The Serbo-Bulgarian war

After declaring the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia (September 6, 1885) Bulgaria expected opposition by Turkey and therefore allocated all its army along the southern border of the country. However, Serbia’s king Milan, incited by Austria-Hungary and willing to consolidate his position, declared war on Bulgaria on November 2, 1885. The Serbian army attacked Bulgaria in two directions – towards Sofia and Vidin. The Bulgarian military headquarters, where the supreme rank was Captain and headed by the 24-year old Racho Petrov, were not prepared for an attack from the western border, but after a rush meeting a decision was made that the most important battle should be held near the town of Slivnitsa. Within only a few days the army moved from the southern to the western border, mainly on foot, as the railway was not yet completed. Though its superior numbers, the Serbian army was defeated and pursued by the Bulgarian forces into Serbia, reaching Nis, when Austria-Hungary urged Bulgaria to accept a peace settlement. The Captains' War, as the Serbo-Bulgarian war is also known, is a vivid example of Bulgarian people’s longing for independence and readiness to defend their homeland.