Chapter 151

After the Romanian army captured Targovi, Polski, Varna and other places, the First and Third Army began to move closer to the Second Army led by Lieutenant General Andrew. The Romanian army left 17 divisions to guard the occupied areas and protect the transportation lines, and 12 Romanian divisions began to press against the three ancient capitals of Bulgaria, Tarnovo.

Tarnovo, one of the three ancient capitals of Bulgaria. Located in north-central Bulgaria. It was the capital of Bulgaria in history. At the end of the twelfth century, the Bulgarian noble Assen brothers organized armed forces to break away from the Byzantine Empire in Tarnovo, create a new kingdom, and set the capital here.

In 12o5, the Latin Emperor Balwin Flanders was captured by the Bulgarian king and was imprisoned here. Tarnovo was the seat of the archbishop at that time, so it is also famous for its church architecture. On the top of Tsarevets, there is the archbishop's ascension church and the archbishop's palace.

The only one is the 4o Martyrs Church, built by the order of Tsar Ivan Assen II (1218--1241). It has a famous marble column inscribed on it to commemorate the victory of the village of Lokotnica ( After this battle, Bulgaria became the largest power in the Balkans) inscription.

From the 12th to the 14th centuries, Tarnovo was Bulgaria's strongest defensive city and also the political, economic and cultural center of Bulgaria. When the Ottoman Empire occupied the city on July 17, 1393, Tarnovo's exhibition ceased. The terrain of Tarnovo is difficult. It was second only to Constantinople in the Middle Ages and was the second largest city in the Balkans.

Three years later, the Turks conquered the entire Bulgarian Empire. The subsequent series of resistance by the Bulgarians remained concentrated in Tarnovo until the seventeenth century.

On July 7, 1877, the Russian army liberated Tarnovo. Ended the 48o-year rule of the Ottoman Empire. After the Tenth Russo-Turkish War, Russia returned it to Bulgaria. Now Tarnovo has 56,000 inhabitants, on the Yangtra River, a tributary of the Danube River outside the city.

The location of Tarnovo is also very important. It can connect to Sofia to the west and to Varna, Bulgaria's largest port that has been occupied by Romania, to the east. You can reach Plovdiv by crossing the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria to the south, and to the north is the border city of Rousse on the border with Romania. Therefore, the Chief of General Staff of Preshan determined that Bulgaria would not easily allow the Romanian army to capture the city.

The Bulgarian side also gradually withdrew the army from the front line of Sehi, preparing to fight against the Romanian army in Tarnovo. The battle between the two sides around this ancient Bulgarian capital is about to come.

At present, Lieutenant General Mikhail Savov, Minister of the Bulgarian Sixth Army, is in Tarnovo, and the first army commander, Lieutenant General Vasir Kudinchev, who has arrived early, was originally newly established in the city. In the command of the 14th Division, talking about the main points of the layout of this battle.

After receiving the Romanian declaration of war, the First Army stopped chasing and defeating the retreating Serbian army, allowing the remnant army that had retreated from Bitola to Skopje to finally escape.

"Lieutenant General Kudinchev, you, as the main force of the Bulgarian army, first need to go to the Zarevec Mountain to defend the army brought by the Crown Prince of Romania."

"Then we need to increase firepower."

Lieutenant-General Kudinchev stated his request. He said this for his own reasons. The First Army had lost its weapons and equipment after repeated battles. Although it was supplemented on the road, it was still lacking. Obviously, Lieutenant General Kudingchev hoped that he could add more. In order to have a good state to defend the position.

"no problem."

Lieutenant General Savov said without thinking, obviously the Minister of the Sixth Army had already considered him. He picked up a list of names he had signed on the table and handed it to Lieutenant-General Kudinchev to continue. "But I need you to defend Mount Tsarevets to buy time for the subsequent army."

Lieutenant General Kudingchev took the list handed to him by Lieutenant Savov, but did not immediately answer, first check the weapons and supplies for himself. On this list, Lieutenant Savov will add 50 thousand rifles, 120,000 rifle bullets, 31 Maxim machine guns, and 540,000 machine gun bullets for him. There are also 13 cannons, nearly 20,000 various shells, plus some iron tree, tents, sacks, medicines and other materials.

"Is this too little?"

Lieutenant General Kudinchev expressed his dissatisfaction. Then continue to explain. "The Romanian army has strong firepower, and our First Army has no confidence that it can withstand their offensive relying on these materials."

After hearing Lieutenant General Kudinchev express his dissatisfaction, Lieutenant General Savov, Minister of the Sixth Army, also expressed his current difficulties. "Lieutenant General Kudinchev, I moved many of these supplies together. Now I have half of the supplies in my hand. What do you want me to do?"

Now the Bulgarian army has fought two consecutive wars, and there is not much left in the military materials prepared before. After all, the annual military expenditure of 50 million Levs (20 million pounds) has squeezed Bulgaria's finances to the limit. The key is that their arms must be purchased externally, so the price must not be cheap.

In fact, after the first Balkan War, Bulgaria's military reserves that had been prepared for many years had bottomed out. Who would let him directly face the main force of the Ottoman army? If the following disputes were not for the assistance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Romania, it is estimated that the probability of their defeat is quite high. Bulgaria's military reserves are now concentrated in the hands of Lieutenant General Savov, Minister of the Sixth Army.

After hearing Lieutenant General Savov, the Minister of the Sixth Army, said his difficulties, Lieutenant General Kudingchev knew that he had already got the most benefit. He gritted his teeth. "I will do my best to defend the position on Mount Zarevets."

Hearing the words of Lieutenant General Kudinchev, Lieutenant General Savov, Minister of the Sixth Army, said with a wry smile. "If it wasn't for the shortage of our army's inventory, I wouldn't have arrived here~www.mtlnovel.com~ just to prepare early, so I came here early." After saying that he also gave Lieutenant General Kudinchev a sweet date. "In two days, the king's army will arrive, and I will replace you for rest at that time."

Lieutenant General Kudinchev could only eat the sweet dates given by Lieutenant General Savov. After he took up his military cap and put it on his head, he told the Minister of the Sixth Army. "Well, I will replace the 14th Division first. After all, the division they just established is not enough to face the Romanians."

Lieutenant-General Savov watched Lieutenant-General Kudinchev leave, picked up a report requesting military supplies in his hand and looked at it again.

After Lieutenant General Kudinchev left the headquarters, he sent personnel to take the list signed by Lieutenant General Savov to receive weapons and equipment from the quarters warehouse, and took 76,000 people from the First Army to replace the position of the 14th Division, which is about to come. Preparing for the war.