This video shows the balkan wars 1912-1913 animated with cartoon characters and moving map.
Note: I own this content and I have originally and already uploaded it on youtube.
https://youtu.be/URm2JSslCA0?si=4vbLWNww4PyijKAw
#history #balkanwars #animatedhistory #battle #war
Note: I own this content and I have originally and already uploaded it on youtube.
https://youtu.be/URm2JSslCA0?si=4vbLWNww4PyijKAw
#history #balkanwars #animatedhistory #battle #war
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LearningTranscript
00:00Thanks to the channel supporters.
00:03The First Balkan War, the World War No. 0
00:06The Great War wasn't the first world war the world witnessed.
00:11It was preceded by a war in which most of the European powers participated either directly or indirectly.
00:18The Balkans were and still the powder keg lying beneath Europe's belly.
00:21In this region, there was ethnic, religious, and national tension between the Christian Slavs, Bulgars, and the Greeks, the landowners, and the Muslim Ottomans, the rulers of the land, which led to the outbreak of the First Balkan War.
00:37But how did the Ottomans manage to rule the Balkans?
00:41In the 6th century, the Balkans and the Middle East were ruled by the Orthodox Byzantine Empire.
00:47It was awash with knowledge and prosperity, which prompted the Bulgarians and a group of Slavs to migrate from South Russia towards the Balkans.
00:56Meanwhile, a new religion, which is Islam, emerged in the Arabian Peninsula, and its adherents were able to control the Middle East at the expense of the Byzantines.
01:06It then reached Anatolia, which is Turkey now, where the Turks adopted this new religion, and from here the signs of the Balkan War began to take shape.
01:15The Turks, led by Osman I, were able to fully control Anatolia and establish the Ottoman Empire in 1299.
01:32What happened was a civil war in the Byzantine Empire between the 9-years-old legitimate heir to the throne, John V and John VI Kantakouzanos, a Greek nobleman who appointed himself emperor.
01:44John VI asked for help from the Ottoman Sultan Orhan I, who accepted their assistance in exchange for some land, which gave the Ottomans a foothold in the Balkans.
01:54Then an earthquake weakened the city walls, which enabled the Ottomans to occupy Gallipoli.
01:59The Ottomans pushed deeper into the Balkans, occupying Macedonia and Edirni, which became their capital.
02:06The Balkan states are starting to worry.
02:08All right, everyone, the Ottomans are moving in again.
02:12Does any one of you have a solution?
02:14We could try diplomacy this time.
02:16Oh, yes, because that worked so well last time.
02:19Remind me, didn't they diplomatically take your capital?
02:21It was a strategic surrender.
02:24All right, enough is enough.
02:25We need a plan, a real one this time.
02:28Guys, I have a great idea.
02:30What if we all unite into one big strong alliance?
02:32Didn't we try that already?
02:34Ended in a friendly fire because of border disputes.
02:36Look, we just need to set aside our tiny border disputes and focus on the real enemy.
02:42The Balkan states formed an alliance to stop the Ottomans, but were defeated.
02:46So the Ottoman power strengthened in the region.
02:49In conclusion, many Balkan states like Serbia and Bulgaria became vassals before being fully
02:54incorporated into the empire.
02:56The Ottomans used them to attack the remaining free Balkan states.
03:00Finally, Sofia and Thessaloniki fell into the hands of the Ottomans.
03:05Only Constantinople remained standing in the Ottomans' face, which was the most important
03:10city in the Balkans and considered a center of the Orthodox faith.
03:15The Ottomans launched a massive land and sea encirclement with no less than a quarter
03:19of a million soldiers, with the most modern and powerful cannons of the time, in addition
03:24to 320 warships.
03:26The Ottomans bombarded the city for 55 consecutive days until it fell in 1453 at the hands of Mehmed
03:33the Conqueror.
03:35By late 16th century, most of the Balkans were under Ottoman control, thus making many
03:40Balkan countries Muslim to this day, such as Kosovo and Albania.
03:44These victories and glories did not last long.
03:47After a century, the empire began to weaken as a result of the weakness of the rulers,
03:52some of whom prevented any new invention from entering the Ottoman Empire.
03:55Your Excellency, I would like to introduce you this new invention which enables you to print
04:00a large number of papers in a short time, instead of typing, which takes weeks and months.
04:05What about the writers?
04:06Are you the one who will find them another job?
04:08But we must keep up with Europe in scientific development.
04:11I don't care.
04:12Ban this invention.
04:14Hello, Sultan.
04:15This chef wants you to try this new recipe that came to us from Africa.
04:19It's called coffee.
04:20Mmm, I don't like the smell of it.
04:23So ban it in all parts of the empire.
04:26Others were only concerned with women, giving them privileges and money, which led to the
04:30anger of some people, including generals, workers, soldiers, and even members of the ruling family.
04:38Hi, babe.
04:39Can you appoint my son as chief of staff of the army?
04:42Naksha deal.
04:43But your son is only nine years old and has never led a battle in his life.
04:47Mmm, what a f*** to you tonight.
04:49If that is the case, I agree.
04:51So, according to your file, you have no military experience and you have never led a battle
04:56in your life.
04:56But your mother is that hot lady.
04:58And you?
04:59You have defeated all the kingdoms of Europe and you have 20 years of experience in the
05:03military.
05:04So the position will be...
05:06yours.
05:08Hello, babe.
05:09Can you give me all of Syria's income for this year?
05:12All of Syria's income for this year?
05:13And actually, he gave her all of Syria's income for that year.
05:19During this period, something happened that changed the balance of power in the entire
05:23world.
05:24The Industrial Revolution emerged in Europe during the 18th century.
05:40The Ottoman Empire did not keep pace with this revolution, becoming somewhat backward compared
05:45to other European countries.
05:47Well, the Industrial Revolution required a lot of resources to use, and Europe was a
05:52continent that lacked resources, so they decided to take them from the people that had them
05:57by force.
05:58And two of the most important places that contain resources are North Africa and the Middle
06:02East, a region ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
06:05Greece entered into a war against the Ottomans, and surprisingly won and gained independence in
06:111922.
06:13However, it remained in a naval conflict with the Ottomans, forcing them to withdraw their
06:18fleet from Algeria and transfer it to Turkey.
06:20But in the end, they were defeated by Greece with the help of the British.
06:25Algeria now lacks a fleet, making it vulnerable to colonization.
06:29This aroused the ambitions of European countries, especially France, which colonized the Ottoman
06:34province of Algeria.
06:39And they also took Tunisia.
06:41Egypt gained its independence from the Ottomans after the Muhammad Ali Pasha Revolution, who
06:46handed it over to Britain.
06:48On the other side of the empire, Russia wanted to reach warm waters in order to be able to
06:53trade by sea.
06:54It also declared its support for the Slavic peoples and its desire to unite them with Russia.
06:59So it entered into wars against the Ottomans.
07:01Hi Europe, Russia has attacked me.
07:04We know.
07:05And you're gonna stay like this without doing anything?
07:07What do you want us to do?
07:08Defend your borders.
07:10Guys, do you realize that if Russia wins, it will take my lands, and it will unite with
07:14the Balkan countries?
07:15If that happened, Russia will become unstoppable.
07:18We got you.
07:19The Ottoman Empire won this war and forced Russia to sign a peace treaty.
07:24Despite the victory, the Ottoman Empire emerged weak and heavily indebted to the European powers.
07:30So Russia wanted a second round and entered into a war with the Ottomans in 1877, in which
07:35Russia won, allowing for a new wave of independence in the Balkan states.
07:39Romania gained independence in 1977, then Serbia in 1978, and finally Bulgaria in 1908.
07:47But they weren't satisfied with the division.
07:50They wanted the whole cake.
07:52When Italy saw the European countries occupying the Ottoman lands, it decided to attack Libya
07:57in 1912.
07:59The Balkan countries said, that's it.
08:01This is our opportunity.
08:03Let's recap a little.
08:04The Ottoman Empire colonized the Balkans.
08:07The European powers intervened to weaken the Ottoman Empire and took its colonies.
08:12Russia attacked the Ottomans to reach warm waters and help the Balkan countries gain their
08:16independence.
08:17With the help of Russia, the Balkan countries gained their independence but wanted to expand
08:21their territories.
08:23These countries formed an alliance called the Balkan League and declared war on the Ottoman
08:27Empire.
08:28And with that, the first Balkan war began.
08:31Hey, do you want to support the channel and at the same time you get some benefits like
08:50writing your name in the beginning and early access to the videos that I make?
08:55We want to inform you that we have opened the feature of membership and super thanks.
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09:03to join.
09:04The link in the description.
09:07The Ottoman Empire withdrew its officers and some of its army from Libya to participate in
09:13the Balkan War, which made it easier for the Italians to invade Libya.
09:17The Ottoman army now numbered between 350,000 and 400,000, in addition to half a million
09:23in reserve with 8,000 officers and 50 warships.
09:26While the Balkan armies numbered around 765,000, 370,000 Bulgarians, 230,000 Serbs, 35,000 Montenegrins
09:37and 130,000 Greeks with 30 warships.
09:40Montenegro was the weakest and the first country to declare war.
09:44They launched an attack accompanied by Serbia in the north of Kosovo.
09:48Wow, that was easy.
09:50So the Serbian decided to push deeper in order to be the first to take North Macedonia.
09:54And they engaged with the Ottomans in the Battle of Kumanovo.
09:58In this battle, the Serbian crushed the Ottomans.
10:01The Ottomans positioned their artillery on the high hills, aiming to trap them.
10:05While the Serbian forces were advancing with great speed and determination, the Ottomans
10:10launched a quick artillery attack and then unleashed cavalry and infantry in order to break
10:15through the Serb lines before organizing themselves and taking up positions in the battlefield.
10:19But the Serbs realized the situation and took a defensive position to repel the attack.
10:25They succeeded in repelling them and moved to attack again.
10:28But fortunately for the Ottomans, the sun set and the fighting ended for that day.
10:33The next day, the Serbs took the offensive hoping to achieve a crushing victory and end
10:38the Ottoman presence in northern Macedonia once and for all.
10:41The two armies clashed and the superiority of the Serbs became clear.
10:47By midday, the Serbs had succeeded in destroying the Ottoman forces who fled the field.
10:52Thus, the Serbs occupied all of northern Macedonia.
10:57Meanwhile, the Montenegrin army turned to besiege the city of Scutari.
11:01They besieged it for six months and they took it, but were later forced to hand it over
11:05to the Albanians.
11:06Speaking of Albania, the Albanians revolted against the Ottomans in the summer of 1912
11:11before the war even started, who were able to gain autonomy and control the city of Pristina.
11:17After the war began, the Serbs decided to take it from the Albanians, but the Albanians
11:22refused, so the Battle of Pristina took place there between the Serbs and the Turco-Albanian
11:27alliance.
11:28The Albanians didn't have a strong army, so they managed to hold out for a short time before
11:32being crushed by the Serbs.
11:33And here, where one of the most horrific massacres in human history has occurred, as
11:385,000 Albanians were massacred, including women and children, and their homes were burned.
11:44This event is described as the darkest days in Albanian Kosovar history.
11:48On the Eastern Front, the Bulgarians launched an attack on two sides.
11:53The Western side, with the aim of controlling northern Macedonia, and then the city of Thessaloniki,
11:59while the Eastern army attacked to conquer the two most important cities of the Ottoman
12:03Empire, Edirne and Istanbul.
12:06They besieged Adrianopoul and attacked Kurekale, paving the way for the occupation of Istanbul.
12:12They succeeded in occupying Kurekale.
12:14Now, only the Satalka line separate them from the capital of the Ottomans.
12:19Bulgaria is threatening Istanbul, the cradle of orthodoxy.
12:22This was making a certain nation concerned.
12:25No, not the Ottomans, but the Russians, their ally, which decided to switch side and send
12:31an ultimatum to Bulgaria, warning them not to march on Istanbul.
12:35The Bulgarians ignored the threat and decided to march towards Istanbul, and the result was
12:41catastrophic losses on both sides.
12:46But they managed to stop Bulgaria.
12:49The question here is why Russia decided to turn against its ally.
12:54The answer is that Russia saw Istanbul as a right for itself due to its strategic location
12:59and religious status.
13:01Its presence under the control of the Ottomans or any other Balkan state threatened the Russian
13:05trade.
13:06In addition to the fact that Russia wanted this war only to weaken the Ottomans, not to create
13:11a great power in the Balkans, without forgetting that Russia considered itself the protector of
13:15the Orthodox, and the fall of Istanbul into the hands of the Bulgarians deprived it of this title.
13:22In the south, Greece wasn't the most powerful country in the Balkans, but it was the only
13:27country with a naval fleet, so they entered into a naval battle against the Ottomans.
13:31Greece imposed a naval blockade on the Ottoman fleet inside the Dardanelles Strait, so that
13:36they could not navigate in the Aegean Sea.
13:38So the Ottomans decided to break this blockade and left the Strait.
13:43At dawn, both fleets met off the island of Lemnos.
13:46The Ottomans advanced quickly and positioned their cannons towards the enemy ships, hoping
13:51for a quick victory.
13:52But the general Kunturiotis changed the plan at the last moment, taking part of the Greek
13:57fleet and setting off quickly to surround the Ottomans.
14:00The Ottomans were in trouble because they had directed their cannons towards the enemy ships
14:04according to the first formation and were not prepared for the change made by the Greeks.
14:08And it was too late to change the direction of the cannons as the Greek fleet began to
14:12bombard the Ottomans from all sides.
14:15With the horror of the situation and the huge losses, the Ottomans panicked and withdrew from
14:20the battle and returned to the Strait.
14:23This victory allowed the Greeks to impose their control over the Aegean Sea, which prevented
14:27the Ottomans from sending reinforcements to the battlefronts.
14:31In addition to the naval victories on the land, they were better than expected.
14:35They occupied central Macedonia, southern Albania, and the city of Xanthi, and they are now on
14:41their way to occupy the city of Thessaloniki.
14:44At the same time, Bulgaria had finished occupying eastern Macedonia and was now also heading towards
14:50Thessaloniki to take it before Greece.
14:52And the race has begun.
14:54Who will take the city first?
14:55The answer is Greece.
14:58They took the city without any significant resistance because the Ottomans wanted to avoid a bloodbath,
15:03knowing that they were unable to defend the city.
15:05And by the way, expect an attack on Istanbul soon.
15:29Bulgaria wanted revenge and launched an attack on Istanbul.
15:36And as happened in the first Battle of Katalka, a bloodbath.
15:40But the Bulgarians failed to occupy Istanbul.
15:44The Ottomans began to realize that the end was near.
15:47They are suffering devastating defeats on all fronts.
15:51Bulgaria took Adrianople and Thrace region.
15:54Serbia took most of Kosovo and northern Macedonia.
15:56And the Greeks captured Thessaloniki, Loanina, and the Ottoman Islands.
16:01And eventually, they asked for a peace negotiation.
16:05In this negotiation, the Ottoman Empire was required to recognize all the territories it had lost to the victorious nations.
16:13This angered a group of Ottoman youths led by Enver Bey,
16:16who saw it as a mark of shame against them,
16:18so he decided to overthrow the Ottoman government and took power in the state.
16:22He preferred to resume the war.
16:24But he also got kicked.
16:25He faced the reality and was forced to sign a peace treaty.
16:30Thus, the First Balkan War ended.
16:37The Treaty of London signed in 1913 was a prelude to World War I.
16:42In this treaty, the map of the Balkans was reshaped.
16:46Albania gained its independence and was recognized as a free country.
16:49Serbia wanted to acquire Albania, but Austria and Italy opposed its presence on the Adriatic coast.
16:56Borders between the Balkan states were not fully settled, which will lead to tensions later.
17:02And most importantly, the Ottomans were expelled from the region permanently,
17:06thus ending the Ottoman presence in the Balkans that had lasted for six centuries.
17:10These divisions didn't only angered the Ottomans,
17:22but also angered another nation, which will lead us to...
17:25After every war, there is a dispute between the victorious countries over the division of the spoils.
17:43For example, after World War I, the Italians and Japanese disagreed with the Allied powers.
17:59And in World War II, the Soviet Union disagreed with the Western countries.
18:03And in our story for today, the dispute occurred between Bulgaria and the rest of the Balkan states.
18:10We are in 1913.
18:13After eight months of fighting, the First Balkan War has finally come to an end.
18:18Different feelings among the victorious countries because of the divisions.
18:22Bulgaria feels angry at being betrayed by its allies.
18:25Greece and Serbia fear for the lands they have gained.
18:28Romania and Montenegro feel stable in the region and threaten to strike any country that threatens this stability.
18:35And finally, the Ottoman Empire feels resentment towards Bulgaria
18:38and wanted to regain the lands it lost in the First Balkan War.
18:42These feelings led to the outbreak of the Second Armed Conflict in the Balkans, known as...
18:50In light of these contradictory feelings,
18:56the feeling of joy at victory on the one hand,
18:59and the feeling of fear on the other hand of a second war,
19:02the most important question was, who would own what?
19:06Before the First Balkan War began,
19:09Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece held a secret meeting to divide the Ottoman Empire's legacy.
19:14So as I told you, you will take Adrianople and Thrace region,
19:18and I will take Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
19:21And Greece will take South Albania.
19:24Okay, South Macedonia.
19:25Okay, and Thessaloniki.
19:27No, I take Thessaloniki.
19:29Who the hell do you think you are?
19:30You took the biggest part, and you want to take my part too.
19:34Piss off.
19:35I have an idea.
19:36Let's go to Russia.
19:37It will fix this problem and end the fight.
19:41Hello, Russia.
19:42Can you solve a problem between Greece and Bulgaria?
19:44They both want to get Thessaloniki.
19:47Sorry, I love you all.
19:48But I don't interfere in what doesn't concern me.
19:51I told you I'm the one who'll take it.
19:53No, I will.
19:54The Balkan states declared war on the Ottoman Empire
19:56without a clear agreement on the division of the territories.
19:59And after their victory over the Ottomans,
20:01Bulgaria felt it wasn't getting the lands it deserved to have.
20:04So it went to Serbia to reshape the map.
20:07Hey, you.
20:09Give me Eastern Macedonia peacefully, or, you know, I will invade you.
20:12But we agreed before the war that I will take it.
20:15I changed my mind.
20:16I have the strongest army,
20:18and I am the one who fought the hardest battles in the war.
20:21And I remind you that these lands are inhabited by Bulgarians
20:23who want to return to their motherland.
20:26You know what?
20:27Maybe you're right.
20:28I'll be right back.
20:29Hello, Austria.
20:30Do you want to be the dove of peace
20:32that will save the lives of thousands of people?
20:34Here, let me explain the situation to you.
20:36The Bulgars want to take North Macedonia,
20:38which is under my control now.
20:40But I will agree to give it to them
20:41on the condition that I take Albania instead.
20:44Do you agree?
20:44No, but you will save the blood of thousands of people
20:47and win the Nobel Prize.
20:48I don't care.
20:49Go away.
20:51Sorry, but I can't give you what you want.
20:55Serbia was ready to cede Macedonia to the Bulgarians
20:57in exchange for Albania
20:59in order to gain access to the Adriatic Sea.
21:02But after the Western powers, especially Austria,
21:05rejected its request,
21:06it decided to keep Macedonia.
21:08Secondly, Greece.
21:10Bulgaria also went to Greece
21:12in order to give it Thessaloniki.
21:14Hey, Greece.
21:15This is the last time I will warn you.
21:16Either give me Thessaloniki or I declare war.
21:19Oh, you again.
21:20I told you I won't give you anything
21:21and do what you want to do.
21:23The Bulgarian king Ferdinand was furious
21:25and went to the government to inform them
21:27of the response of Serbia and Greece.
21:29But he was looking for an excuse
21:31to convince the government and the army to declare war.
21:34So he claimed that Serbia and Greece
21:35had reneged on their promises to Bulgaria.
21:38Gentlemen, Serbia and Greece have broke their promises to you
21:42and have not paid any attention to you.
21:44So I think the time for war has come.
21:46What?
21:47Our army has just come out of a war
21:48and is now exhausted.
21:50And Romania and Montenegro have warned us
21:52that they will side with our enemies
21:53if we start another war.
21:55Do you think Bulgaria is Germany or Britain
21:57to confront all these countries?
21:59And by the way, Russia said
22:01that it will not send any reinforcements.
22:04Hmm.
22:05You convinced me.
22:06Well, I won't declare war.
22:08Go and order the army to attack
22:09and make sure that these cowards don't find out.
22:11On the night of June 29th, 1913,
22:15a Bulgarian forces infiltrated Macedonian territory
22:18and attacked Serbian positions
22:19without a declaration of war.
22:22The next day, Serbia declared war on Bulgaria.
22:25Greece also joined Serbia
22:27due to a defense treaty with it.
22:30And the Second Balkan War began.
22:36Bulgaria's plan was based on a quick victory
22:40by surprise attacking Serbia and Greece
22:42without declaring war to take key areas
22:44before the Serbo-Greek forces
22:45could prepare themselves,
22:47thus eliminating them from the war.
22:49And it would be too late for Romania
22:51and the Ottoman Empire to intervene in the war.
22:54The Serbian army had some 190,000 soldiers
22:57in addition to 130,000 Greeks.
23:00While the Bulgarian army consisted of 500,000 soldiers
23:04divided into five armies,
23:05the first, third, fifth, and fourth armies
23:08were ordered to head towards the Serbian border,
23:10while the second army was ordered
23:11to head to the Greek border.
23:13The fourth army launched an offensive in the south
23:15against the Serbian forces,
23:17which managed to capture some strategic places.
23:20Seeing the fifth Bulgarian army didn't attack
23:23and the situation deteriorating in the south,
23:25the Serbian third army decided to move south
23:27to assist the first army,
23:29which enabled them to stop the Bulgarians for a while.
23:32This region is now without defenses.
23:34The Bulgarians wanted to seize the opportunity
23:36and sent the fifth army to surround the Serbs.
23:38As the two Bulgarian armies advanced,
23:41the Serbs withdrew
23:42and lost other strategic positions.
23:44But they were able to organize themselves
23:46and launch a counterattack
23:47in the Battle of Brugamica.
23:49As the Bulgarians advanced,
23:51the Serbs decided to stop retreating
23:53and face the Bulgarians in a decisive battle.
23:56They gathered a large army
23:58that outnumbered the Bulgarian army
23:59from various regions.
24:01And with support from Montenegro,
24:03they launched a violent artillery attack.
24:06After a few days,
24:07the Serbian artillery has the final decision.
24:09The Bulgars were far from their lands,
24:11unlike the Serbian army,
24:13which was on its own land.
24:15And because of this,
24:16there was a shortage of logistics
24:17and miscommunication
24:18within the ranks of the Bulgarian army,
24:20which caused its defeat.
24:22After Brugalnika,
24:23the Serbs turned the table
24:25and went on the offensive,
24:26penetrating into Bulgarian-held areas
24:28and even threatening Bulgarian territory
24:30near the western border.
24:32So the Bulgarians abandoned the offensive
24:34and dug trenches,
24:35which helped them to defend their lands.
24:37In the north,
24:39the First and Third Armies
24:40achieved minor successes against the Serbs.
24:42But they were soon stopped
24:43by the Serbian defenses.
24:45In the south,
24:46the Bulgarian forces launched an attack on Greece.
24:49But the Greeks was prepared
24:50contrary to what Bulgaria thought.
24:51They were able to repel the attack
24:53and moved on to the offensive as well,
24:56until the two armies met in a place called Kilchus,
24:58where the Battle of Kilchus-Lachanas took place.
25:01The battlefield was divided into two areas,
25:04Kilchus, a hilly area suitable for defense,
25:06and Lachanas,
25:08a village with streets and houses.
25:10The Bulgarians took up defensive positions
25:12on the hilltops.
25:13Meanwhile,
25:14the Greeks below were trying
25:15to break through the defense's lines,
25:17so they launched an artillery attack
25:19and then the infantry moved in
25:21to capture the enemy artillery.
25:23But the Greek cannons had no effect
25:25on the Bulgarian line,
25:26so the Bulgarians were able to repel the attack,
25:29inflicting heavy losses on them.
25:31So the Greeks advanced their cannons
25:32to increase the bombardment's power.
25:35But this time,
25:36they decided to disrupt the Bulgarian defenses
25:38by launching an attack
25:39on the village of Lachanas at the same time.
25:41Fierce street fighting erupted,
25:44using whatever weapons they could find.
25:46Cannons,
25:47machine guns,
25:48knives.
25:50After two hours,
25:50they won this fighting.
25:52Now they were besieging
25:53the Bulgarian defenses
25:54positioned above on three sides,
25:56so they prepared all their forces
25:58for a final assault
25:59to give the Bulgars a knockout blow.
26:01They launched a heavy artillery bombardment
26:03and then launched all their soldiers
26:05towards the enemy positions.
26:06The Bulgars were no match.
26:08They laid down their weapons
26:09and withdrew through the unbesieged side,
26:11but the Greek leaders
26:12ordered their soldiers to pursue them
26:14and slaughtered many of them.
26:16This defeat represented
26:17the failure of the Bulgarian plan
26:19to quickly defeat the Serbs and Greeks
26:21and not give Romania
26:23and the Ottoman Empire time to join.
26:25As a result,
26:26Romania decided to join the war on July 10th.
26:29They launched an attack
26:30on the northern border,
26:31where they were able to cross the borders
26:33and the Danube River
26:34without any resistance from the Bulgarians.
26:38Your Excellency,
26:39are you sure we are here to fight?
26:41What do you think then?
26:42We're here for a vacation?
26:43It seems so.
26:45We are on the outskirts of the capital Sofia
26:46and we haven't fought yet.
26:48Hey, I think it's a surprise.
26:50He's taking us on vacation in Sofia
26:52and doesn't want to tell us.
26:54The Romanian army is 160 kilometers far
26:57from the Bulgarian capital Sofia,
26:59and in order to dampen the Bulgarian spirits,
27:02they began sending planes
27:03dropping propaganda leaflets,
27:05thus making Sofia the first capital in the world
27:08over which enemy aircraft flew.
27:10During this period,
27:11the Ottoman Empire was neutral,
27:13but it was watching the war from afar.
27:16When it saw the tragic situation
27:17of the Bulgarian army,
27:19it decided to seize the opportunity
27:20and regain some of its lands.
27:22Hey, Bulgaria.
27:24Come here, I want to talk to you.
27:26What?
27:27Come here, I want to talk to you.
27:30What do you want?
27:31Don't you see that I'm busy
27:32fighting Serbia and Greece?
27:34I want my land back,
27:35so give me the keys of Adrianople.
27:36The Ottomans launched an attack
27:40in the Thrace region
27:41to regain its territory,
27:43especially the city of Adrianople,
27:45but the Bulgarians surrendered the areas
27:47without any significant resistance,
27:49fearing a disaster encirclement
27:50from all fronts.
27:52Bulgaria complied with the fait accompli
27:54and knew that the war is lost.
27:57All its armies were stuck
27:58on the Serbo-Greek front,
28:00its eastern borders were exposed
28:01to the Ottomans without any defenses,
28:03and its capital is about to fall
28:05into the hands of the Romanians.
28:08If it did not request a surrender treaty,
28:10all the country will be gone,
28:11so they sent messages to Romania,
28:13Serbia, and Greece,
28:15asking for an armistice.
28:17Serbia and Greece rejected the armistice
28:19and decided to resume the war
28:21in order to obtain more territory
28:22before signing the final treaty.
28:24But after Romania stopped fighting
28:26and some pressure from Russia,
28:28they accepted the armistice,
28:29knowing that the war could turn against them.
28:31In this treaty,
28:33Serbia took most of the Vardar Macedonia,
28:36Greece took much of the Aegean coast
28:37and southern Macedonia,
28:39and Romania took southern Dubruja.
28:42Three countries were out of the war.
28:45Now Bulgaria remained in conflict
28:46only with the Ottomans,
28:48but it was exhausted
28:49and its morale was low,
28:51so it decided to surrender
28:52to the Ottomans as well,
28:53in a separate treaty,
28:55thus ending the Second Balkan War.
29:01The Balkan Wars were considered
29:03the events that defined
29:04the Eastern Front of World War I.
29:07After Bulgaria's defeat
29:08in the Second Balkan War,
29:10it was eager to enter into a new war
29:12to regain its lands,
29:13and the result was its joining
29:14the Central Powers Camp in World War I,
29:17and also for the Ottomans.
29:19As for Serbia,
29:20after Austria objected
29:22to Serbia's acquisition of Albania,
29:24the tension increased,
29:25so Serbia decided to take revenge
29:27and killed its Crown Prince,
29:29which was the spark
29:30that ignited the war.
29:31The End
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