Ottoman–Bulgarian alliance

An Ottoman–Bulgarian (or Turco-Bulgarian) alliance was signed in Sofia on 19 August (6 August O.S.) 1914 during the opening month of the First World War, although at the time both the signatories were neutral.^[1] The Minister of the Interior, Talaat Pasha, and President Halil Bey of the Chamber of Deputies signed the treaty on behalf of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and Prime Minister Vasil Radoslavov on behalf of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.^[2] The Ottoman–Bulgarian alliance was probably a prerequisite for Bulgaria's joining the Central Powers after Turkey entered the war in November.^[3]

The treaty of alliance had seven articles.^[4] It was a purely defensive pact: it obligated a signatory to go to war only if the other was attacked by another Balkan country.^[5] The two powers also agreed not to attack any other Balkan country without first consulting each other. Article IV left open the possibility of Ottoman troops traversing Bulgarian soil to attack another power. In the event of a conflict without prior consultation they pledged neutrality. Bulgaria promised to notify Turkey of any mobilisation on its part, and in Article V Turkey agreed to negotiate an affirmation of the neutrality of Romania. Furthermore, the treaty was to be kept secret and to last for the duration of the general European war.^[5] Although shrouded in secrecy like the treaty with Germany negotiated by Minister of War Enver Pasha on 2 August, the Bulgarian treaty was a more coherent and purposeful document.^[5]

After the signing, the Ottomans continued to press for an expanded offensive alliance directed at Russia, but to no avail. On 22 August (9 August O.S.), Grand Vizier Sait Halim rejected the interpretation of the Ottoman–German alliance whereby Turkey was bound to go to war when Germany did. He ordered the government ministers to pursue negotiations in different directions: with Romania, Russia, Greece and France.^[5] When negotiations for an anti-Russian alliance with Romania also failed, on 30 August the Ottomans suggested to their German allies that a Bulgarian alliance directed at Serbia and Greece was more feasible. The Germans objected, but the Ottomans sent a colonel to Sofia to begin negotiations with the Bulgarian general staff anyway.^[2] Even after entering the war, the Ottomans did not make the Germans aware of the existence of their Bulgarian treaty until 17 December 1914;^[5] and the Bulgarians did not actually agree to enter the war on the side of the Central Powers until the Convention of Sofia of 6 September 1915.^[6]

Notes

^ Trumpener 1962, p. 370 n. 8.
^ ^a ^b Trumpener 1966, p. 185.
^ Erickson 2001, p. 19.
^ Silberstein 1970, p. 134.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Erickson 2001, p. 31.
^ Silbersten 1967, pp. 61–69.

Sources

Erickson, Edward J. (2001). Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
Silberstein, Gerard E. (1967). "The Serbian Campaign of 1915: Its Diplomatic Background". American Historical Review. 73 (1): 51–69. doi:10.2307/1849028. JSTOR 1849028.
Silberstein, Gerard E. (1970). The Troubled Alliance: German–Austrian Relations, 1914 to 1917. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.
Trumpener, Ulrich (1962). "Turkey's Entry into World War I: An Assessment of Responsibilities". Journal of Modern History. 34 (4): 369–80. doi:10.1086/239180. S2CID 153500703.
Trumpener, Ulrich (1966). "Liman von Sanders and the German-Ottoman Alliance". Journal of Contemporary History. 1 (4): 179–92. doi:10.1177/002200946600100407. S2CID 154099517.

[FOOTNOTETrumpener1962370_n._8-1] Trumpener 1962, p. 370 n. 8.

[FOOTNOTETrumpener1966185-2] Trumpener 1966, p. 185.

[FOOTNOTEErickson200119-3] Erickson 2001, p. 19.

[FOOTNOTESilberstein1970134-4] Silberstein 1970, p. 134.

[FOOTNOTEErickson200131-5] Erickson 2001, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTESilbersten196761–69-6] Silbersten 1967, pp. 61–69.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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