Bulgaria in the First World War (1915 – 1918). An Attempt at Reappraisal 100 Years Later

In 2015–2018, in connection with the celebration of the centenary of Bulgaria’s involvement in the First World War, this topic has become increasingly popular among the researchers of Bulgarian military history. On the occasion of the jubilee, a National Committee was established at the Ministry of Defense in order to organize and coordinate the various initiatives. 

Through its support and the participation of scientists from the Military Academy, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Macedonian Scientific Institute, the universities, archives, and museums in the country, an array of international scientific conferences were organized and volumes of studies and papers were published. The author – participant in most of these events and researcher of the Bulgarian national question in its multifaceted manifestations for nearly four decades – attempts to present a concise reappraisal of Bulgaria’s participation in the First World War from the distance of the 100th anniversary. 

The reasons Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers are laid out, and namely – the desire for national unification, especially concerning the Bulgarians in Macedonia. The paper outlines the development of the battle actions on the different fronts and analyzes the reasons for the unsuccessful outcome of the war that led to another national catastrophe.