Greece to roman road

The Balkan war that has been going on for more than a month continues. Based on the military intelligence reports from the front line, Constantine has been keenly aware that after the Romanian army crossed the Danube and attacked Sophia, which had an empty defense, Bulgaria on the Macedonian front line The army fell into a state of panic, and there was obvious panic in the army's dispatch and layout.

The Romanian army reached the town of Pleven without any resistance, which had left a glorious memory for the Romanians.

The Greek army clung to the retreating Bulgarian army and continued to advance towards Bulgarian-controlled Macedonia. By July 12, the Greek army had arrived at the city of Kavala, where the Ivanov Army was stationed.

On July 8, the Ottoman army led by Enver, Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire, took advantage of the defeat of the Bulgarian army to recover most of the territory in Eastern Thrace. The Ottoman army also ensured its control of Edirne and Eastern Thrace. control of Sri Lanka.

This move made everyone in the Ottoman Empire rejoice at this victory.

As for Serbia, due to the pressure from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was forced to give up the military operation to send troops to Bulgaria.

In view of the fact that Bulgaria's defeat has been determined, the Greek military and political leaders held a secret meeting to discuss Greece's territorial objectives for this war in order to specify the Greek army.

Athens Ministry of Defense Building

"In defeating Bulgaria in this war, the Greek army made the greatest contribution, with tens of thousands of casualties. Therefore, Greece deserves to receive spoils commensurate with Greece's contribution," Arms Minister Giannis said excitedly.

"The General Staff should immediately give an order to General Manugianasky to occupy East Macedonia near Kavala, as well as West Thrace and Pirin Macedonia."

"In order to completely weaken Bulgaria and resolve Bulgaria's threat to northern Greece, Eastern Rumelia should be captured."

"There were many Greeks living in Eastern Rumelia. After the Bulgarians occupied it, many Greeks were expelled and their property and land were robbed and plundered by the Bulgarians."

Everyone in the conference room, after what Giannis said, was filled with joyful smiles and high spirits.

Constantine was not as optimistic as Giannis, and asked Prime Minister Venizelos: "Mr. Prime Minister, what spoils do you think Greece should get from Bulgaria?"

"Your Royal Highness, how much loot Greece can get from Bulgaria needs to be decided by the great powers. For the sake of balance in the Balkans, I'm afraid it is impossible for the great powers to agree to cede Eastern Rumelia to Greece as mentioned by Giannis," Venizelos said calmly. said.

"The area of ​​East Rumelia accounts for almost half of Bulgaria's total territory. If Bulgaria loses East Rumelia and only retains the territory on the south bank of the Danube River, it will become a completely insignificant small country." Venizelos walked to the situation map of the Balkans Go ahead and explain to everyone.

"Secondly, East Rumelia also involves the Berlin-Constantinople railway. This railway passes through East Rumelia. This is undoubtedly what the German and Austrian sides do not want to see. This means that if Greece gets East Rumelia , then Greece will also have a say in whether this railway can be passed."

"Obviously the German and Austrian sides don't want to see this situation."

"If Greece can acquire Eastern Rumelia, it will completely establish its dominance in the Balkans, and the military balance in the Balkans will be completely broken. Over time, with a territory of more than 200,000 square kilometers and a population of tens of millions, Greece in southeastern Europe may become a new European power. If it joins the club of great powers, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean will change greatly. This is also something that the great powers cannot tolerate."

The current great powers in Europe are the beneficiaries of the old structure. They hold a common position in maintaining the existing structure in Europe because this is to safeguard their common interests.

They do not want anyone to challenge their status, or new entrants to the camp of the great powers.

The so-called mentality of squeezing into a bus means that when you are outside the bus, you are eager to squeeze into the bus. Once you squeeze into the bus, your thoughts will immediately change.

The more people squeeze into the bus, the more crowded the originally limited space will be. Naturally, people on the bus are unwilling to have more people squeeze in.

The existing powers in Europe are the people who are already on the bus. Naturally, they do not want new entrants to share their limited cake.

"Greece's expansion in the Balkans has been smooth in recent years. This is because Greece's national comprehensive strength has always been weak and is not taken seriously by other countries. However, Greece's strength has reached a critical point. Once it breaks through, there will be a Great progress"

"Countries will naturally find ways to suppress Greece, and they cannot allow Greece to expand wantonly."

Venizelos' words unintentionally poured cold water on the heads of many Greek soldiers.

"If Bulgaria continues to retain Eastern Rumelia, the Bulgarian Army will soon regain its strength and become a new threat to northern Greece. Then our current victory will only be temporary, and the threat from Bulgaria will still be a long-term threat to northern Greece." Chief of General Staff Emmanuel said reluctantly.

"I'm afraid this is the situation that all the great powers want to see," Constantine interjected.

"But we can also take measures to reduce Bulgaria's development potential and speed as much as possible. As for other territories, Kavala, an important port and Western Thrace, must be taken from Bulgaria."

"Without the ports on the Aegean Sea, it will be very difficult for Bulgaria to develop its economy based on its geographical location. They will still face the same difficulties as in the past, with ocean trade relying on the Bosporus."

Just as Italy and Austria-Hungary did not want Serbia to have access to the Adria, Greece did not want Bulgaria to have access to the Aegean Sea.

In a poor country, no matter how good the quality of the soldiers is, how good is the combat effectiveness of the army?

Constantine's opinion was echoed by everyone - since this war is unlikely to dismember Bulgaria, then try to contain Bulgaria, seize all Bulgaria's Aegean territory, and reduce Bulgaria's threat.

After consensus, the General Staff conveyed the opinions of the Greek military and political leaders to the headquarters of the Macedonian Army on the front line - to strive for Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace.

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When the Second Division tore apart the defensive line, a train leaving Athens was speeding along the southwest railway line to Thessaloniki.

"Report! Your Excellency, Army Commander, the General Staff is calling!"

"read!"

"Bulgaria's defeat has been exposed. I hope the Macedonian Army will speed up its progress, annihilate the effective strength of the Bulgarian army as much as possible, and occupy Bulgaria's territory along the Aegean Sea."

"The Second Division broke through the defense line at 9:30! It arrived at Kavala City and cut off the retreat of Ivanov's Army." The young communications soldier thought excitedly that the Second Division attacked so smoothly. He was full of pride in the power of the Greek Army.

However, this exciting news surprised Manujianaski: "So fast?!"

This is indeed good news for myself and the troops under my command.

The 2nd Division was attacking in the direction in which the Bulgarian Army was retreating.

His mission was to penetrate deep into the Bulgarian army's defense line before the Bulgarians requested a ceasefire, occupy Kavala, build fortifications, prevent the Bulgarian army from retreating quickly, and buy time for all the troops to divide and surround the Bulgarian army.

This was not originally a too difficult task. Kavala is just a small seaport town with less than 10,000 residents. After the Bulgarian army occupied it, it became a material distribution center for the Bulgarian army.

The early reconnaissance here by reconnaissance planes showed that there were not many Bulgarian troops in Kavala, only about one infantry regiment. The Bulgarians obviously believed that Kavala, which was behind the army's defense line, was very safe.

Therefore, Colonel Hoffman, Director of the Operations Department of the Macedonian Army Staff Headquarters, made a very bold suggestion that after the Second Division broke through the Bulgarian army's defense line, he directly commanded the Fourth Division to bypass the city of Kavala and cut off the enemy's retreat in order to force The Bulgarian Ivanov Corps surrendered.

However, the march plan is more risky. If it succeeds, it can indeed achieve greater results and may surround the Bulgarian Ivanov Army.

However, such a transfer would put the Second Division into danger, and the Second Division would face the pressure of the entire local army.

However, if you just chase the fleeing Ivanov Army, it will not be very effective. The Greek army must act as a blocking force to create opportunities for the main force of the Macedonian Army to encircle and annihilate the Ivanov Army.

Manugianasky could only pray for the second division in his heart, hoping that they could successfully stop Ivanov's army.

A position of the 2nd Division of the Macedonian Army.

The Bulgarians would not give Captain Erhard's infantry time to build fortifications. The Greeks did not even have time to dig a foxhole before the Bulgarians arrived.

"The Bulgarians are coming up!"

"Damn! At least 2 companies!"

If it were within a complete trench fortification, the Greeks would not care about these Bulgarians who only knew how to rush up in a dense formation carrying Mosin Nagant.

However, now that there was no bunker, the Greeks, who could only lie directly on the ground, faced the wave of Bulgarians and felt the pressure of their numerical disadvantage for the first time.

"Fire! Don't let the Bulgarians get closer!" Captain Erhard shouted loudly, then picked up the rifle in his hand, pointed it at the Bulgarian soldiers rushing in front and pulled the trigger.

The gun bolt automatically bounced the metal bullet casing that emitted the gunpowder smoke out of the ejection window. The chests of the running Bulgarian soldiers bloomed with bright red blood flowers. The legs that were originally striding out suddenly lost the strength to support the body. His knees weakened and he fell to the ground. The force of his forward motion brought his body that had lost its strength and slid on the grass for a certain distance before falling to the ground.

The sound of the gunshot was like a signal, and in an instant there was a burst of gunfire on the Greek front.

The crossfire of more than a dozen Maxim machine guns blocked the path of the Bulgarian charge. The machine gunner turned the gun slightly, and the long whip of bullets swept across the battlefield. The charging Russian soldiers fell to the ground row by row.

The 200-meter open space in front of the bushes defended by the Greeks became a death zone. The Bulgarian military uniforms turned the originally green grass into a withered yellow prematurely.

However, the ferocious firepower of the Greeks did not make the Bulgarians retreat. The sound resounding on the battlefield did not disappear due to the terrible casualties. More Bulgarian soldiers shouted slogans and stepped on the corpses to continue charging!

The Bulgarian officers also knew very well that if they could not break through the Greek defense lines in time and relied on the pursuit of the Greek army, the entire Ivanov Army might be surrounded and annihilated by the Greeks.

"Damn, here come 2 more companies!"

"Oh, God! There's more fucking to come!"

"We've stung a fucking hornet's nest!"

"Suppressive fire! Suppressive fire!"

"Shit! Bulgarian Maxim!"

The appearance of the Maxim heavy machine gun made the situation for the Greeks immediately become dangerous. Bullets kept flying over the foreheads of the Greek soldiers. The branches of the bushes were broken and the bullets shot into the soil in front of them. The sound made the Greeks wish they could press their bodies into the ground, and the flying stray bullets began to cause casualties among the Greeks.

"We need fire support! We need". He supported his upper body with his hands and raised his head to look at the densely packed Bulgarians rushing in front of him. Before he could finish shouting, a stray bullet hit his head, and his lifeless body was struck. On the ground, the guy next to the corpse suddenly lowered his head in reflex.

"Pay attention to concealment! Pay attention to concealment! If you don't want to be shot, lower your heads!"

"Kill that son of a bitch!"

"It's useless! Our bullets can't penetrate their shields!"

"Keep shooting! Keep shooting! Suppress that son of a bitch machine gun!" Captain Erhard, who was running back and forth from behind his own position, shouted loudly, and then there was a teeth-searing sound of metal scraping. From his head, Erhard fell violently on his back, and the helmet on his head fell to the ground and rolled half a meter away.

······

At this time, Sofia, Bulgaria, fell into an unprecedented panic.

Among all enemies, Romania is advancing the fastest, only a few dozen kilometers away from Sofia.

The most worrying thing is the Macedonian army. Ivanov informed the rear that Ivanov's army's retreat is in danger of being cut off.

As the main Bulgarian force with 200,000 people, the Ivanov Army is the elite of the Bulgarian Army. Once it is lost, it will severely damage the Bulgarian Army.

"The Austro-Hungarian Empire deceived me, they deceived Bulgaria, and they agreed that once the war situation was unfavorable, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would actually go down personally and completely solve Serbia," Ferdinand I roared.

"They wrote me a bad check"

Ferdinand walked back and forth anxiously and said in panic.

Ferdinand did not realize that Bulgaria did not realize that the place where Austria-Hungary made diplomatic decisions was in Vienna, but the place where military decisions were made was in Berlin.

Kaiser Wilhelm II was already fed up with Austria-Hungary's practice of making big news in the Balkans all day long, only to seek German endorsement when the matter came to a close.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina crisis had only passed five years ago. At that time, Austria-Hungary had secretly negotiated with Russia behind Germany's back. At the last moment, it sought Germany's support and annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, which worsened the relations between Germany and Turkey and Germany and Russia.

This time Germany refused to support Austria-Hungary, and Austria-Hungary would naturally not take chestnuts from the fire for Bulgaria.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire expressed its intention to join the war, so Bulgaria dared to go to war. However, Bulgaria was tricked by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Bulgaria is not a fool. The reason why Bulgaria dared to tear up the treaty and actively attack Greece and Serbia was the instigation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Austria-Hungary promised Bulgaria that it would also participate in the war.

As a result, Bulgaria joined the war, but the Austro-Hungarian Empire gave in and tricked Bulgaria.

When Austria-Hungary was preparing to join the war, it was afraid of Russia's participation in the war and sought help from Germany. Germany was not ready for a full-scale war with Russia, so of course it did not want to deal with it. The Austro-Hungarian Empire did not have Germany's guarantee and did not dare to go to war because it was afraid of Russia.

Then poor Bulgaria was mobbed.

"What did the Austro-Hungarian ambassador say? Can they guarantee Bulgaria's territorial integrity as promised?" Ferdinand I eagerly asked his military adviser Zhekov.

"I just inquired about Ambassador Schmidt, Your Majesty. He just said that the Austro-Hungarian Empire will try its best to preserve the territorial integrity of Bulgaria," Zhekov said helplessly.

After independence, Bulgaria's economy developed rapidly. At this time, it was already the strongest among the Balkan countries. However, it was still an agricultural country, and the main source of troops for the army was also farmers.

In order to prepare for future wars, Bulgaria implemented separatism and had a large and well-equipped army, so it was called "Eastern Prussia."

Bulgaria, like several other countries, also has its own dream of becoming a great power. The planned "Greater Bulgaria" will span the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, extending from Macedonia to Dobroga.

Today, this dream of Bulgarians has been shattered.

After the victory in the last war (the Balkan War), the political ambitions of the Bulgarians expanded dramatically, and they even took action against Constantinople.