Event Bulgarian offensive (First Balkan War)

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Was the Bulgarian military invasion of Ottoman territories during the First Balkan War.

Chronology

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  • November 1912: After massing the First and Third Armies in front of Çatalca, the Bulgarian forces launched their offensive on 17 November.
  • October 1912: On the night of October 18, 1912, the Bulgarian vanguards began to penetrate enemy territory, easily pushing back the few Ottoman forces stationed to guard the border.
  • November 1912: Adrianople (modern-day Edirne) was completely surrounded by the Bulgarians.
  • November 1912: Ottoman forces were forced to surrender at Feres.
  • October 1912: The Bulgarians arrived in front of the main body of the Ottoman Eastern Army, deployed between the cities of Adrianople and Kirk Kilisse.
  • November 1912: Bulgarian forces reached the Aegean coast at Dedeağaç (now Alexandroupoli).
  • November 1912: Bulgarian forces occupied İskeçe on November 26.
  • November 1912: Bulgarian troops from Lüleburgaz reached the coast of the Marmara Sea near Şarköy, isolating the Ottoman forces barricaded in the Gallipoli peninsula, which were however able to hold their position.
  • November 1912: On November 5, Bulgarian forces forced the Ottoman positions on the Rhodope mountain chain and occupied the important railway center of Drama.
  • October 1912: Between 26 and 27 October the Bulgarian forces secured the town of Smoljan and the Mesta valley.
  • March 1913: The Ottoman commander Şükrü Pasha surrendered Adrianople (modern-day Edirne) to the Bulgarians, ending a siege that lasted 155 days.
  • October 1912: On October 24, the Bulgarians took Kirk Kilisse.
  • October 1912: The Bulgarians did not immediately press the Ottomans, who were thus able to entrench themselves on a 40 km long second defensive line between the towns of Lüleburgaz, Karaağaç and Bunarhisar, 150 km west of Istanbul: on 29 October the Bulgarian First and Third Armies attacked the Ottoman line, but met stiff resistance.
  • November 1912: Bulgarian victory at the battle of Lüleburgaz.
  • October 1912: The important center of Kardzhali was occupied by Bulgarian forces.