Battle of Bazargic

The Battle of Bazargic, also known as the Battle of Dobrich or the Dobrich epopee (Template:Langx), (Template:Langx), took place between 5 and 7 September 1916 between a joint Bulgarian–German-Ottoman force, consisting mainly of the Bulgarian Third Army, and a Romanian–Russian force, including a Division of Serbian Volunteers serving under the Russian 47th Corps. The battle was part of the Romanian campaign towards the end of 1916. It ended with a Central Powers victory.

Background

Although bound by the pre-war Triple Alliance to the Central Powers, Romania instead joined the Triple Entente in August 1916, following the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest (1916). German Commander Field Marshal August von Mackensen was put in charge of the Romanian campaign in the Dobruja front. In September the 3rd Bulgarian Army was reinforced with two Ottoman divisions and part of a German division. The Central Powers' plan was to attack the Romanian forces in Transylvania, while at the same time attacking along the Black Sea, into South Dobruja, a region inhabited mainly by Bulgarians and assigned to Romania in 1913, as a result of the Second Balkan War and the ensuing Treaty of Bucharest (1913).

Battle

Mackensen started with a surprise move on Turtucaia, a Romanian fortress. Although the besieging force was smaller than the garrison, most surrendered quickly to the Bulgarian 3rd Army after their commander fled.

Along with German reinforcements, Bulgarian units on the Southern front who crossed the border and invaded the Dobruja found themselves facing the Romanian Third Army and two Russian infantry divisions. Some of the Romanian units had surrendered to the Russians, believing them to be Bulgarians.

Simultaneously with the assault of the fortress of Turtucaia, the Bulgarian Third Army defeated the Romanian-Russian force, including the First Serbian Volunteer Division, at the Battle of Bazargic, despite their numerical superiority. The crucial point in the battle was the arrival of General Kolev's 1st Cavalry Division, which attacked the Serbian Volunteer Division, forcing their retreat and consequently the retreat of their Romanian and Russian comrades as well. The outnumbered forces of the Central Powers managed to push the Romanians and the Russians north, while the Serbian Volunteer Division suffered heavy casualties with 8,539 dead and wounded.

On 7 September after intense fighting the defeated Russian general ordered a withdrawal.

File:1916 - Sarja a cavaleriei romane in luptele de la Bazargic desen de D Stoica.jpg

Romanian cavalry charge during the battle of Bazargic

Aftermath

As the Romanian army withdrew into Moldavia by the beginning of November, the Central Powers had captured the whole of Dobruja.

External links

• Romanian Encyclopedia

Prelude	South-western front Serbian campaign, Macedonian front	Romanian front • Outcome • Others	Important persons
Balkan Wars 1912–1913 First Balkan War 1913 Treaty of London Second Balkan War Treaty of Bucharest Treaty of Constantinople Neutrality 1914 Ottoman–Bulgarian alliance 1915 Negotiations of Bulgaria with the Central Powers and the Entente Bulgarian–German treaty Secret Bulgarian–German agreement Military convention between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria Bulgarian–Ottoman convention Mobilization File:Macedonian-Adrianopolitan-Volunteer-Corps-Certificate.jpg	Commanders Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria Nikola Zhekov • Kliment Boyadzhiev • Dimitar Geshov • Georgi Todorov • Ivan Lukov • Stefan Nerezov • Vladimir Vazov Entente: Serbia: Radomir Putnik • Živojin Mišić • Stepa Stepanović • Petar Bojović • Pavle Jurišić Šturm; Template:Flagu: Maurice Sarrail • Adolphe Guillaumat • Louis Franchet d'Espèrey; Template:Flagu: Bryan Mahon • George Milne; Template:Flagu: Panagiotis Danglis Field Armies Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria+ Eleventh Army Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria First Army Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria Second Army Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria Fourth Army Battles 1915 Morava Offensive • Ovče Pole Offensive • Kosovo offensive (1915) • Battle of Krivolak 1916 First battle of Doiran • Battle of Florina (Lerin) • Struma operation • Monastir offensive 1917 Second battle of Doiran • 2nd Crna Bend • Second battle of Monastir 1918 Battle of Skra-di-Legen • Battle of Dobro Pole • Third battle of Doiran	Commanders Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria Nikola Zhekov • Panteley Kiselov • Stefan Toshev • Todor Kantardzhiev • Ivan Kolev Entente: Romania: Constantin Prezan • Alexandru Averescu; Russia: Andrei Zayonchkovski • Vladimir Sakharov Field Armies Template:Country data Kingdom of Bulgaria Third Army Battles 1916 Battle of Turtucaia • Battle of Bazargic • First Cobadin • Flămânda Offensive • Second Cobadin • Battle of Bucharest Outcome 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk • Armistice of Focșani • Treaty of Bucharest • Protocol of Berlin Outcome Armistice of Salonica Radomir Rebellion Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine Others Bulgarian administration in Kosovo Anti-military propaganda	File:Bulgarien-mit-uns.jpg Ferdinand Vasil Radoslavov Aleksandar Malinov Aleksandar Stamboliyski Aleksandar Protogerov August von Mackensen Boris Drangov Vladimir Vazov Georgi Todorov (general) Ivan Kolev Kliment Boyadzhiev Dimitar Geshov Ivan Lukov Konstantin Zhostov Krastyu Zlatarev Nikola Zhekov Panteley Kiselov Stefan Toshev Stefan Nerezov Todor Kantardzhiev