Romanian Eagle

On the streets of Sofia in winter, a large group of soldiers are carrying their bags and there are many people on both sides of the road. It can be seen by sending other people's faces with sadness that they are sending their relatives to the battlefield.

According to official Bulgarian statistics, Sofia, which had a population of 470,000 before the war, now counts only 310,000. Most of the population gap of 160,000 was recruited into the army, and the 27th Division was formed in this way.

As a division formed by Bulgaria's third wave in 16 years, it can only be said that the 27th Division was formed very late, mainly due to the lack of equipment and training. As the twenty-seventh division formed by the soldiers who have been selected and left, his training cycle is generally longer than others. And according to the words of its division commander, the main responsibility of these troops, consisting of soldiers aged around forty and sixteen or seventeen, should be to defend second-tier cities. But now facing the situation of both sides attacked by Romania and the Entente, the 27th Division can only rush the ducks to the shelves.

The farewell scene now shows the twenty-seventh division.

As the order issued by Admiral Zekov has already arrived in the capital Sofia, the twenty-seventh division that received the order is ready to pack, and they will go to the battlefield, so it is right for the relatives of the soldiers to be sad. Moreover, the reinforcements composed of troops drawn from Thessaloniki have arrived outside the city, and they are now rushing to join him and go to Previn to reinforce Lieutenant General Kudinchev, who is struggling there. However, waiting for their reinforcements outside the city has some troubles of its own.

In the temporary headquarters of the reinforcements outside the city, Lieutenant General Triyev, who was in charge of leading the team, asked the communications staff with some dissatisfaction.

"Is Sophia still refusing to give me the supplies I need?"

The little staff officer who was questioned did not dare to give an answer. "Sophia's military supplies warehouse has sent information. They have ammunition and military supplies, but the wine and other living materials we need are not stored in their warehouse."

The communications staff took a look at Lieutenant General Triyev and continued. "Then I asked the city government to coordinate according to your instructions, but they refused, saying that they didn't have much supplies, and our request was too large to meet."

Hearing what the communications staff said, Lieutenant General Triyev was very dissatisfied with the city government's answer. Because he knew that Sophia, who lived in the capital with many powerful people, could not have the materials he said. Obviously, the city government was perfunctory to him.

Triev felt a little dissatisfied, so he picked up the phone and spoke to the operator. "Mayor Vasily, who picked me up from the city government, told me that Triyev was looking for him."

After waiting for a few minutes, Lieutenant General Triyev finally got through to the mayor's phone.

"Hey, is it Mayor Vasily, I'm Triyev... I remember the last time we met was at the king's banquet... This time, the soldiers were complaining because they were in a hurry. I'm going to give them some alcohol. And food to ease the mood... No, we have the order of the commander-in-chief, Admiral Zekov, and we can collect necessary living materials... I just said that Sofia is the capital, so I can do this, it is not because Are you in a hurry to say the wrong thing... or nothing, Mayor Vasily, hello, hello."

Lieutenant General Triyev, who put down the phone, looked a little gloomy. This Mayor Vasily had no choice but to take him.

Triyev felt a little aggrieved, because Mayor Vasily regarded himself as a person who used power for personal gain. The conscience of heaven and earth, I have no such idea at all, and everything I do is for the country.

As a general who has led soldiers for many years, he knows the situation of soldiers too well. The long-term shortage of living materials and the confrontation and battle with the Allies in Thessaloniki have already made the soldiers somewhat dissatisfied. This time, the emergency deployment of front-line troops to reinforce Previn has already shaken the soldiers' morale.

During the four-day march from Thessaloniki to Sofia, hundreds of soldiers were left behind.

Triyev, the commander, immediately saw the difference. Too many people were left behind, and it was getting more and more festering every day.

So when he walked to Sofia, Lieutenant General Triyev immediately contacted Admiral Zekov to express his concerns, and asked to stop here for a day to restore the soldiers' low morale. As a means of restoring morale, tobacco, alcohol, bacon and other daily necessities have become the materials he needs, but at present, the government has no idea of ​​meeting his requirements.

Just when Lieutenant General Triyev was a little undecided, the chief of staff who went to the bottom to make a lap walked into the temporary command headquarters with a cold wind.

Triyev asked immediately after seeing his old partner enter the door. "What was the result of the inspection?"

The chief of staff spoke to him with a worried face. "The situation of the troops is a little bit bad, and the soldiers are very resentful about taking them out of the battlefield to reinforce Previn. I have visited many companies and officers have complained to me that the soldiers are emotionally unstable and that they are not responding to their orders. There is also a taste of yang and yin.”

Hearing what the chief of staff said, Triyev knew that this was the soldier's vent for his emotions that he had been unable to rest because of the nervousness of the battlefield. He also understands these soldiers very well, but the current situation makes it impossible for Bulgaria to put these elite soldiers to rest. That's why he planned to use tobacco and alcohol to anesthetize the soldiers to release part of their emotions, but it seems that his plan is going to fail.

The chief of staff looked at Lieutenant General Triyev with an ugly face and said tentatively. "Didn't get the extra supplies we needed?"

Facing the Chief of Staff's question, Triyev nodded heavily and said. "I just got on the phone with the mayor of Sofia and he declined my request."

Hearing his partner's words, the chief of staff said with some sting. "What are these government officials thinking, aren't they afraid of unrest from the discontent of the soldiers."

Facing the words of the chief of staff, Triyev said with a wry smile. "He thought what I said was a threat to him."

Triyev spread his hands and continued to speak helplessly. "So, it is impossible for us to get these supplies from the Sofia government."

In the face of Triyev's words, the chief of staff said after thinking for a while. "Why don't we ask His Excellency the Prime Minister again."

Facing the words of the chief of staff, Triyev hesitated. The reason is very simple. If all such things go to the Prime Minister, it fully shows that his personal ability is limited.

So Triyev said hesitantly. "It's up to the Prime Minister to handle this kind of thing, I'm afraid neither of us will have a good time."

The Prime Minister has a lot of things every day, and it is impossible to arrange it directly for such a thing. Moreover, they are military generals, so it is not appropriate to go to the Prime Minister directly.

The Chief of Staff said. "Prime Minister Radoslav should not reject us."

To this Triyev answered somewhat uncertainly. "It's hard to say, you know the style of our prime minister."

Prime Minister Radoslav was born in Norwich, and was a lawyer, and had the experience of studying in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Before that, he served as the youngest Prime Minister of Bulgaria (July-September 1886). After the resignation of Prime Minister Geschov after the Balkan Wars, Radoslav's Liberal Party formed a cabinet, and he was instrumental in promoting Bulgaria's accession to the Allies.

His famous quote is. "If you love your country, then you should sacrifice everything for it."

So in the face of a prime minister with fanatical patriotism, both of them are a little uncertain.

"Why don't you call and ask?"

Facing Triyev's question, the chief of staff, who had been impulsive before, calmed down a bit. He also said hesitantly. "I think it's better to think about this in the long run, otherwise we'll get these supplements in the next city as well."

"Alright."

After Triyev replied casually, he glanced at the map marked the next city on the march. Ferraça, which is separated from Sofia by a central Bulgarian mountain range, will be their next stop, and then they will arrive at Pleven.