The Macedonian Campaign / The Salonika Front
The Macedonian Campaign / The Salonika Front
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A lesser-known chapter of First World War history, the Macedonian Campaign was considered a ‘side-show’ to the Western Front.
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo 28 June 1914, triggered the events that led to the First World War. In August, the Austro-Hungarian empire declared war and attacked Serbia. Concurrently war spread across Europe and attention shifted away from the Balkans to what would become the Western Front.
By December 1914, the Serbians had successfully pushed the Austro-Hungarian forces back across the Sava and Danube rivers. Now Serbia faced another threat—a typhus epidemic which would kill over 150,000 people.
By the spring of 1915 Germany’s ally Turkey needed ammunition and military equipment to continue operations in the middle-east. The only suitable route for resupply was through the Balkans via the Danube River or the Vienna to Baghdad railway.
The mobilization of the Bulgarian Army in September triggered Serbia to request help from the triple Entente (Britain, France, and Russia). France was eager to assist the Serbs, but Great Britain was not as committed to opening a new Front. Britain’s interests were in the middle-east and the politicians and military officers believed that men and equipment would be better used there or on the Western Front. After much political discussion, Britain reluctantly agreed to send a force to assist the Serbs.
Kotka South - The centre of the Serbian-French offensive in the Moglena mountain range at Dobro Polje 15 September 1918.
British and French forces, sent from Gallipoli, began arriving at the Port of Salonika 5 October 1915. On the 6th of October, the 11th German Army, under command of Field Marshall August von Mackensen, launched offensive operations against Serbia. The Serbian army weakened by the actions in 1914 and the Typhus epidemic could not stop the advance and was soon in full retreat. By the time the French and British moved north into Serbia, it was too little too late. The Serbs were defeated. The only thing the Allies accomplished was to relieve pressure on the retreating Serbian army as it made its way towards the Adriatic coast through the rugged mountains of Albania.
With no reason to stay in Serbia, the French and British withdrew to defensive positions around Salonika. The Allies had agreed on defending the port to prevent it from being used by the Central Powers as a naval base for operations in the Mediterranean.
In 1916 in an attempt to bring Romania into the war alongside the Allies, the now combined forces of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and Serbia moved out of the defensive line and advanced towards the border with Serbia, now occupied by the predominately Bulgarian forces under command of the Germans. From 1916 to 1917, offensive operations would be carried out sporadically to ‘fix’ forces that could be sent to other fronts. Like the Western Front, attrition warfare would see tens of thousands killed on both sides.
In September 1918, offensive operations led by a combined Serb-French coalition successfully broke through the Bulgarian defences at Dobro Polje. By the end of September, Bulgaria signed an armistice. It has been said that this was the beginning of the end of the First World War.
A multi-national campaign, mixed with political intrigue, fought on challenging terrain. I look forward to sharing more of the story of the Macedonian Front 1915 – 1918 with you as we explore the untouched battlefields in this fascinating part of the world. To begin planning your visit please contact me.
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