Battle of Bazargic

The Battle of Bazargic, also known as the Battle of Dobrich or the Dobrich epopee (Bulgarian: Добричка епопея), 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 at the end of 1916.[2] It ended with a Central Powers victory.

Battle of Bazargic
Part of Romanian Campaign (World War I)

Map of the Romanian campaign
Date5 September 1916 - 7 September 1916
Location
Bazargic, Kingdom of Romania (now Dobrich, Bulgaria)
43°34′0″N 27°50′0″E
Result Central Powers victory
Belligerents
Central Powers:
Bulgaria
 Germany
 Ottoman Empire		 Allied Powers:
Romania
Russian Empire
 Serbia
Commanders and leaders
Stefan Toshev
Ivan Kolev
Todor Kantardzhiev		 Andrei Zayonchkovski
Strength
23 battalions,10 artillery batteries, 17 cavalry squadrons 46 battalions,17 artillery batteries,19 cavalry squadrons
Casualties and losses
1,053 killed
2,324 wounded[1]		 Unknown

Background
Main article: Romanian Campaign (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 the Dobruja, a region inhabited mainly by Bulgarians and taken from them in 1913,[2] as the result of the Second Balkan War.

Battle

Mackensen started with a surprise move on Turtucaia, a Romanian fortress. The besieging force was smaller than the garrison, most of which surrendered quickly while the rest fled including their commander.[3] On the Southern front Bulgarian and German units along with Turkish reinforcements, crossed the border and invaded the Dobrudja finding themselves facing the Romanian Third Army and two Russian infantry divisions, some Romanian units surrendered to the Russians, believing them to be Bulgarians.[4] The outnumbered Central Powers force managed to push the Russians north while the Serbian Volunteer division suffered heavy casualties with 8,539 dead and wounded.[5] On 7 September after intense fighting the defeated Russian general ordered a withdrawal.[6]

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.[7]

Notes
  1. Симеонов, Радослав, Величка Михайлова и Донка Василева. Добричката епопея. Историко-библиографски справочник, Добрич 2006, с. 181.
  2. Norman Stone 2008, p. 712–713.
  3. Norman Stone 2008, p. 712-713.
  4. Holger H. Herwig 2014, p. 213.
  5. Ivo Banac 2015, p. 121–123.
  6. Richard C. Hall 2010, p. 70-71.
  7. Norman Stone 2008, p. 720.

References
  • Norman Stone (2008). The Eastern Front 1914-1917. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-0-14-193885-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Richard C. Hall (2010). Balkan Breakthrough: The Battle of Dobro Pole 1918. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-00411-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ivo Banac (2015). The National Question in Yugoslavia: Origins, History, Politics. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-5017-0193-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Holger H. Herwig (24 April 2014). The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4725-1081-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Българската армия в Първата световна война 1915-1918: Кратък енцикл. справ (in Bulgarian). Св. Георги Победоносец. 1939.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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