Bulgarian Empire

Chapter 60, The Battle of Constantinople Begins

Facts have proved that the "Three Chapters of the Covenant" are still very effective. Since Ferdinand's promise, the number of the Leading Party has increased sharply, and the work of the Bulgarian government has also gone smoothly. People of all ethnic groups in the Balkans have spontaneously cooperated!

Unlike before to overthrow the rule of the Ottoman Empire, now I am more motivated to acquire land and a better life in the future!

...

A front-line member of the 3rd Battalion and 2nd Company of the 1st Regiment of the 6th Infantry Division had just sent off a group of volunteers, and asked with a wry smile, "What wave is this?"

The adjutant replied depressedly: "Company Commander, this is the third wave today, it's only morning, and there are probably a few more waves in the afternoon!"

The company commander said without tears: "When will this day be the end? We came here to fight, and now we have become a support station!"

The adjutant nodded and said with a sigh: "The Ottoman Empire is too troublesome. So many people have a deep hatred against them! It seems that the Tekirdag officials are also ruthless. We have so many people here to help! "

The company commander shook his head and said, "It would be great if this is the case! Have you read all the documents issued by the government? Except for a small number of them, they are really willing to help us, and most of them are here for the land!"

The adjutant exclaimed: "Ah! Are we really going to give them the land?"

"Of course! The Grand Duke guarantees it in the name of the family, can you still go back on your word? But don't worry, the credit is not so easy to establish, most people will be able to get some money rewards in the end, and they will not grab land with us!" The company commander rolled his eyes and said

...

If it is the promise of the Bulgarian government, ordinary people may doubt it. After all, the government's credibility is not good these days!

But Ferdinand used the reputation of the Gothenburg family as a guarantee, and no one doubted that he would go back on his word!

There is no way that the people of this era will just follow this, the 19th century is the century of the nobility! This is an era when family honor is higher than personal life, and family reputation means that Ferdinand must complete it!

Of course, the benefits are also huge. Inadvertently, Ferdinand also won the recognition of all the Balkan nations and gained a huge reputation!

...

The Supreme Command of the First Army, Chief of Staff Petrov is waving his baton and pointing on the map!

"Look, here is Catalja, the place we must pass through to enter Constantinople!

The Ottomans have established tight fortifications here, equipped with a large number of field artillery, and their shore artillery can also provide support!

According to our information, after the Armenian uprising, the Ottoman Empire moved its capital to Ankara, but they still haven't canceled the capital status of Constantinople!

There are 30,000 troops stationed here; the Ottoman East Thrace Army, after the failure of the Battle of the Karagach River, also retreated to Constantinople. There are about 25,000 people in this part; Four divisions of reinforcements, about 50,000 to 60,000 people were transferred from the Asia Minor peninsula.

In other words, there are more than 100,000 Ottoman troops distributed on the land of several hundred square kilometers in front of us!

And the Sudanese government is expanding its army at the moment. Once the battle situation is tight, the Asian army of the Ottoman Empire may continue to reinforce it! "

After listening to the chief of staff's introduction, everyone was frowning, and the situation in front of the First Army was very unfavorable!

There are 100,000 Ottoman troops, even if they are discounted in half, there are 50,000 regular troops! If it is a field battle, everyone can dismiss it, and any three Bulgarian divisions can handle them!

But when the Ottomans played positional warfare, it was a headache. At this moment, there was a big battlefield inside and outside Constantinople!

For the defense of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire even turned its guns on the shore artillery deployed in the Osphorus Strait!

The formation of trenches + barbed wire + heavy machine guns is enough to cause headaches for any opponent. If it is paired with heavy artillery, it will be even more incomprehensible!

Popov slammed the table and said, "Cheer up, don't put on a bitter face.

Those who didn't know thought I had lost the battle!

Are the Ottomans scary? A group of defeated generals who were suppressed and beaten by us, even if they put on tortoise shells, so what? Break their tortoise shells for Lao Tzu, it's fine! "

Popov's words immediately awakened the officers sitting there, no matter how bad the situation is, the battle will still be fought! It's all up to this point, can we stop?

Chief of Staff Petrov said righteously: "If anyone wants to withdraw, it's too late, take off this military uniform and get out! I'm used to fighting with the wind, and now I'm going to be soft after gnawing hard bones?

Bulgaria lacks everything, but no shortage of generals who dare to fight tough battles! The current situation is not much better than when the war started!

In order to successfully conquer Constantinople, another heavy artillery regiment fell from the country, and the Sixth Infantry Division was temporarily assigned to our First Army.

The artillery promised by the Russians is also in place, three hundred heavy artillery with a diameter of more than 150mm.

Don't tell me, we have an army of nearly 200,000 and more than a thousand artillery pieces, and we still can't conquer a single Constantinople! "

...

After finishing the pre-war mobilization work, Lieutenant General Popov and Chief of Staff Petrov looked at each other and smiled wryly. This is a bitter battle!

If you don't go to Constantinople, you don't know how perverted this fortress city is. There are many fortresses, large and small, and the densely packed positions are intertwined with each other!

More than a dozen regular Ottoman troops had struggled for four or five months to wipe out the rebellion of a group of mobsters, and suffered 40,000 to 50,000 casualties. You can see how perverted the fortress in the city is!

Hard battles are hard battles, battles still have to be fought! In the early morning of May 24, 1897, the First Army was fully prepared and officially launched the Battle of Constantinople!

The first to play is the heavy artillery regiment, especially the 300 heavy artillery borrowed from the Russians, which beat the Ottomans as soon as they showed their power!

At this moment, the interior of Constantinople is not calm, and the firepower advantage that had been placed on high hopes no longer exists!

Supreme Commander Eder Pasha said to himself: "Something is wrong! How could Bulgaria have so many large-caliber artillery?

Is it Russian? But with so many heavy artillery pieces, the entire Ottoman Empire may not be able to make up enough. Are the Russians crazy? Is this sending all their domestic heavy artillery over?

No, we must ask the country to send more reinforcements, otherwise Constantinople cannot be defended! "

It has to be said that Edel Pasha guessed very accurately, for the Bosporus Strait, the Russians really did their best. In order to collect these 300 artillery pieces, they even dismantled the shore artillery deployed in Odessa!

A "Report!" came from outside the door, interrupting Edel Pasha's thoughts.

"Come in!"

An adjutant ran in and said very anxiously: "There is news from the artillery position that they have been locked by Bulgarian firepower and request to move their positions!"

Edel Pasha said annoyedly: "Understood, don't bother me with such trivial matters, let them decide for themselves!"

Well, Eder Pasha was not a military strongman in the first place, but he was an aristocrat of the Ottoman Empire and a confidant of the Sultan. He happened to have a little military knowledge. on his head!

Originally, Constantinople was very safe. In the rear, it was also one of the capitals of the Ottoman Empire, and the surrounding area was heavily fortified.

It's a pity that as soon as the Balkan War broke out, only twenty days later, the Ottoman army was defeated, and the capital Constantinople became the front line!

As the city defense officer of the capital, it is logical to become the commander in chief of the front line! Oh, no one is arguing with him this time. As soon as the news of defeat came from the front, dozens of officers in Constantinople left for various reasons!

As the commander-in-chief Edel Pasha, it is not so easy to leave! He also thought about pretending to be sick, or having an accidental fracture, but unfortunately, he was never given a chance in China!

"The city is alive and the people are alive, but the city is dead and the people are dead!"

This is the death order issued by the sultan. Now any soldier or officer in the city enjoys the same treatment. It is too late to run away!

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