Bulgaria's belated acceptance of Russian arbitration was not destined
to establish peace. Yet Dr. Daneff, the prime minister, who received
me on June 27 and talked freely of the Balkan situation (perhaps the
more freely because in this conversation it transpired that we had been
fellow students together at the University of Heidelberg), decided on
June 28 not to go to war with the Allies. Yet that very evening at
eight o'clock, unknown to Dr. Daneff, an order in cipher and marked
"very urgent" was issued by General Savoff to the commander of the
fourth army directing him on the following evening to attack the
Servians "most vigorously along the whole front." On the following
afternoon, the 29th, General Savoff issued another order to the army
commanders giving further instructions for attacks on the Servians and
Greeks, including an attack on Saloniki, stating that these attacks
were {108} taking place "without any official declaration of war," and
that they were undertaken in order to accustom the Bulgarian army to
regard their former allies as enemies, to hasten the activities of the
Russian government, to compel the former allies to be more
conciliatory, and to secure new territories for Bulgaria! Who was
responsible for this deplorable lack of harmony between the civil
government and the military authorities has not yet been officially
disclosed. Did General Savoff act on his own responsibility? Or is
there any truth in the charge that King Ferdinand after a long
consultation with the Austro-Hungarian Minister instructed the General
to issue the order? Dr. Daneff knew nothing of it, and though he made
every effort to stop the resulting hostilities, the dogs of war had
been let loose and could not now be torn from one another's throats.
There had been sporadic fighting in Macedonia between the Allies for
some months past. Greece and Servia had concluded an anti-Bulgarian
{109} alliance on June 1. They also entered into a convention with
Roumania by which that power agreed to intervene in case of war between
the late Allies. And war having been declared, Roumania seized
Silistria at midnight, July 10. Meanwhile the Servian and Greek forces
were fighting the Bulgarians hard at Kilkis, Doiran, and other points
between the Varclar and the Struma. And, as if Bulgaria had not
enemies enough on her back already, the Turkish Army on July 12 left
the Chataldja fortifications, crossed the Enos-Midia line, and in less
than two weeks, with Enver Bey at its head, re-occupied Adrianople.
Bulgaria was powerless to stop the further advance of the Turks, nor
had she forces to send against the Roumanians who marched unopposed
through the neighboring country till Sofia itself was within their
power.
No nation could stand up against such fearful odds. Dr. Daneff
resigned on July 15. {110} And the new ministry had to make the best
terms it could.