Comprehensive Study Guide to the Balkan Wars (1912–1913)

Strategic Aims and Historical Background of the Balkan Wars

  • Core Objective: The primary goal of the Balkan Wars was the liberation of the Balkan peninsula from centuries of Ottoman (Turkish) rule ("Ослобођење Балкана од турске власти").

  • Post-Berlin Congress Context: Geopolitical divisions and territorial boundaries established following the Congress of Berlin ("Балкан после Берлинског конгреса") created long-standing national and territorial grievances that led directly to the formation of regional alliances.

Formation of the Balkan League (Balkanski Savez)

  • Bilateral Alliance Treaty: On March 13, 1912, the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Bulgaria signed a defensive-offensive treaty of friendship and alliance ("13. март 1912. - Одбрамбено-офанзивни уговор о пријатељству и савезу Бугарске и Србије").

  • Member Nations: The Balkan League ("Балкански Савез") comprised four sovereign states:

    • Kingdom of Serbia ("Србија")
    • Kingdom of Bulgaria ("Бугарска")
    • Kingdom of Greece ("Грчка")
    • Kingdom of Montenegro ("Црна Гора")

  • Alliance Motto: "Balkanski Savez / L'union fait la force" (Unity makes strength).

Outbreak of the First Balkan War

  • Duration: October 8, 1912 – May 30, 1913.

  • War Declaration Sequence:

    • October 8, 1912: The Kingdom of Montenegro initiated the First Balkan War by single-handedly declaring war on the Ottoman Empire.
    • October 18, 1912: The remaining allies—Serbia, Bulgaria, and Greece—jointly declared war against the Ottoman Empire.

Serbian Military Organization and Command Hierarchy

Serbian Military Organization Diagram

  • Supreme Command structure:

    • Supreme Commander ("Врховни командант"): King Petar I Karađorđević ("Петар I Карађорђевић").
    • Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command ("Начелник штаба Врховне команде"): General Radomir Putnik ("генерал Радомир Путник").
    • Assistant Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command ("Помоћник начелника штаба Врховне команде"): Colonel Živojin Mišić ("пуковник Живојин Мишић").

  • First Army ("Прва армија"):

    • Commander: Crown Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević ("престолонаследник Александар Карађорђевић").
    • Assigned Divisions:
    • Morava Division, 1st Ban/Call ("Моравска I позив")
    • Danube Division, 1st Ban/Call ("Дунавска I позив")
    • Drina Division, 1st Ban/Call ("Дринска I позив")
    • Timok Division, 2nd Ban/Call ("Тимочка II позив")
    • Danube Division, 2nd Ban/Call ("Дунавска II позив")
    • Cavalry Division ("Коњичка")

  • Second Army ("Друга армија"):

    • Commander: General Stepa Stepanović ("генерал Степа Степановић").
    • Assigned Divisions:
    • Timok Division, 1st Ban/Call ("Тимочка I позив")
    • Bulgarian 7th Rila Division ("Бугарска 7. рилска")

  • Third Army ("Трећа армија"):

    • Commander: General Božidar Janković ("генерал Божидар Јанковић").
    • Assigned Divisions:
    • Šumadija Division, 1st Ban/Call ("Шумадијска I позив")
    • Morava Division, 2nd Ban/Call ("Моравска II позив")
    • Drina Division, 2nd Ban/Call ("Дринска II позив")
    • Morava Brigade ("Моравска бригада")

  • Auxiliary Forces ("Помоћне снаге"):

    • Ibar Army ("Ибарска војска"): Composed of the Šumadija Division (1st Ban) and the 5th Supernumerary Regiment ("5. прекобројни пук").
    • Combined Javor Brigade ("Комбинована Јаворска бригада"): Composed of the 3rd Infantry Regiment ("3. пешадијски пук").

Military Campaigns, Major Battles, and Occupations

First Balkan War Campaigns and Troop Movements

  • Battle of Kumanovo ("Кумановска битка"): Fought on October 23–24, 1912, marking a major Serbian victory that shattered Ottoman defenses in Northern Macedonia.

  • Liberation of Kosovo and Old Serbia: Major operations resulted in the capture and integration of Kosovo and Old Serbia ("Освајање Косова и Старе Србије").

  • Liberation of Skopje: Serbian armed forces advanced south and entered Skopje ("Српска војска улази у Скопље").

  • Battle of Prilep ("Прилепска битка"): Fought from November 3 to November 6, 1912.

  • Battle of Bitola ("Битољска битка"): Fought from November 16 to November 19, 1912. The decisive victory led to heavy loss of life, memorialized at the Serbian Military Cemetery in Bitola ("Српско војничко гробље у Битољу").

  • Montenegrin Siege of Scutari / Skadar ("Црногорска опсада Скадра"):

    • Montenegrin mountain machine gun companies ("прегорски митраљези") operated within tactical distances as close as 300 m300\,\text{m} from Turkish fortified positions.

  • Allied Occupation Zones in Albania:

    • Montenegrin Occupation Zone: Scutari (Skadar).
    • Serbian Occupation Zone: Durazzo (Drač) and Tirana.
    • Greek Occupation Zone: Valona (Vlorë).

The London Peace Conference and the Treaty of London

Enos-Midia Line Map and Treaty Signatories

  • London Conference ("Лондонска конференција"): Convened from December 1912 (with preliminary proceedings in November 1912) through May 1913.

  • Creation of Independent Albania: The Great Powers established an independent Albanian state under their international protectorate ("Стварања независне Албаније уз протекторат Великих сила").

  • Treaty of London ("Лондонски мировни уговор / Лондонски мир"): Formally signed on May 28, 1913 (also cited as May 30, 1913).

  • Key Terms and Territorial Changes:

    • Ottoman Withdrawal: Defeated Ottoman forces were required to evacuate all remaining European territories west of the Enos-Midia Line ("линија Енос-Мидија"), establishing the new Turkish frontier between Enos on the Aegean Sea and Midia on the Black Sea.
    • Serbian Adriatic Withdrawal: Kingdom of Serbia was forced by international pressure from Great Powers to withdraw all military forces from the Adriatic coastline.
    • Independence of Albania: Official recognition of an independent Albanian state.
    • Partition of the Sanjak of Novi Pazar: The territory of the Sanjak of Novi Pazar ("Новопазарски санџак") was split between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro.
    • The Unresolved Macedonian Issue: The treaty failed to finalize a definitive division of Macedonia ("Без дефинитивне одлуке о Македонији"), laying the groundwork for immediate inter-allied conflict.

  • Plenipotentiary Signatories of the London Peace Treaty ("Потписници Лондонског Мира"):

    • Skouloudis ("Скулудие")
    • Novaković ("Новаковић")
    • Streit ("Штрајт")
    • Nikolić ("Николић")
    • Venizelos ("Веницелос")
    • Vojnović ("Војновић")
    • Gennadius ("Генадиос")
    • Danev ("Данев")
    • Madjarov ("Маџаров")
    • Popović ("Поповић")
    • Paprikov ("Паприков")
    • Mijušković ("Мијушковић")

The Second Balkan War

  • Duration: June 30, 1913 – August 10, 1913.

  • Primary Cause: Intense Bulgarian dissatisfaction with the territorial division of Macedonia, exacerbated by diplomatic pressure and incitement from Austria-Hungary ("Узрок рата: Бугарско незадовољство поделом Македоније уз притисак Аустроугарске").

  • Anti-Bulgarian Coalition: Bulgaria launched attacks against its former allies, creating a broad military coalition against Bulgaria consisting of:

    • Kingdom of Serbia ("Србија")
    • Kingdom of Greece ("Грчка")
    • Kingdom of Montenegro ("Црна Гора")
    • Ottoman Empire / Turkey ("Турска")
    • Kingdom of Romania ("Румунија")