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99-591: Gotse Delchev Municipality is a mountainous municipality. The town and the villages of Borovo , Banichan , Gospodinci and Musomishta are lying in the valley of Mesta river. The villages Delchevo , Dobrotino , Lazhnitsa , Kornitsa and Breznitsa are in the Pirin Mountain. Bukovo is the only village in the Rhodope Mountains . The highest point of the municipality is the peak of Chengelchal - 2709 m, located in its most northwestern part. The lowest point

198-614: A bigger church - "The Assumption of Virgin Mary" with icons, painted by eminent representatives of the Bansko painting school. Churches were built in other villages of the municipality. After the Treaty of San Stefano the whole area became part of Bulgaria, but after the Treaty of Berlin the region was returned under Ottoman rule. In 1894 was erected the Bulgarian Orthodox bishopric of Nevrokop with

297-569: A catastrophe since the immigrants readily united with the existing population of Albanian Muslims and participated in the series of 1911 Albanian uprisings and the Albanian revolt of 1912 . Some Albanian government troops switched sides. In May 1912, Albanian rebels seeking national autonomy and the re-installment of Sultan Abdul Hamid II to power drove the Young Turkish forces out of Skopje and pressed south towards Manastir (now Bitola ), forcing

396-818: A coordinated attack by the Balkan states. The Ottoman leadership decided to secure all of their territory. As a result, the available forces, which could not be effortlessly reinforced from Asia because of Greek control of the sea and the inadequacy of the Ottoman railway system, were dispersed too thinly across the region. They failed to stand up to the rapidly-mobilized Balkan armies. The Ottomans had three in Europe (the Macedonian, Vardar and Thracian Armies), with 1,203 pieces of mobile and 1,115 fixed artillery in fortified areas. The Ottoman High Command repeated its error of previous wars by ignoring

495-494: A full third of the fleet (the six new destroyers and the submarine Delfin ) reached Greece only after hostilities had started, forcing the navy to reshuffle crews, who consequently suffered from lacking familiarity and training. Coal stockpiles and other war stores were also in short supply, and the Georgios Averof had arrived with barely any ammunition and remained so until late November. Fotakis 2005 , p. 46 Montenegro

594-666: A large army and was identified as the " Prussia of the Balkans." However, Bulgaria could not win a war alone against the Ottomans. In Greece, Hellenic Army officers had rebelled in the Goudi coup of August 1909 and secured the appointment of a progressive government under Eleftherios Venizelos , which they hoped would resolve the Crete question in Greece's favour. They also wanted to reverse their defeat in

693-613: A large extent. Between 1908 and 1911, the office of the Navy Minister changed hands nine times. Interdepartmental infighting and the entrenched interests of the bloated and averaged officer corps, many of whom occupied their positions as quasi- sinecure , further obstructed drastic reform. In addition, the Ottoman ministers met the British attempts to control the navy's construction programme with suspicion. Consequently, funds for Gamble's ambitious plans for new ships were unavailable. To counter

792-458: A large number of war correspondents. An estimated 200 to 300 journalists from around the world covered the war in the Balkans in November 1912. Due to poor organization, transportation problems and the protracted war with Italy , the Ottoman order of battle only had 12,024 officers, 324,718 other ranks, 47,960 animals, 2,318 artillery pieces and 388 machine guns ready by early October instead of

891-543: A population of 2,912,000, with about 228 heavy guns, grouped in ten infantry divisions, two independent brigades and a cavalry division, under the effective command of the former war minister, Radomir Putnik . The Serbian High Command, in its prewar war games, had concluded that the most likely site for the decisive battle against the Ottoman Vardar Army would be on the Ovče Pole Plateau, ahead of Skopje. Thus,

990-610: A result of the war, the League captured and partitioned almost all of the Ottoman Empire's remaining territories in Europe. Ensuing events also led to the creation of an independent Albania , which dissatisfied the Serbs . Bulgaria, meanwhile, was dissatisfied over the division of the spoils in Macedonia and attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 June 1913, which provoked the start of

1089-561: A school for children with special needs. There is also a home for children without parents' care for children in school age. In some of the community centers are organized arts and language schools for extra-circular education. The municipality has a developed health care system. There is a regional hospital "Dr Ivan Skenderov" with medical center, providing emergent and scheduled treatment. Many different specialists work there. There are also general practitioners in Gotse Delchev and in most of

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1188-514: A search for allies, Serbia was ready to negotiate a treaty with Bulgaria. The agreement provided that in the event of victory against the Ottomans, Bulgaria would receive all of Macedonia south of the Kriva Palanka – Ohrid line. Bulgaria accepted Serbia's expansion as being to the north of the Shar Mountains ( Kosovo ). The intervening area was agreed to be "disputed" and would be arbitrated by

1287-689: A seat in Nevrokop. In 1903 the region took part in the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising . During the First Balkan War volunteers joined Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps . After the war the region left in Bulgaria. Most of the Greek population fled to Greece. Some Turkish and Muslim people also moved out. Refugees from the parts of Macedonia, that were left outside Bulgaria came to live here, so

1386-412: Is 430 m and is located in the Gotse Delchev valley near the town. In the northwestern part of the municipality there are other peaks over 2600 m high and their slopes are forming cirques with lakes. In the western part is situated peak Orelek - 2099 m high and in the south are the green slopes of the mountain of Ali Botush. The climate in the municipality is Transitional Mediterranean and is depending on

1485-578: Is a village in Gotse Delchev Municipality , in Blagoevgrad Province , Bulgaria . The village is 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) north of Gotse Delchev. There are no industries in it, but the land is arable and fertile. The village has a post office. The medical care is provided by a general practitioner. The primary school "Kliment Ohridski" is responsible for the education of the children from the village. An amateur football club "Pirin-Barsa"

1584-519: Is included in the municipality in its most northwestern part. Another protected area is the Natural Reservation "Orelek", located around the peak of Orelek west of the town of Gotse Delchev. The area was inhabited during the Thracian and Roman era. The historical town Nikopolis ad Nestum was situated on the left bank of Mesta river 7 kilometers northeast of the town near the village of Garmen , in

1683-402: Is playing in the provincial league. This Blagoevgrad Province , Bulgaria location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . First Balkan War Balkan League victory Total: 156,139 killed, wounded, or died of disease Serbian and Montenegrin front Greek front The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of

1782-617: Is taking part the Festival of the Classic Guitar and many performers from Bulgaria and abroad gather to perform there. There are several hotels in Gotse Delchev and in the resort Papazchair (Popovi livadi). There is also a tourist dormitory and several mountain huts. The village of Delchevo is an architectural reservation. The tourist may visit the peak Orelek or to go the highest parts in Pirin . Tourists shall be well prepared and equipped and to check

1881-500: Is to run away." However, Greece was the only Balkan country to possess a meaningful navy, which was vital to the League to prevent Ottoman reinforcements from being rapidly transferred by ship from Asia to Europe. The Serbs and the Bulgarians readily appreciated it as the chief factor in initiating the process of Greece's inclusion in the League. As the Greek ambassador to Sofia put it during the negotiations that led to Greece's entry into

1980-641: The Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Bulgaria , Serbia , Greece and Montenegro ) against the Ottoman Empire . The Balkan states' combined armies overcame the initially numerically inferior (significantly superior by the end of the conflict) and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies, achieving rapid success. The war was a comprehensive and unmitigated disaster for the Ottomans, who lost 83% of their European territories and 69% of their European population. As

2079-667: The Bosnian crisis , which led to the Austrian annexation of the province in October 1908. The Serbs then directed their war efforts to the south. After the annexation, the Young Turks tried to induce the Muslim population of Bosnia to emigrate to the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman authorities resettled those who took up the offer in districts of northern Macedonia with few Muslims. The experiment proved to be

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2178-517: The Dodecanese islands, a campaign which had dominated Ottoman military efforts. Though the Ottoman Empire and Italy made peace on 15 October 1912, only days after the outbreak of hostilities in the Balkans, the protracted war had prevented the Ottomans from reinforcing their position in the Balkans as their relations with the Balkan states deteriorated. The Ottomans' military capabilities were hampered by several factors, such as domestic strife caused by

2277-636: The Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea . The Italians' decisive military victories over the Ottoman Empire and the successful 1912 Albanian revolt encouraged the Balkan states to imagine that they might win a war against the Ottomans. By the spring and summer of 1912, the various Christian Balkan nations had created a network of military alliances, becoming known as the Balkan League. The Great Powers, most notably France and Austria-Hungary , reacted to

2376-549: The Garmen Municipality . Near the modern town have been unearthed remains of settlement from the 9th century. It is mentioned as an archbishopric till the 12th century. The Ottoman Turks conquered the area between 1374 and 1380. During the first two centuries of the Ottoman rule the Muslim population increased quickly. Mosques and schools have been built. The town of Nevrokop became important trade and judicial center with many mosques, beautiful private and residential houses of

2475-500: The Greco-Turkish War (1897) by the Ottomans. An emergency military reorganization, led by a French military mission, had been started for that purpose, but its work was interrupted by the outbreak of war in the Balkans. In the discussions that led to Greece joining the Balkan League , Bulgaria refused to commit to any agreement on distributing territorial gains, unlike its deal with Serbia over Macedonia. Bulgaria's diplomatic policy

2574-580: The IMRO local detachments. As result of this unrest on October 17 Nevrokop was occupied by forces of IMRO, who banished the Federalists, but with no further serious consequences. In the years of the Bulgarian resistance movement during World War II a formation led by Aneshti Uzunov operated in the region. After his death in 1943 it was named after him. After the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944 many activists of IMRO from

2673-625: The Sea of Marmara . In terms of forces engaged, it was the largest battle fought in Europe between the end of the Franco-Prussian War and the beginning of the First World War. As a result, the Ottoman forces were pushed to their final defensive position across the Çatalca Line, protecting the peninsula and Constantinople . There, they managed to stabilize the front with the help of fresh reinforcements from Asia. The line had been constructed during

2772-486: The Second Balkan War . During the war, many civilians, overwhelmingly Muslim Turks , were either killed or forced to flee their homes. The highly politicized and disorganized units of the Ottoman army were quite incapable of evacuating the civilians in the war zone. This situation left many civilians in the occupied areas defenseless against the invading armies of the Balkan League. Although there are discussions about

2871-645: The Struma Corps (14th Infantry and Serez Redif divisions, plus the Nevrekop Detachment ), were deployed. Against Montenegro, four-plus divisions were deployed: According to the organizational plan, though the men of the Western Group were to total 598,000, slow mobilization and the inefficiency of the rail system drastically reduced the number of men available. According to the Western Army Staff, when

2970-812: The Struma Corps were to protect the right flank of the Vardar Army and prevent Bulgarian encroachment along the Struma . The Yanya Corps (22,000 men) was to defend Epirus and Albania from the Greek Army of Epirus , while the VIII Corps (29,000 men) was deployed to guard the Thessalian mountain passes leading to Thessaloniki. Additional 25,000 men of the Işkodra Corps were stationed in Shkodër to protect Northern Albania. Thus,

3069-628: The Tsar of Russia in the event of a successful war against the Ottoman Empire. During the war, it became apparent that the Albanians did not consider Serbia as a liberator, as had been suggested by King Peter I, and the Serbian forces failed to observe his declaration of amity toward Albanians. After the successful coup d'état for unification with Eastern Rumelia, Bulgaria began to dream that its national unification would be realized. For that purpose, it developed

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3168-477: The 11th Infantry Division from the Eastern Army's IV Corps was moved there to replace it. Thus, one complete army corps was removed from the Eastern Army's order of battle. As a consequence of the insufficient intelligence of the invading forces, the Ottoman offensive plan failed in the face of Bulgarian superiority. That forced Kölemen Abdullah Pasha to abandon Kirk Kilisse , which was taken without resistance by

3267-508: The 1912 Albanian revolt had broken out, and a formal agreement between Serbia and Montenegro had been signed on 7 March. On 18 October 1912, King Peter I of Serbia issued a declaration, 'To the Serbian People,' which appeared to support Albanians as well as Serbs: The Turkish governments showed no interest in their duties towards their citizens and turned a deaf ear to all complaints and suggestions. Things got so far out of hand that no one

3366-464: The Balkans. The Ottoman General Staff, assisted by the German military mission, developed twelve war plans designed to counter various combinations of opponents. Work on Plan No. 5, which was against Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Montenegro, was very advanced and had been sent to the army staff for them to develop local plans. The Ottoman fleet had performed abysmally in the 1897 Greco-Turkish War, forcing

3465-693: The Bulgarian High Command decided to wait a few days, but that allowed the Ottoman forces to occupy a new defensive position on the Lüleburgaz - Karaağaç - Pınarhisar line. However, the Bulgarian attack by the First and Third Armies, which together accounted for 107,386 riflemen, 3,115 cavalries, 116 machine guns and 360 artillery pieces, defeated the reinforced Ottoman Army, with 126,000 riflemen, 3,500 cavalries, 96 machine guns, and 342 artillery pieces and reached

3564-670: The Bulgarian Third Army. The fortress of Adrianople, with some 61,250 men, was isolated and besieged by the Bulgarian Second Army, but for the time being, no assault was possible because of the lack of siege equipment in the Bulgarian inventory. Another consequence of Greek naval supremacy in the Aegean was that the Ottoman forces did not receive the reinforcements that had been in the war plans, which would have been further corps transferred by sea from Syria and Palestine. Thus,

3663-681: The Edirne-Kırklareli defensive line, where the Bulgarian First and Third Armies (a combined 174,254 men) defeated the Ottoman East Army (of 96,273 combatants), near Gechkenli, Seliolu and Petra. The Ottoman XV Corps urgently left the area to defend the Gallipoli Peninsula against an expected Greek amphibious assault, which never materialized. The absence of the corps created an immediate vacuum between Adrianople and Demotika , and

3762-536: The First Army and to be covered by the cavalry division that hid it from the Ottomans' sight. The Third Army had three infantry divisions and was assigned to cross Mount Stranja and to take the fortress of Kirk Kilisse ( Kırklareli ). The 2nd (49,180) and 7th (48,523 men) Divisions were assigned independent roles, operating in Western Thrace and Eastern Macedonia, respectively. Three hundred Armenians from throughout

3861-475: The First Balkan War by declaring war against the Ottomans on 8 October [ O.S. 25 September] 1912. The western part of the Balkans, including Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia, was less vital to the resolution of the war and the survival of the Ottoman Empire than the Thracian theatre, where the Bulgarians fought significant battles against the Ottomans. Although geography dictated Thrace would be

3960-441: The Greek acquisition of the Georgios Averof , the Ottomans initially tried to buy the new German armoured cruiser SMS  Blücher or the battlecruiser SMS  Moltke . Not able to afford the ships' high cost, the Ottomans acquired two old Brandenburg -class pre-dreadnought battleships , which became Barbaros Hayreddin and Turgut Reis . Along with the cruisers Hamidiye and Mecidiye , both ships were to form

4059-573: The Greek navy played an indirect but crucial role in the Thracian campaign by neutralizing three corps, a significant portion of the Ottoman army, in the all-important opening round of the war. Another more direct role was the emergency transportation of the Bulgarian 7th Rila Division from the Macedonian Front to the Thracian Front after the end of operations there. After the Battle of Kirk Kilisse,

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4158-509: The League, "Greece can provide 600,000 men for the war effort. With 200,000 men on the battlefield, the fleet will be able to prevent 400,000 men from being landed by Turkey between Salonica and Gallipoli ." The Greek army was still undergoing reorganization by a French military mission , which arrived in early 1911. Under French supervision, the Greeks had adopted the triangular infantry division as their primary formation though more importantly,

4257-596: The Navy Ministry and dramatically improved the number and the quality of exercises in gunnery and fleet maneuvers. In 1912, the core unit of the fleet was the fast armoured cruiser Georgios Averof , which had been completed in 1910 and then was the fastest and the most modern warship in the combatant navies. It was complemented by three rather-antiquated battleships of the Hydra class . There were also eight destroyers, built in 1906–1907, and six new destroyers, hastily bought in

4356-522: The Ottoman Empire in order to safeguard their Albanian territories. Without a centralized national structure, Albanians were compelled to depend on Ottoman establishments, its military, and its administration to shield them from partition. However, all three proved inadequate against the onslaught of four invading Balkan armies. Even following the signing of the armistice in December 1912, Ottoman regular troops, along with Albanian irregular forces, persisted in central and southern Albania. Montenegro started

4455-455: The Ottoman Empire, Europe, and Russia, a small yet significant number, volunteered to fight on the side of the Balkan League's soldiers of more than 850,000. Under the leadership of Andranik Ozanian and Garegin Nzhdeh , the Armenian detachment was commissioned to fight the Ottomans first at Momchilgrad and Komotini and its environs, and then later İpsala , Keşan , and Malkara , and Tekirdağ . Serbia called upon about 255,000 men, out of

4554-419: The Ottoman First Army, with 105,000 men in eastern Thrace and the Kircaali detachment, of 24,000 men, in western Thrace. The Bulgarian forces were divided into the First, Second and Third Bulgarian Armies of 297,002 men in the eastern part and 49,180 (33,180 regulars and 16,000 irregulars) under the 2nd Bulgarian Division (General Stilian Kovachev) in the western part. The first large-scale battle occurred against

4653-436: The Ottoman government to begin a drastic overhaul. Older ships were retired, and newer ones were acquired, chiefly from France and Germany. In addition, in 1908, the Ottomans called in a British naval mission to update their training and doctrine. The British mission, headed by Admiral Sir Douglas Gamble , would find its task almost impossible. The political upheaval in the aftermath of the Young Turk Revolution prevented it to

4752-523: The Ottoman military personnel stationed in Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Epirus numbered almost 200,000 men, who were pitted against 234,000 Serbs, 48,000 Bulgarians and 115,000 Greeks. Bulgaria was militarily the most powerful of the four Balkan states, with a large, well-trained, well-equipped army. Bulgaria mobilized a total of 599,878 men out of a population of 4.3 million. The Bulgarian field army counted for nine infantry divisions , one cavalry division and 1,116 artillery units. The commander-in-chief

4851-442: The Serbs and the Montenegrins in the theatre of Sandžak and the Bulgarians and the Serbs in the Macedonian and the Bulgarians alone in the Thracian theatre. The bulk of the Bulgarian forces (346,182 men) was to attack Thrace, fighting against the Thracian Ottoman Army of 96,273 men and about 26,000 garrison troops, or about 115,000 personnel in total, according to Hall's, Erickson's and the Turkish General Staff's 1993 studies. It

4950-424: The Young Turk Revolution and the counterrevolutionary coup several months later. That resulted in different groups competing for influence within the military. A German mission had tried reorganizing the army, but its recommendations had not been fully implemented. The Ottoman army was caught in the middle of reform and reorganization. Also, several of the army's best battalions had been transferred to Yemen to face

5049-404: The Young Turks to grant effective autonomy over large regions in June 1912. Serbia, which had been helping to arm the Hamidian and Catholic Albanians rebelling in the Mirditë region; sent secret agents to some of the prominent leaders, taking the revolt as a pretext for war. Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria had all been in talks about possible offensives against the Ottoman Empire before

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5148-586: The actions of Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece, there was enough time for Montenegro to prepare, which helped its successful military campaign. Known colloquially as "the sick man of Europe", by 1912, the Ottoman Empire was at the end stages of a centuries long decline. Upon the outbreak of war Turkish forces were extremely vulnerable. The Ottoman Empire itself possessed a far larger population than all of its adversaries combined, of around 26 million. However just over 6.1 million lived in what still remained of Ottoman Europe, of which only 2.3 million were Muslim. A majority of

5247-399: The administration, according to Evliya Çelebi . In the 17th century the population decreased because of the wars and plague. The last mosque in the town was built in 1820. The first church, built in Nevrokop between 1808 and 1811 was dedicated to the Archangel Michael is known for its old Holy Gates and richly decorated fretwork ceilings and icons from 1881. In 1841 was finished the building of

5346-478: The altitude. The lowest parts in the valley of Mesta river are strongly influenced by the Mediterranean climatic processes. In the mountainous parts the climate is getting colder, especially higher than 2000 meters in the Pirin Mountain. The winter is mild in the Mesta river valley near the town with rainfall maximum in November. The weather is severe in the highest areas with long and snowy winter, cold spring, short summer and early autumn with high risk of avalanches in

5445-414: The analysis of the objectives of the Balkan Pact, it had deadly consequences for the Ottoman Army in Thrace, which was now required to defend the area from the bulk of the Bulgarian army against impossible odds. The misappraisal was also the reason for the catastrophic aggressive Ottoman strategy at the start of the campaign in Thrace. On the Thracian Front, the Bulgarian army had placed 346,182 men against

5544-433: The area the economy of the municipality changed. The light industry is well presented, especially in the town of Gotse Delchev. The textile and shoe industry, zippers producing, plastics processing, paper industry, wood industry and wood processing, tobacco growing and processing are the major sources of the income of the municipality. There aren't industrial subjects in the mountainous villages. The Mediterranean influence in

5643-401: The area were assassinated or imprisoned or fled abroad. In 1951 Nevrokop was renamed after the revolutionary Gotse Delchev . After the Second World War the process of conversion of the pomak people and eliminating the influence of the Islam in the region continued with changing temps. On March 28, 1973 in the village of Kornitsa armed forces of the Militia and the Army attempted to occupy

5742-411: The area. The municipality has been isolated from the big industrial centers in Bulgaria due to its geographic location near the closed border with Greece for about sixty years and the lack of natural resources, the long distances between Gotse Delchev and other bigger towns and the narrow and poorly maintained roads. After the opening of the Ilinden-Exochi border-crossing and improving the road system in

5841-471: The current weather in the highest parts and to follow the signs and beware of avalanches. The football club Pirin, established in 1925, now is playing in the first division. There are also several amateur football clubs in the villages. Women's handball, wrestling and karate clubs are the other sport activities in the municipality. [REDACTED] Media related to Gotse Delchev Municipality at Wikimedia Commons Borovo, Blagoevgrad Province Borovo

5940-553: The doors. The exposition is contained in 12 halls - archaeological, historical and ethnographic. A Thracian chariot and objects from Nicopolis ad Nestum are brought there from Garmen Municipality . Tools, costumes, ritual fabrics, embroideries, jewellery and musical instruments from the region are exhibited. The exhibition present the products of the traditional crafts such as: bell-making, weaving, coppersmithery and goldsmithery, pottery, goat's-hair and wool weaving and tailoring and saddle-making. During May every year in Gotse Delchev

6039-404: The established command structure to create new superior commands, the Eastern Army and Western Army , reflecting the division of the operational theatre between the Thracian (against the Bulgarians) and Macedonian (against the Greeks, Serbs and Montenegrins) fronts. The Western Army fielded at least 200,000 men, and the Eastern Army fielded 115,000 men against the Bulgarians. The Eastern Army

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6138-418: The ethnic character of the population changed. There was a process of forced converting of the Muslim people in The Bulgarian part of Macedonia to the Christianity, sponsored and inspired by the Bulgarian government and Bulgarian Orthodox Church and performed by IMRO, but with no actual further results. In 1922 forces of the Macedonian Federative Organization with the support of the Bulgarian government attacked

6237-429: The exact amount of civilian casualties, when the war ended great changes occurred in the demographic makeup of the Balkan region. Tensions among the Balkan states over their rival aspirations to the provinces of Ottoman-controlled Rumelia ( Eastern Rumelia , Thrace and Macedonia ) subsided somewhat after the mid-19th-century intervention by the Great Powers , which aimed to secure both more complete protection for

6336-448: The formation of the alliances by trying unsuccessfully to dissuade the Balkan League from going to war. In late September, the League and the Ottoman Empire mobilized their armies. Montenegro was the first to declare war on 25 September ( O.S. )/8 October. After issuing an impossible ultimatum to the Ottoman Porte on 13 October, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece declared war on the Ottomans on 17 October (1912). The declarations of war attracted

6435-557: The initial mission was to pin down the Ottoman forces there until sufficient reinforcements could be sent from the Army of Thessaly after the successful conclusion of operations. The Greek navy was relatively modern, strengthened by the recent purchase of numerous new units and undergoing reforms under the supervision of a British mission . Invited by Greek Prime Minister Venizelos in 1910, the mission began its work upon its arrival in May 1911. Granted extraordinary powers and led by Vice Admiral Lionel Grant Tufnell , it thoroughly reorganized

6534-669: The late winter and in the spring. The main water resource is the Mesta river and its tributaries, flowing from the glacier lakes in the Breznitsa (three lakes) and Kornitsa (three small lakes) Cirques. There are also three dam lakes near the town. The lowest part of the municipality in the valley of Mesta river are turned to arable or inhabited areas. At altitude of 600–700 meters the slopes are covered with oak forests. Beech forests can be seen from 900 to 1800 meters especially under peak Orelek. Wide areas in Pirin are covered with different coniferous trees from 1500 up to 2200 meters altitude. Higher than 2000 meters dwarf pine and juniper bushes are

6633-421: The main forces were formed as three armies for the advance towards Skopje, and a division and an independent brigade were to cooperate with the Montenegrins in the Sanjak of Novi Pazar . The First Army (132,000 men), the strongest, was commanded by Crown Prince Alexander , and the Chief of Staff was Colonel Petar Bojović . The First Army formed the centre of the drive towards Skopje. The Second Army (74,000 men)

6732-399: The most common plants. The western slopes of the Rhodope Mountains are covered with different broadleaved species. The most common wild animals are the wild boar and the roe deer in the woods. Hares and squirrels can be seen frequently. The bears are protected and their population is monitored. There are other species of animals and birds. Part of the "National Park Pirin Mountain"

6831-448: The most influential people in the Ottoman capital, had reported to Berlin on 21 October that the Ottoman forces believed that the bulk of the Bulgarian army would be deployed in Macedonia with the Serbs. Then, the Ottoman headquarters, under Abdullah Pasha , expected to meet only three Bulgarian infantry divisions, accompanied by cavalry, east of Adrianople. According to historian E. J. Erickson, though that assumption possibly resulted from

6930-401: The municipality. There are ten kindergartens and one nursery in the municipality. Five of the kindergartens are combined with nursery groups. Three of the kindergarten are in the villages. Fourteen schools, all of them state-owned are working in the municipality - 9 primary schools, 1 general secondary school, 1 specialized in mathematics and sciences high school, 2 professional high schools and

7029-407: The municipality. Nine cultural clubs with public libraries are opened in the town and in the villages. The House of culture in Gotse Delchev, built in 1998 is the biggest cultural center in the region. There is a concert hall with 600 seats and a gallery. The Municipal Historical Museum is set in a Bulgarian Baroque style house, built in 1877, with traditional wood-carved fretworks on the ceilings and

7128-402: The municipality. The most important and busy is the second class road from Simitli to the border crossing Ilinden with Greece going from north to south with length of 25 kilometers in the municipality. The third class road between Petrich and Satovcha is crossing the municipality with length of 24 kilometers in the municipality from west to east and is connected with the road to Greece near

7227-501: The ongoing rebellion. In the summer of 1912, the Ottoman High Command decided disastrously to dismiss some 70,000 mobilized troops. Though the regular army ( Nizam ) was well-equipped and had trained active divisions, the reserve units ( Redif ) that reinforced it was ill-equipped, especially in artillery, and badly-trained. The Ottomans' strategic situation was difficult, as their borders were almost impossible to defend against

7326-413: The opening of the road connection with Greece the region returned some of its assets and the increased traffic resulted road improvement and flourishing of the road-side villages. According to the latest Bulgarian census of 2011, the religious composition, among those who answered the optional question on religious identification, was the following: There are 80 kilometers national and municipal roads in

7425-486: The overhaul of the mobilization system allowed the country to field and equip a far greater number of troops than had been the case in 1897. Foreign observers estimated Greece would mobilize approximately 50,000 men, but the Greek army fielded 125,000, with another 140,000 in the National Guard and reserves. Upon mobilization, as in 1897, the force was grouped in two field armies, reflecting the geographic division between

7524-427: The planned full complement of 750,000 officers and soldiers. A total of 920 officers and 42,607 men of them had been assigned to non-divisional units and services, the remaining 293,206 officers and men were assigned to four armies. Opposing them and continuing their secret prewar settlements for expansion, the three Slavic allies (Bulgarian, Serbs and Montenegrins) had extensive plans to co-ordinate their war efforts:

7623-467: The primary battlefield in a war with the Ottoman Empire, the position of the Ottoman Army there was jeopardized by erroneous intelligence estimates of the opponents' order of battle. Unaware of the secret prewar political and military settlement over Macedonia between Bulgaria and Serbia, the Ottoman leadership assigned the bulk of its forces there. The German ambassador, Hans Baron von Wangenheim , one of

7722-431: The produced tobacco. People also grow wheat, maize for grain, beans, sunflowers, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, apples, vineyards, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and other fruits. Forests cover 60% of the municipality's territory. People breed cattle in the valleys and sheep and goats in the mountainous parts. There are bee gardens with more than 2100 bee hives. There aren't any dairy or meat processing factories in

7821-639: The provinces' Christian majority as well as to maintain the status quo. By 1867, Serbia and Montenegro had both secured their independence, which was confirmed by the Treaty of Berlin (1878) . The question of the viability of Ottoman rule was revived after the Young Turk Revolution in July 1908, which compelled the Ottoman Sultan to restore the suspended constitution of the empire. Serbia's aspirations to take over Bosnia and Herzegovina were thwarted by

7920-448: The relatively modern core of the Ottoman battlefleet. By the summer of 1912, however, they were already in poor condition because of chronic neglect: the rangefinders and ammunition hoists had been removed, the telephones were not working, the pumps were corroded, and most of the watertight doors could no longer be closed. During the onset of the First Balkan War, most Albanians, including frequent rebels like Isa Boletin, united to defend

8019-539: The remainder were Orthodox Christians, considered unfit for conscription. The poor transport network of the Empire's Asian regions dictated that the only reliable way to mass transfer troops to the front was by sea where they'd be vulnerable to attacks from the Greek fleet based in the Aegean. In addition, in 1912 Ottomans were still at war with the Italians who in the year proceeding had overrun Ottoman Libya and by now were invading

8118-409: The summer of 1912 as the imminence of war became apparent. Nevertheless, at the outbreak of the war, the Greek fleet was far from ready. The Ottoman battlefleet retained a clear advantage in the number of ships, speed of the primary surface units and, most importantly, the number and calibre of the ships' guns. In addition, as the war caught the fleet in the middle of its expansion and reorganization,

8217-528: The town of Gotse Delchev. The fourth class municipal roads are connecting the villages with the main roads. There are no other types of transport in the municipality. Regular bus lines connect the villages in the municipality with the town of Gotse Delchev. There are regular lines to Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Hadzhidimovo, Satovcha and the villages of Garmen Municipality . All the settlements have central electricity and water supply. Fixed phone lines and Internet are also widely available. All national mobile operators cover

8316-474: The two operational theatres that were open to the Greeks: Thessaly and Epirus. The Army of Thessaly (Στρατιά Θεσσαλίας) was placed under Crown Prince Constantine , with Lieutenant-General Panagiotis Danglis as his chief of staff. It fielded the bulk of the Greek forces: seven infantry divisions, a cavalry regiment, and four independent Evzones light mountain infantry battalions, roughly 100,000 men. It

8415-483: The village and met organized resistance from the local people and there were casualties from the both sides. The urbanization in the municipality resulted of the decreasing of the population in the smaller villages and in the whole municipality. The town of Gotse Delchev lost its importance with the development of Blagoevgrad as the administrative, cultural and educational center in Southwestern Bulgaria. After

8514-409: The villages. Over twenty specialist in dental medicine work in the town and in the surrounding villages. Gotse Delchev region is famous with two folk ensembles and the singer Nikolina Chakardakova , who perform nationwide and abroad the traditional folklore of the region and from other Bulgarian folklore regions. There are other smaller or children's groups, who preserve the songs and the traditions in

8613-430: The war began, it had only 200,000 men available. Although more men would reach their units, war casualties prevented the Western Group from coming near its nominal strength. In wartime, the Ottomans had planned to bring more troops in from Syria, both Nizamiye and Redif . Greek naval supremacy prevented those reinforcements from arriving. Instead, those soldiers had to deploy via the land route, and most never made it to

8712-449: The wide valley of the Mesta river is favorable for modern and productive agriculture in the municipality. Tobacco was the most important culture in the recent years and presented large part of agriculture of the municipality, especially in the villages, but now there is a decline in the production due to the worldwide restrictions against smoking and the change of the state policy of subsidies for

8811-493: Was Tsar Ferdinand , and the operating command was in the hands of his deputy, General Mihail Savov . The Bulgarians also had a small navy of six torpedo boats restricted to operations along the country's Black Sea coast. Bulgaria was focused on actions in Thrace and Macedonia. It deployed its main force in Thrace by forming three armies. The First Army (79,370 men), under General Vasil Kutinchev , had three infantry divisions and

8910-843: Was commanded by Nazim Pasha and had seven corps of 11 regular infantry divisions, 13 Redif divisions and at least one cavalry division: The Western Army (Macedonian and Vardar Army) constituted ten corps with 32 infantry and two cavalry divisions. Against Serbia, the Ottomans deployed the Vardar Army (HQ in Skopje) under Halepli Zeki Pasha , with five corps of 18 infantry divisions, one cavalry division and two independent cavalry brigades under the: The Macedonian Army (headquarters in Thessaloniki under Ali Rıza Pasha ) had 14 divisions in five corps, deployed against Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro. Against Greece, at least seven divisions were deployed: Against Bulgaria, in southeastern Macedonia, two divisions,

9009-585: Was commanded by General Božidar Janković , and since it was on the right wing, had the task to invade Kosovo and then move south to join the other armies in the expected battle at Ovče Polje. There were two more concentrations in northwestern Serbia across the borders between Serbia and Austria-Hungary: the Ibar Army (25,000 men), under General Mihailo Živković , and the Javor Brigade (12,000 men), under Lieutenant-Colonel Milovoje Anđelković. Greece, whose population

9108-435: Was commanded by General Stepa Stepanović and had one Serbian and one Bulgarian (7th Rila) division. It formed the army's left wing and advanced towards Stracin . Though the inclusion of a Bulgarian division was according to a prewar arrangement between Serbian and Bulgarian armies, it ceased to obey the orders of Stepanović as soon as the war began, only following those of the Bulgarian High Command. The Third Army (76,000 men)

9207-531: Was deployed to the south of Yambol and assigned operations along the Tundzha River. The Second Army (122,748 men), under General Nikola Ivanov , with two infantry divisions and one infantry brigade, was deployed west of the First Army and was assigned to capture the strong fortress of Adrianople ( Edirne ). Plans had the Third Army (94,884 men), under General Radko Dimitriev , to be deployed east of and behind

9306-451: Was expected to overcome the fortified Ottoman border positions and advance towards southern and central Macedonia, aiming to take Thessaloniki and Bitola. The remaining 10,000 to 13,000 men in eight battalions were assigned to the Army of Epirus ( Στρατιά Ηπείρου ) under Lieutenant-General Konstantinos Sapountzakis . As it had no hope of capturing Ioannina, the heavily fortified capital of Epirus,

9405-731: Was satisfied with the situation in Turkey in Europe. It also became unbearable for the Serbs, the Greeks, and the Albanians. By the grace of God, I have therefore ordered my brave army to join in the Holy War to free our brethren and to wish for a better future. In Old Serbia, my army will meet not only upon Christian Serbs but also upon Muslim Serbs, who are equally dear to us, and in addition to them, upon Christian and Muslim Albanians with whom our people have shared joy and sorrow for thirteen centuries now. To all of them, we bring freedom, brotherhood and equality. In

9504-471: Was the smallest nation in the Balkan Peninsula, but in recent years before the war, it had improved its military skills with support from Russia . Also, it was the only Balkan country never to be fully conquered by the Ottoman Empire. As the smallest member of the League, Montenegro did not have much influence. However, it was advantageous for Montenegro, since when the Ottoman Empire was trying to counter

9603-467: Was then 2,666,000, was considered the weakest of the three main allies since it fielded the smallest army and had suffered a defeat against the Ottomans 16 years earlier, in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897. A British consular dispatch from 1910 expressed the common perception of the Greek army's abilities: "If there is a war, we shall probably see that the only thing Greek officers can do besides talking

9702-565: Was to be supported by the Kırcaali Detachment of 24,000 military personnel, deployed along the Arda river to prevent the Bulgarians from reaching the Aegean Sea and thus cutting Ottoman transportation and communication links with Macedonia. The Vardar Army of some 58,000 men was deployed near Kumanovo against the First and Second Serbian Armies of 90,000 Serbian and approx. 50,000 Serbian and Bulgarian men. Approx. 28,000 additional men from

9801-457: Was to push Serbia into one that limited its access to Macedonia while simultaneously refusing any such agreement with Greece. Bulgaria believed that its army could occupy the big part of Aegean Macedonia and the port city of Salonica ( Thessaloniki ) before the Greeks could do so. In 1911, Italy had launched an invasion of Tripolitania , now in Libya , which was quickly followed by the occupation of

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