a cold weapon – that’s why right after they heard the familiar call for attack “Na nozh!”, the Serbian units take a flight. After the decisive battle at Slivnitsa on the 7th/19th of November the Serbs are forced to withdraw along the whole front line. The Bulgarian army starts its victorious march. One week later our forces enter triumphantly in Pirot. The Serbian divisions make a panic retreat towards Nish. King Milan realizes that he has played it all. Europe stops speaking of the Bulgarians as a nation, incapable of guiding its fate…
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The memorial on Neshkov Peak is being restored
Unbelievable, but fact. Hard work is at full swing around the only memorial from the Serbian-Bulgarian war, left beyond the border – in the Western Ends. It’s raised on the historical Neshkov Peak near Tsaribrod (present day Dimitrovgrad). Together with this the road to the peak is also being repaired. Initiator for its restoration is the Tsaribrod mayor Vesselin Belichkov from the Democratic party of Serbia. “What are you wondering for, once Bulgarians built this memorial, now Bulgarians are again restoring it” – thus welcomes us Stoimen Nikolov, one of the three workers, which work these days on the Neshkov Peak memorial. It’s obvious that all the three of them are masters in the craft – and it couldn’t be otherwise. By birth they’re from the Trun villages, which both from this and the other sides of the border are still famous with their master-builders. “My grandfather used to tell me that his father remembered how King Milan got a good thrashing from our boys once and how our guys chased all the way to Pirot” – Stoimen says slightly overexcited.
After the victory at Slivnitsa our forces advance to the west and on the 11th/23rd of November 1885 they liberate the last at that time Bulgarian city before the border – Tsaribrod. But Serbian units are fortified above the city – on Neshkov Peak. On the next day our men attack the peak. The most fierce and bitter engagement in the war begins. For the first time Serbs and Bulgarians enter a melee fight – they meet chests against chests, they catch each others throats – “as a quarrel between personal enemies, thirsty for blood and vengeance”. One year after the end of the war Tsaribrodians raise a memorial on Neshkov Peak, in which are gathered the remains both of the Bulgarian and the Serbian warriors, which died here – thus the living bring peace among the dead. This however won’t stop the Yugoslavian propaganda to later claim it as “an enemy’s memorial” and to leave it to destruction for more than 6 decades. And now Tsaribrodians are asking themselves if its restoration isn’t a sign that for the Bulgarians in the Western Ends are coming better times.”

Original article (http://www.segabg.com/online/article.asp?issueid=2033&sectionId=8&id=0001601)

[Mircoslavux]

New very nice history open-air museum will be open in Alexandria in Jan. 06.
39 Shown exponates are coming from times of Faraons and Roman, were found in the see.