WWI Pictures of Bulgarian soldiers

[misho9991]

WWI Pictures of Bulgarian soldiers

[Animal]

The 2nd pic looks like they're wearing German uniforms. Of course Germany did furnish a certain amount of materials, including uniforms, to the Bulgars.

[Nikolay]

Germans did furnish metal helmets, equipment, but not uniforms. The uniforms on these pictures are Bulgarian, although there is some similarity indeed

[Tosun Saral]

Sükrü Pasha the defender of Fortres Edirne during the Balkan War, receiving his sword from Bulgarian Commander after his surrender.
Turkish officers with Bulgarian officers in WW1( I am not sure if they are really Bulgarians. I assume as germans. But the book that I took the image say Bulgarians)

[Nikolay]

On the first picture I believe the Bulgarians are the second man from the left and the second one from the right on the front row and the first from the left on the second row.
The second one represents Tzar Ferdinand's gesture of appreciacions of the bravery and determination with which Shukru pasha defended Edirne (Odrin) during first Balkan war. The city was in a siege for almost 5 months and fell after a costly attack on 13th (26th)March 1913. During the attack Bulgarian second army lost 1 300 killed and almost 4 500 wounded. All the key forts of the castle (Ajvasbaba, Ajodgiolu, Kestenlik) were taken by frontal attack accompanied by severe artillery barage. Odrin was defended bravely indeed. Actually the commander of the second army general Nikola Ivanov was the one who was presented by Shukru pasha with his sword and who returned it with the words: "You fought very bravely, pasha. You may keep the sword". The Tzar a day later repeated the gesture.

[Animal]

Germans did furnish metal helmets, equipment, but not uniforms. The uniforms on these pictures are Bulgarian, although there is some similarity indeed

According to "Army Uniforms Of World War I" by Andrew Mollo, Germany did furnish a number of uniforms to the Bulgarians as Bulgaria was unable to produce enough uniforms for its soldiers, some of whom had to make do either with theirown clothes or obsolete colored uniforms. Of course the German-supplied uniforms were adorned with Bulgarian badges.

[johnny_bi]

First Picture - A general is decorating a soldier. The soldiers are from 8th seaside regiment (8-ми приморски полк in Bulgarian / 8-mi primorski polk - transliterati

What I find disturbing in this photo is the footware of the soldier in foreplan!

[misho9991]

According to "Army Uniforms Of World War I" by Andrew Mollo, Germany did furnish a number of uniforms to the Bulgarians as Bulgaria was unable to produce enough uniforms for its soldiers, some of whom had to make do either with theirown clothes or obsolete colored uniforms. Of course the German-supplied uniforms were adorned with Bulgarian badges.

What I find disturbing in this photo is the footware of the soldier in foreplan!

Well, if this book says so, then I guess it`s true. As far as I know in WWI Bulgaria mobilized about 800 000 men or nearly 19-20 % of its population. This was an enourmous effort for a small country and there`s no wonder that equipment (especially helmets), uniforms, footwear etc. was not in sufficient quantity. About this Bulgarian army had to rely on its major ally - Germany. And the soldier in foreplan is obviously wearing the so called "tsarvuli" - a quite typical footwear for everyday life in the rural areas and at the same time, a quite comfortable one.

[misho9991]

http://bulcraft.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=239
Here`s a link where you can see what this footwear looks like.

[Tosun Saral]

The foot wear is called in Turkish "Çarık" It is a very old traditional footwear from Turkistan, Central Asia, main land of all Turkic nations. Bulgarians were also a Turkic volk who converted to slavs after accepting the Christian religion.

[misho9991]

The foot wear is called in Turkish "Çarık" It is a very old traditional footwear from Turkistan, Central Asia, main land of all Turkic nations. Bulgarians were also a Turkic volk who converted to slavs after accepting the Christian religion.

You are right, it is a very old traditional Turkic footwear. I suppose Bulgarians adopted it either during the centuries of Ottoman rule over the Balkans or either it was a very old traditional footwear for Bulgarians too because, as you say, the so called protobulgarians are of Turkic origin or at least that`s the opinion of most of the scholars although recently there have been suggestions that they are of Indo-European origin. Anyway, the phrase "converted to slavs" sounds a bit odd to me. You can`t convert to a nation. When at the end of 7th century Protobulgarians came into the Balkans and established what is now Bulgaria, they found the territory already flooded by slavs and they gradually melted away in this sea of slavs. And in the middle of 9th century Bulgarians (both protobulgarians and slavs) converted to christianity, abandoning their old pagan religions. But this is a bit off the subject.
More interesting is the photo of Bulgarian and Turkish officers. It seems to be from the time when Bulgarian and Turkish (as well as German) units fought together against Romanian and Russian units on the Dobrudja front, 1916-1917. Am I right?

[Tosun Saral]

Dear Misho, I am sorry for my poor English. "converted" is wrong. "melted" as you say is better. That picture of friendship is from WW1 Dobruca Front. That picture is an evidence of eternal friendship, better understanding, and together living. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was a friend of Bulgaria. He always supported Bulgaria againts all evil. For that reason he grunded the Balkan pact.
PS: He fell in love with a Bulgarian girl while he was military attache in Sofia just before the WW1. She was tha doughter of a very famous Bulgarian General.

[misho9991]

Ah yes, you must be talking about Dimitrina Kovacheva, the daughter of general Stilian Kovachev. Here`s a pic of her (the girl on the left side) and a pic of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in a Janissary outfit, dressed in which he danced with Dimitrina at a New Year ball held in Sofia. By the way, I heard that the mother of Atatürk was a Bulgarian muslem and he actually spoke Bulgarian very well. Is it true?

[Tosun Saral]

Every body says every thing for Atatürk. In Turkish we say "dili olan konuşur, kalemi olan yazar" (the one who has a tonque speaks, the one who has a feder/pencil/pen writes.) The Turkish fundamentalist moslems who are againts all improvement and modernization say that he was a jew. They claim still to day that for that reason he ruined all islamic institutions and declared a secular state. Those idiots never understand that fundamentalist islamic ideas ruined a whole empire. It was almost impossible to modernize the empire. Please pardon me but for that reason we lost the 1877-78 war, Balkan War. With Uneducated soldiers, old and ignorant pashas, veiled and underdruct women it was hard to gain the modernization. Thanks to Atatürk this year 1,5 million children beginned to primary schools. 12 million students studiying in high schools and Universities. Through free elections since 1950 many parties rules Turkey.
Mother of Atatürk Zübeyde Hanim can be a Bulgarian or a Jew or an Arab or Hungarian or Cypsy. But His son was a great man. A man from outer space.If she was Bulgarian, Bulgarians can be proud of her while she gave birth to an extra ordinaire son.

[misho9991]

Another pic