First Balkan War

Wars in Europe - • Europe
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FIRST BALKAN WAR
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of 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 a result of the war, the Balkan 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. Meanwhile, Bulgaria was dissatisfied over the division of the spoils in Macedonia and attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 June 1913, which sparked the start of the Second Balkan War.
FIRST BALKAN WAR - Timeline
Early 20th century - The Ottoman Empire is a spent force, a shadow of its former glory of the 1400s to 1500s; in Europe, its last remaining possession in the Balkans is Rumelia, since by 1910, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece have gained their independences; Rumelia is likewise coveted by the new Balkan states, as it contains large populations of ethnic Serbians, Bulgarians, and Greeks, who each want to merge with their mother countries
March 1912 - Serbia and Bulgaria form a military alliance - the Balkan League
May 1912 - Greece joins the Balkan League when Bulgaria and Greece sign a similar agreement; later that year, Montenegro joins as well and all prepare to invade Rumelia
August 1912 - Rising tensions and some fighting in Rumelia indicate an imminent outbreak of full-scale war.
October 8, 1912 - Montenegro declares war on the Ottoman Empire
October 17, 1912 - The other Balkan League members, after issuing a joint ultimatum on the Ottoman Empire, also declare war
Mid-November 1912 - Bulgarian forces, after launching into Eastern Thrace, begin a siege of fortified Adrianople; Bulgarians forces then advance further east before being stopped before Constantinople, the Ottoman capital
November 26, 1912 - Bulgarian forces capture weakly defended Western Thrace
October 22, 1912 - Serbian forces, invading into Kosovo Province, capture Pristina and advance toward Uskup, forcing the Ottomans to retreat to Monastir
Early November 1912 - Serbian forces advance into Monastir, and in a number of battles, by mid-November, capture the whole province, with the Ottomans retreating into central and southern Albania; Serbians forces then advance into Albania, taking most of the region north of Vlora, while Montenegrin forces also occupy a section of northern Albania; simultaneous with Serbia and Montenegro, Greek forces launch into Rumelia; in the east, Greek forces attack Selanik Province for Salonica
November 9, 1912 - The Ottoman commander in Salonica surrenders the city; Greek forces then continue into southern Macedonia, meeting up with Bulgarian and Serbian forces; at Epirus in the west, Greek forces also advance northward, reaching Bizani at the periphery of Iaonnina
December 3, 1912 - The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria sign an armistice, which ends large-scale fighting in most sectors; peace talks soon open in London
January 1913 - A military coup topples the Ottoman government, and a new junta that comes to power prepares to re-open hostilities
February 1913 - Ottoman forces launch a counter-offensive in Eastern Thrace that initially makes progress but is soon thrown back by a Bulgarian counter-attack
March 6th, 1913 - Greek forces capture Iaonnina
March 11, 1913 - A combined Bulgarian-Serbian force capture Adrianople
April 23, 1913, Montenegrin forces capture Shkoder after a seven-month siege
May 30, 1913 - The Treaty of London is signed, which ends the war
July 29, 1913 - The European powers agree to recognize the independence of Albania and strong-arm Serbia, Greece, and Montenegro to withdraw their forces from occupied areas in Albania; the unexpected birth of Albania disrupts the secret Serbian-Bulgarian pre-war partition agreement of the Macedonian region, which ultimately leads to a resumption of hostilities - the Second Balkan War

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