They beat the Turks at Kirk Kilisse and Lule Burgas, and pursued the flying enemy, by Ferdinand’s order, to the very lines of Chatalja. They laid siege to Adrianople, and had he not interfered, would have soon entered that city and butchered the bulk of its Turkish inhabitants. But Ferdinand preferred to be away at Carlsbad when any butchery was going on, and interfered, so that the capture of the city was delayed until a strong Serbian force came on the scene, and hastened its surrender.
The Greeks, as is well known, made straight for Salonica, of which important port they took possession. The Montenegrins did wonders on the Adriatic coast, while the Serbians were equally successful in their sphere of the war; and, as I have said, helped to bring about the fall of Adrianople.
But Ferdinand’s attempt to force a way to Constantinople failed, and the Bulgarian army got a severe handling at the lines of Chatalja. On November 1, Ferdinand had rejected a peace proposal from Turkey, without communicating it to his Allies; but by the end of the year he was trying to make peace with Turkey, again without his Allies. The fall of Adrianople in March brought to a head the disagreement of the Allies about the division of the conquered territory.
Then, according to the treaties which bound the Balkan States, the differences should have been referred to Russia for arbitration. The clause of the treaties which imposed this condition is worth quoting:—
“Every difference which may be manifested concerning the interpretation and execution of any of the stipulations of the treaty, its secret annex, or military conventions, is to be submitted to the final decision of Russia as soon as one or other party declares that it is impossible to reach an agreement with the other party by direct negotiation.”
But a reference of his claims to Russia was the last thing Ferdinand wanted. His hesitation at signing the clause protecting Serbia against Austria had not won him the confidence of Russia, and he feared that he would not have anything the best of such arbitration. Serbia was now seeking an outlet to the Adriatic, as the reward for her share in the fighting, and this ambition was opposed to all Austrian interests. Ferdinand again began to intrigue with Austria, and to palter with Russia and his allies. He dismissed his pacific Prime Minister, M. Gueschoff, and ordered Dr. Daneff to form a ministry. That ministry resisted arbitration by every means in its power.
Meanwhile Ferdinand was preparing for a treacherous attack upon the forces of his Allies. The Bulgarian armies were concentrated upon the Macedonian borders, and secret preparations of great elaboration were pushed forward.
At midnight on June 29, the Serbians and Greeks along the entire front were suddenly and violently attacked. As they had not expected this act of treachery, they were driven back in wild confusion. But they soon rallied, and at the same time Bulgaria had to submit to an invasion from the fresh troops of Rumania. Turkey again moved forward, and the Bulgarians found themselves unable to resist the combination of enemies against them. Ferdinand was forced to sign the disadvantageous Treaty of Bucarest.
Thus Ferdinand’s treachery met its due reward. What it cost Bulgaria at the time will now be related. What it will eventually cost Bulgaria cannot yet be detailed, but it is certain that the peasant State has not yet paid a tithe of the price of ranging itself on the side of the Huns.