Southern Dobruja Offensive

Southern Dobruja in dark brown

Date	10–18 July 1913
Location	Southern Dobruja and Varna, Bulgaria
Result	Romanian Victory

Belligerents

Romania

Bulgaria

Commanders and leaders

Ioan Culcer
Ion Antonescu

Vasil Kutinchev

Units involved

5th Corps

1st Army

Strength

80,000

1 brigade

Casualties and losses

4,000 dead of Cholera

1 brigade captured

v t e Second Balkan War
Kilkis–Lachanas Doiran Bregalnica Knjaževac Pirot Dobruja Vidin Danube Kalimanci Adrianople Kresna Gorge

The Southern Dobruja Offensive was the opening action of the Romanian invasion of Bulgaria during the Second Balkan War of 1913. At the time of the invasion, the Bulgarian Army was engaged in heavy fighting against Serbia and Greece. Aside from Southern Dobruja itself, Varna was also briefly occupied by Romanian cavalry, until it became apparent that no Bulgarian resistance would be offered. Southern Dobruja was subsequently annexed by Romania.

Background

The Romanian Army had seen no foreign action since 1878, but on 5 July 1913, it began to mobilize against Bulgaria. Following the beginning of the Second Balkan War, the Romanians perceived an opportunity to accomplish their unfulfilled aspirations in Dobruja. Romania declared war on Bulgaria on 10 July, giving diplomatic assurances that it did not intend to subjugate Bulgaria or defeat its army.^[1]

Romanian offensive

On 10 July, following the Romanian declaration of war, General Ioan Culcer's 5th Corps - amounting to 80,000 soldiers crossed the border into the Bulgarian part of Dobruja.^[1] That day, the Romanians crossed the Danube at Silistra without meeting resistance. One week later, the Tutrakan-Balchik line had been occupied, and on 16 July Romanian patrols entered Varna.^[2] The Tutrakan-Balchik line marked the territory demanded by the Romanians. The cavalry attached to General Culcer's 5th Corps briefly occupied Varna, but withdrew back into Dobruja once it became apparent that no Bulgarian resistance would be offered.^[1] On 18 July, a brigade of the Bulgarian 1st Army - which was retreating south was captured by the 1st Romanian Cavalry Division. The Bulgarian brigade offered no resistance.^[2] The Chief of Operations of the Romanian 1st Cavalry Division was Ion Antonescu, who was awarded the Medal of Military Virtue in Gold, personally presented to him by Prince Ferdinand. Antonescu was one of the only two to receive this award during the campaign.^[3]

Aftermath

The Romanians suffered no combat casualties, as there was no resistance. The Bulgarians agreed to cede Southern Dobruja to Romania as early as 19 July.^[4] Southern Dobruja - the richest agricultural land of Bulgaria - was officially annexed by Romania following the Treaty of Bucharest. The territory measured 2,970 square miles.^[5]

Citations

References

Bourne, Kenneth; Stevenson, David; Watt, Donald Cameron; Keiger, John F.V. (1989). British Documents on Foreign Affairs—Reports and Papers from the Foreign Office Confidential Print: Bulgaria, 1907-1914; Montenegro, 1895-1913. University Publications of America. ISBN 9780890936108.
Hall, Richard C. (2002). The Balkan Wars 1912-1913: Prelude to the First World War. Routledge.
Watts, Larry (1993). Romanian Cassandra. Monographs. ISBN 9780880332552.

v t e Balkan Wars
Background	Nationalism in the Ottoman Empire Albanian Bulgarian Greek Serbian Congress of Berlin Annexation of Eastern Rumelia Serbo-Bulgarian War Greco-Turkish War of 1897 Cretan State IMRO & Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising Macedonian Struggle Young Turk Revolution Bosnian Crisis Bulgarian Independence 31 March Incident Goudi coup Italo-Turkish War Albanian revolt of 1912 Balkan League
First Balkan War
Battles	Sarantaporo Kardzhali Pente Pigadia Sorovich Kumanovo Kirk Kilisse Scutari Lule Burgas Yenidje Adrianople Prilep Himara Monastir First Çatalca Kaliakra Merhamli Driskos Elli Korytsa Lemnos Bulair Şarköy Bizani Second Çatalca
Diplomacy and politics	London Conference Albanian Independence 1913 Ottoman coup d'état Treaty of London
Second Balkan War
Battles	Kilkis–Lachanas Doiran Bregalnica Knjaževac Kalimanci Kresna Gorge Southern Dobruja Romanian landings in Bulgaria Vidin Pirot
Diplomacy and politics	Greek–Serbian Alliance Provisional Government of Western Thrace Treaty of Bucharest Treaty of Constantinople Treaty of Athens
Other	1913 Romanian Army cholera outbreak
General
Aftermath	Autonomy of Northern Epirus Greco-Turkish crisis of 1914 Sarajevo Assassination and World War I Ottoman–Bulgarian alliance Balkans campaign of WWI Serbian campaign Macedonian front
Atrocities	Carnegie Commission Massacres of Albanians Bulgarians deportation program Massacres of Civilians Initial phase of the Greek genocide Places burned down
Participants	Bulgaria Ferdinand I Ivan Geshov Stoyan Danev Mihail Savov Ivan Fichev Vasil Kutinchev Nikola Ivanov Radko Dimitriev Stiliyan Kovachev Georgi Todorov Greece George I Constantine I Eleftherios Venizelos Panagiotis Danglis Pavlos Kountouriotis Konstantinos Sapountzakis Viktor Dousmanis Montenegro Nicholas I Crown Prince Danilo Janko Vukotić Ottoman Empire Mehmed V Nazim Pasha Zeki Pasha Esad Pasha Kölemen Abdullah Pasha Ali Rıza Pasha Hasan Tahsin Pasha Enver Bey Ahmed Izzet Pasha Romania Carol I Crown Prince Ferdinand Alexandru Averescu Serbia Peter I Crown Prince Alexander Radomir Putnik Petar Bojović Stepa Stepanović Božidar Janković Other Balkan states: Albania (Ismail Kemal)
Category