| Abstract |
After the Bulgarian Army had successfully defended the Macedonian Front for three years, in September 1918 the Allies achieved a decisive breakthrough of that front at Dobro Pole. The next phase in the plan of the Entente Salonika Army Commander, General Franchet d'Esperey, was the subsequent defeat of the Bulgarian troops blocking the Allies' access to the major lines of communications northwest of Lake Doiran. However, the 9th Infantry (Pleven) Division under the command of General Ivan Vazov not only defeated the combined British, French, and Greek offensive at Doiran, but also created the conditions for what might have been a decisive counteroffensive against the allied troops at Salonika. Nevertheless, the Entente breakthrough at Dobro Pole led to the disintegration of the Macedonian Front and the eventual defeat of the Central Powers on the Balkans. This thesis examines the variables that determined the very different outcomes of the Bulgarian Army defensive operations at Dobro Pole and Doiran. The analysis of the two case studies reveals that the main factors contributing to the two outcomes were the level of commitment and morale of the troops, the organization and preparation of the defense, and the senior commanders' leadership and tactical skills. Above all other factors, the thesis argues that the key to the victory at Doiran was General Vazov's ability to motivate his troops, organize sound defensive preparations, and, on the day of battle, exercise effective tactical command. His performance provides a powerful example of the way effective leaders can shape the course of a campaign, even under the most difficult circumstances. |
