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Season 9: The National Catastrophes
After decades spent preparing, Bulgaria finally attempts to achieve its national ambitions.


221 Looking Back on The National Catastrophes, Part 2
After standing on the sidelines for over a year, Bulgaria finally enters the First World War on the side of the Central Powers. However,...

Eric D. Halsey
Nov 24, 20241 min read
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220 Looking Back on The National Catastrophes, Part 1
This episode recaps the first half of Season 9, beginning with the First Balkan War in 1912. Victory in that war was quickly overshadowed...

Eric D. Halsey
Nov 16, 20241 min read
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219 The Second National Catastrophe
As the realities of the treaty ending the First World War for Bulgaria become clear, several political groups begin to form paramilitary...

Eric D. Halsey
Oct 28, 20242 min read
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218 Stamboliiski Takes Charge
New elections and a final peace treaty with the Entente both loom as the struggle over who will control Bulgaria in the new post-war...
Eric D. Halsey
Oct 27, 20242 min read
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217 The Dust Settles
With the First World War at an end, it's time to look back at the immense costs it has imposed on Bulgaria and the world. In this...
Eric D. Halsey
Sep 29, 20242 min read
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216 Armistice and Abdication
With an army approaching Sofia, the government prepares for a fight while desperately awaiting news from the armistace negotiators. While...
Eric D. Halsey
Sep 17, 20242 min read
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215 The Peasant and the Tsar
With the collapse of the Macedonian front and revolution in the air, Tsar Ferdinand is forced to turn to his greatest opponent for...
Eric D. Halsey
Aug 18, 20241 min read
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214 Breakthrough
Some of the best fortifications in the world are manned by soldiers low on food, clothing, and supplies. So what happens when they meet...
Eric D. Halsey
Aug 3, 20241 min read
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213 The Spoils
The Central Powers are victorious in the east! Now it's time to divvy up the spoils... Major Characters in this Episode: Prime Minister...
Eric D. Halsey
Jul 16, 20242 min read
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212 Eastern Victories?
With the collapse of the Provisional government and the onset of the Russian Civil War, the Central Powers have finally achieved victory...
Eric D. Halsey
Jul 13, 20241 min read
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211 The Balkan Verdun
As the winter of 1916-17 comes to a close, the First World War enters a new phase as one major power enter and another moves towards the...
Eric D. Halsey
Jun 30, 20242 min read
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210 The Romanian Collapse
Just months after joining the war with high hopes of taking Transylvania from Austria-Hungary, Romania is now on the back foot and facing...
Eric D. Halsey
Jun 25, 20242 min read
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209 War on Two Fronts
Once again, Bulgaria faces fighting on multiple frontlines, with Entente forces attempting to put more pressure on them. This has...
Eric D. Halsey
May 30, 20242 min read
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208 The End of the Balkan Stalemate
As the war drags on, the Bulgarian government tightens its grip on power. Meanwhile, the Macedonian front becomes active again as the...
Eric D. Halsey
May 28, 20242 min read
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207 Occupation
As 1915 comes to an end, Bulgaria suddenly finds a war it entered mere months ago entering a new phase. With the Salonika front settling...
Eric D. Halsey
Apr 29, 20242 min read
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206 A Dream Realized?
Bulgaria finally enters the First World War, joining Germany and Austria-Hungary in a massive offensive against Serbia. But while some...
Eric D. Halsey
Apr 20, 20242 min read
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205 The Die Is Cast
As Summer 1915 turns to Fall, Bulgaria makes it choice to join the Central Powers and attack Serbia. But in the final weeks before that...
Eric D. Halsey
Mar 29, 20242 min read
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204 The Bulgarian Summer
As the Great War drags on, Bulgarian participation becomes ever more valuable. Now, as the Spring of 1915 turns to summer both the...
Eric D. Halsey
Mar 25, 20242 min read
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203 Settling Into Stalemate
As the First World War moves past the optimistic summer of 1914 it quickly becomes clear to everyone that the war will not end anytime...
Eric D. Halsey
Feb 26, 20242 min read
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202 The Great War Begins
As Romania and Serbia crack down on the Bulgarian populations of their newly acquired territories, Bulgaria's Prime Minister attempts to...
Eric D. Halsey
Feb 23, 20243 min read
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201 Resistance and Acceptance
As the fighting of the Second Balkan Wars ends, Bulgaria searches for a path forward and hundreds of thousands of people in the region...
Eric D. Halsey
Jan 29, 20242 min read
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200 The Balkan Wars in Retrospect
After the conclusion of what is rightfully called the "first national catastrophe" it's worth looking back at the scale, scope, and...
Eric D. Halsey
Jan 10, 20241 min read
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199 The First National Catastrophe
The die is cast as Bulgaria embarks on a surprise attack against Serbia and Greece to gain the territories it feels it has earned. Major...
Eric D. Halsey
Dec 30, 20233 min read
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198 One Against All
With the end of the First Balkan War, Bulgaria faces a difficult choice. Its army is on the brink of revolt, its neighbors are...
Eric D. Halsey
Dec 28, 20232 min read
381 views
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197 The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning?
Just as Bulgaria achieves what one author terms its first diplomatic success of the war, the country is losing another kind of war. Major...
Eric D. Halsey
Nov 30, 20232 min read
107 views
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196 The Fortresses Fall
As the First Balkan War enters its final stages, the final 3 Ottoman fortresses are each forced to surrender. But even before the guns...
Eric D. Halsey
Nov 27, 20232 min read
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195 The War Resumes
Mere hours after peace is agreed to, a coup tears up the treaty and brings the war back into an active phase. As a result, Bulgaria faces...
Eric D. Halsey
Oct 31, 20231 min read
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194 The Chataldzha Armistice
With the failure of Bulgaria's assault on the Chataldzha line, the pace of the war has declined and the Tsar accepted that an armistice...
Eric D. Halsey
Oct 24, 20232 min read
164 views
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193 A Wave Against the Rocks
As the Greeks and Serbs complete the defeat of most Ottoman forces in the rest of the Balkans, the Bulgarians finally begin the attack on...
Eric D. Halsey
Sep 30, 20231 min read
147 views
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192 The Great Race
After two weeks of great victories, the Balkan states try and press their advantage. But above all, the great race is for the city of...
Eric D. Halsey
Sep 27, 20231 min read
147 views
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