Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria Brings His Nation into the World War and Disaster and Downfall Ensue

Tsar Ferdinand I

Bulgaria’s strategic position and efficient army made the country a desirable ally for both coalitions. After the interference of the Ottoman Empire on the side of the Central Powers in the fall of 1914, an alliance with Bulgaria became even more necessary in order to provide a land connection between Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. On the other side, an alliance between the Entente and Bulgaria could lead to the defeat of the Ottoman Empire as well as access to the Straits to provide supplies to the poorly equipped Russian army. Ultimately, Tsar Ferdinand and Bulgarian prime minister Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) determined how Bulgaria would orient itself during the war.

At the beginning of the First World War, Bulgaria declared its neutrality, but Tsar Ferdinand closely followed the course of military activities and awaited offers from the two warring coalitions. There is ongoing debate in Bulgarian historiography about whether Ferdinand and Radoslavov had already determined that Bulgaria would ally with the Central Powers or whether they waited, and based their decision on the proposals from the warring coalitions and the military developments.

Earlier historical research deemed Tsar Ferdinand “an agent of German imperialism” because he received personal financial compensation for his involvement in the war. Bulgaria’s decision to join the war on the side of the Central Powers, however, was the result of a few factors. One factor was the offers of territorial compensation, primarily concerning Macedonia. Germany also offered its assistance with the correction of Bulgaria’s borders with the Ottoman Empire and possible territorial gains, mainly at the expense of Greece and Romania. On the other side, the Entente, particularly the Russian army, suffered considerable losses; on top of that, in the spring of 1915, their Dardanelles operation failed.

Toward late summer 1915, the Bulgarian choice to join the Central Powers in the First World War was made by the Bulgarian monarch. The role of the government in the decision-making process was supportive, as Tsar Ferdinand always had the power to cause a governmental crisis by installing a like-minded government at the head of the country. At the beginning of September, two treaties and a convention were signed: an Allied agreement for the involvement of Bulgaria on the side of the Central Powers, a Bulgarian-Turkish agreement for rectification of the border, and a military convention setting up the parameters of the Bulgarian military intervention. On 14 October 1915, Bulgaria declared war on Serbia and officially entered the war.

Three Years Later—End Game for a Tsar

Bulgarian Prisoners of War

The conflict exhausted Bulgaria’s manpower and material resources. By the end of the fighting in 1918, Bulgaria was on the verge of political and social revolution.  In mid-September 1918, the armies of the Entente launched an offensive on the Macedonian front and managed to break through the Bulgarian defense. The government, led by Malinov, made overtures for the country’s withdrawal from the war. The Armistice of Thessaloniki was signed on 29 September 1918. 

There was no article in the armistice requesting Tsar Ferdinand’s abdication. The Bulgarian monarch made a final, unsuccessful, attempt to save his position and the alliance with Germany and suggested that General Aleksandǔr Protogerov (1867–1928) organize a front along the Balkan Mountains. This was a desperate move which did not receive the support necessary, and on 3 October 1918, Tsar Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his son Boris III, Tsar of Bulgaria (1894–1943). Ferdinand left the country by train and headed to his estates in Austro-Hungary. At the station in Budapest, however, he was met by the town-major who explicitly informed him that he had an order to not allow him to reach his estates. The former monarch personally met Count Leopold Berchtold (1863–1942), who insisted that Ferdinand leave the country. Ferdinand arrived in Coburg, Germany, on 7 October 1918 and remained there until his death in 1948.

Source: 1914-1918 Online Encyclopedia