The Path to Mediterranean Supremacy/Bulgarian Empire

With Ferdinand's order, the Bulgarian war machine at once began to function. The benefits of investing heavily in infrastructure manifested themselves as strategic supplies from all over the country converged on Sofia in an orderly fashion.

Despite its long history and excellent climatic conditions, Sofia is not a good capital from a security point of view! It is simply too close to the borderline, and it would immediately become the front line in the event of war.

The closest place to Serbia is only a hundred or so kilometers away. The poor Bulgarian-Serbian relations leave it under constant military threat from Serbia!

In order to defend the capital, Bulgaria had to deploy a large number of troops in the area of Gintsi and Tran. Half of the country's troops could be concentrated around Sofia, where Serbia hold more than sixty percent of Bulgaria's military forces!

Since Ferdinand succeeded to the throne, there was never for a moment that he did not want to solve the threat from Serbia over Sofia's incoming army. To his relief, Serbia has been out of shape since the Bulgarian-Serbian War nine years ago, which kept Ferdinand from sleeping!

The conflict between the two sides has been on for a long time, and the feud between the two sides is not even smoothed out. Ferdinand succeeded to the throne, and it was not without thought to ease the relationship between the Bulgarian and Serbian. Still, after an in-depth analysis of the conflict between the Bulgarian and Serbian, there is no longer the idea of reconciliation!

If the German-French conflict is due to the Alsace-Lorraine territorial dispute, the dispute over European hegemony, and the market dispute between capitalism, it isn't easy to reconcile!

In addition to the battle for territory, the battle for survival is more important! In the same Balkan region, surrounded by the great powers, both countries desire self-reliance, but how can the small Balkan region accommodate it?

At the same time, both countries are of mixed Slavic and other ethnic origins, with Russian influence, and both countries present themselves as Slavic leaders of the Balkans!

One holds the banner of 'Greater Serbia,' and the other holds the banner of 'Greater Bulgaria'. Both sides have a tacit agreement to cross each other in the target range, so to speak, is incompatible!

Compromise does not exist anymore. All thought of annexing each other, war is sooner or later, unless one side completely falls!

Ferdinand could have sworn that he really wasn't interested in Serbia. He didn't want to create a new version of the 'Austro-Hungarian' Empire!

But the people of the country can not help but think in this regard Ferdinand could not fight against the country! To use a common phrase, 'A good Bulgarian has to do things to eat, sleep, believe in God, and fight Serbia!' And beat up Ottoman if possible, that would be even better!!!

Besides the Serbs on the other side, the idea is similar. Bulgaria's power is already several times that of Serbia, and no one in the Serbian government still proposes improving relations with Bulgaria!

Since we are destined to be enemies, we can only 'take advantage of your disease'!

On October 5, 1894, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an ultimatum of war to Serbia, based on the principle of 'the first to strike, the last to suffer'!¹A Chinese idiom means you can get an advantage by making the first move, but you often lose out afterward.

They gave the Serbian government three days to hand over war criminals from the Bulgarian-Serbian war nine years ago for public trial by a special Bulgarian war tribunal, with a long list of war criminals!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still very good at this. No fabrications out of thin air, all with tangible evidence! Only the list is a little longer. Basically, the officers who participated in the last Bulgarian War and are still alive are on the list!

The Serbian government was simply not given a choice. The countdown to war had begun!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has wisely chosen to ignore Ferdinand's far-fetched excuses! In the last war with Serbia, Serbia was defeated, and although it did not pay much, it still admitted defeat and apologized, admitting to the act of aggression!

In theory, the Bulgarian government still retains the right to pursue war criminals, but it's been nine years! No matter how, this pretext on the face of it, Bulgaria started this war, it was still fair. Anyway, all Bulgarians believe it, and that's enough!

...

In the new Sliven district in Bulgaria, Vibert was working overtime with his head down and no more passion than ever!

That's right. They rejected his request to join the army once again! Not only him, but they did not include the entire machine engineers in the draft!

Although they also actively signed up because the machinery factory belongs to the key business, which has now been drafted off in wartime to start producing weapons and ammunition!

In the Balkans, every man has a dream of being a hero! Vibert is no different. As a native Bulgarian, it has always been his dream to join the army and fight in Serbia!

None other than Ferdinand's patriotic education, the hatred between Bulgaria and Serbia! And the key is that Serbia is weak enough to fight it safe and secure and build the success in the war and make a fortune. At this point, every Bulgarian is convinced!

An example of this is the Bulgarian War nine years ago, in which Vibert's older brother, Lowell, fought!

Vibert missed that battle because he was hunting in the mountains with his father at the draft time and missed the draft! Every time he heard his brother's bragging, Vibert wondered!

To sum up, Serbia was weak enough, and the Bulgarians were heroic enough! The proof of this is that in a battle on the South Morava River, where his brother Lowell's new regiment defeated two regiments of Serbian troops instead, despite the lack of guns and medicine!

With limited literacy Lowell, the specific situation can not describe clearly, anyway. It just listened to orders to fight, and after paying a hundred or so casualties, confusingly won the battle!

At the end of the war, Lowell returned in triumph and was treated like a hero! In addition to the government-issued rewards, he brought home a bounty of loot and became the centerpiece of his family in no time!

And then, later, the young and vigorous Vibert goes out to make a living. There is no choice. He also wants to be a hero and does not want to live under his brother's shadow!

Even after getting married and being a father of three children, Vibert still hasn't quenched his heart to go to war!

Every year, it was the foundation of Ferdinand's reserve program, a half month of military training for adult Bulgarian men! It can also be considered a Balkan tradition that adult men can go to war at any time!

It is also very annoying for Supor now. The leaders have sent word to do the mindset work of the workers! Not only do they have to complete their production tasks, but they have to exceed them!

He was also interested in going to war, just like the government propaganda, "A life without having gone to war is incomplete!"

No matter what, he must still do the work! It is military production. He can never hold back!

Upon seeing the distraught Vibert, Supor's iconic greeting, "What's wrong with Vibert? What's been upsetting you lately?"

Vibert said with a bitter smile, "You know all about it, my request for enlistment has been rejected again!"

Supor pretended to be indifferent and said, "I take it for what it is, isn't it normal? Guess how many people it takes to defeat a mere Serbia? Back then, they lost to us, let alone now!

So, even if you join the army, there is no chance to go to war, at most after the main force to play chores! It is better to stay in the rear to produce weapons and ammunition and play a greater role!"

The first time he heard the comfort given by Supor, Vibert's mood was much better. Yes, only one Serbia in the world!

...

Well, Ferdinand probably did not expect the self-confidence of Bulgarian folk, much stronger than the government! Has not started the war. Everybody thinks it will win. Many people want to go in and make war merit!