Georgi Todorov (general)

Georgi Stoyanov Todorov
Born	10 August 1858 Bolgrad, contemporary Ukraine
Died	November 16, 1934(1934-11-16) (aged 76) Sofia, Bulgaria
Allegiance	Bulgaria
Service/branch	Bulgarian Army
Years of service	1877 - 1919
Rank	General
Commands held	Seventh Rila Infantry Division 2nd Bulgarian Army commander-in-chief
Battles/wars	Bulair Kalimantsi
Awards

Georgi Stoyanov Todorov (Bulgarian: Георги Тодоров) (born on 10 August 1858 in Bolgrad (contemporary Ukraine); died on 16 November 1934 in Sofia) was a Bulgarian General who fought in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), Balkan Wars (1912–1913) and First World War (1914–1918).

Biography

At the age of 19, he volunteered in the Bulgarian Corps (Opalchentsi) during the Russo-Turkish Liberation War. After the liberation, he graduated the first course of the Military School in Sofia (1879). In 1882, he entered the Sankt Peterburg Academy but could not graduate it because he returned for the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885 and took part in the war that followed immediately after it. During the war against Serbia, he commanded a unit which fought successfully against the enemy in the area of Vidin and Kula.

After the war, he participated in the dethroning of Alexander I and was dismissed from the Army in 1886. Only a year later, he returned to office. On 13 August 1887, he was promoted to Major. On 1 January 1896, Todorov became a Colonel. He served in the Military School and as a chief of the Sevlievo garrison. On 1 January 1910 he was promoted Major General and a commander of the Seventh Rila Infantry Division.

Balkan Wars

During the First Balkan War (1912–1913) as a commander of the Seventh Rila Infantry Division, he advanced towards Solun and on 26 January 1913 he defeated the Ottomans in the Battle of Bulair.

During the Second Balkan War (1913), he and his division participated in the Battle of Kalimantsi where the Serbs were defeated.

First World War

After the accession of Bulgaria in the First World War, he commanded the 2nd Army. He led the operations in Macedonia which ended with the defeat of the Serbs in the battle of Ovche Pole. With that success, the Bulgarians did not allow the meeting of the Serbian Army and the Anglo-French forces who embarked in Solun. In February 1917, he was in command of the 3rd Army and defeated the Romanians in Dobrudzha. From 8 September 1918, he became commander-in-chief of the Bulgarian Army after the illness of General Nikola Zhekov. He participated in the Battle of Dobro Pole. He was dismissed in 1919.^[1]

General Georgi Todorov died on 16 November 1934 in Sofia.^[1]

Honours and awards

• Order of Bravery, 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes
• Order of St Alexander, 1st class with Swords, 4th and 5th classes without swords
• Order of Military Merit, 1st class
• Order of Stara Planina, 1st grade with swords - awarded posthumously on 20 December 2012^[2]
• Pour le Mérite (Germany)
• Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd classes (Germany)
• Liakat Medal (Ottoman Empire)
• Liakat Medal (Ottoman Empire)

References

• Азманов, Димитър. Български висши военоначалници през Балканската и Първата световна война, София 2000, с. 237
• Коев, Илиян и др. Българо-турски военни отношения през Първата световна война. Сборник от документи (1914–1918), София 2004, с. 517

Further Reading

• Chary, Frederick B. (2011). The History of Bulgaria. Greenwood. ISBN 9780313384479. OCLC 713022980. 
• Noykov, Stilyan (1985). "The Bulgarian Army in World War 1, 1915-1918". East European Society in World War I: 403-415. 

Bulgaria in World War I
Prelude	South-western front: Serbian Campaign, Macedonian front	Romanian front • Outcome • Others	Important persons
Balkan Wars 1912–1913 First Balkan War 1913 Treaty of London Second Balkan War Treaty of Bucharest Treaty of Istanbul Neutrality 1914 Ottoman–Bulgarian alliance 1915 Negotiations of Bulgaria with the Central Powers and the Entente Bulgarian-German treaty Secret Bulgarian-German agreement Military convention between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria Bulgarian-Turkish convention Mobilization	Commanders  Bulgaria Nikola Zhekov • Kliment Boyadzhiev • Georgi Todorov• Stefan Nerezov • Vladimir Vazov Entente:  Serbia: Radomir Putnik • Živojin Mišić • Stepa Stepanović • Petar Bojović;  France: Maurice Sarrail • Adolphe Guillaumat • Franchet d'Esperey;  United Kingdom: George Milne;  Greece: Panagiotis Danglis Field Armies + Eleventh Army First Army Second Army Fourth Army Battles 1915 Morava Offensive • Ovche Pole Offensive • Kosovo Offensive (1915) • Battle of Krivolak 1916 First battle of Doiran • Battle of Lerin • Battle of Struma • Monastir Offensive 1917 Second battle of Doiran • 2nd Cerna Bend • Second battle of Monastir 1918 Battle of Skra-di-Legen • Battle of Dobro Pole • Third battle of Doiran	Commanders  Bulgaria Nikola Zhekov • Panteley Kiselov • Stefan Toshev • Todor Kantardzhiev • Ivan Kolev Entente:  Romania: Constantin Prezan • Alexandru Averescu;  Russia: Andrei Zaionchkovsky • Vladimir Sakharov Field Armies Third Army Battles 1916 Battle of Turtucaia • Battle of Dobrich • First Cobadin • Flămânda Offensive • Second Cobadin • Battle of Bucharest Outcome 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk • Armistice of Focşani • Treaty of Bucharest • Protocol of Berlin Outcome Armistice of Salonica Vladaya revolt Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine Others Bulgarian administration in Kosovo Anti-military propaganda	Ferdinand Vasil Radoslavov Alexander Malinov Aleksandar Stamboliyski Aleksandar Protogerov August von Mackensen Boris Drangov Vladimir Vazov Georgi Todorov (general) Ivan Kolev Kliment Boyadzhiev Konstantin Zhostov Krastyu Zlatarev Nikola Zhekov Panteley Kiselov Stefan Toshev Stefan Nerezov Todor Kantardzhiev