Konstantin Andonov Zhostov ( bg, Константин Андонов Жостов) (30 September 1867 – 30 August 1916) was a
Bulgarian general and Chief of the
Bulgarian Army Staff.
Biography
Konstantin Zhostov was born in the village of
Gaytaninovo
Gaytaninovo is a village in Hadzhidimovo Municipality, in Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria.
Geography
The village of Gaytaninovo is located in a mountainous area. It is situated on the southeastern slopes of Southern Pirin in the historical and geo ...
, at the time part of the
Ottoman Empire. He was the son of
Andon Zhostov Andon may refer to:
* Andon (manufacturing), a system for notifying management, maintenance, and other workers of a quality or process problem
* A Japanese traditional paper lantern
* ''Andon'', journal of the Society for Japanese Arts
* Andon, Alp ...
, a teacher and a significant figure in the struggle for the autonomy of the
Bulgarian Church
The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgarsk ...
. Konstantin was not the only child in the family as he had two brothers.
After the
Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) the family settled in
Sofia and Andon became a priest. During the
Serbo-Bulgarian War Konstantin was a student in
Lom and took part in the
Battle of Pirot
The Battle of Pirot ( bg, Битка при Пирот sr, Битка код Пирота) took place during the Serbo-Bulgarian War between the 26th and 27 November, 1885 near the town of Pirot, Serbia.The battle opposed the Bulgarian Western ...
between 14 and 15 November 1885 as a volunteer in the Student's Legion.
After the war, he graduated from the High School and
Lom and continued his education in the Artillery Department of the
Military School in Sofia. He received his first officer rank - lieutenant on 9 May 1887 and began his service in the artillery and in 1894 was promoted to captain.
In 1889 Zhostov went to
Vienna, where he entered the Artillery School to study for a staff officer. In 1897 he graduated with excellent marks and returned to
Bulgaria and was assigned to the administration of the Army's General Staff. Latter he was appointed commander of an artillery battery in the 3rd Artillery Regiment and was made head of the fortress artillery section in the Artillery Department of the War Ministry.
In 1902 he was promoted to
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
and in 1905 was sent as a
military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...
to
Vienna. In 1908 Zhostov was promoted to
colonel and took command of the 8th Tundzha Infantry Division. Then in 1906-1907 he was again a military attaché in
Saint Petersburg and
Paris. After his return to Bulgaria he became part of
Tsar Ferdinand's retinue. In 1910 Konstantin was made commander of the 3rd Artillery Regiment and in 1912 became head of the Reserve Officer School.
Balkan Wars
When the general mobilization prior the
First Balkan War was declared in September 1912 Konstantin Zhostov was appointed Chief of Staff of the 3rd Army and as such was at the heart of the Bulgarian victories at
Lozengrad and
Lüleburgaz. Latter he was Chief of Staff of the United Bulgarian 1st and 3rd Armies. After the first armistice was concluded he was included in the Bulgarian delegation at the London peace talks. With the failure of the talks he returned to the front and assumed his previous post. After a few months of fighting the
Ottoman Empire was finally defeated and the
London Peace Treaty was signed on 30 May 1913.
During the
Second Balkan War he was commander of the 1st Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division.
First World War
On the 15 August 1915 Zhostov was promoted to
major general and in September appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Army. He had a leading role during the
Serbian Campaign and in the
Macedonian front
The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of German ...
. Still, the general was not among the strong supporters of the
Central Powers. Following a tour of the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
and the
Italian Front he even suggested to the
prime minister Radoslavov that Bulgaria switch sides and join the Entente. Such views made Zhostov, in his own words, a "black cat" for tsar Ferdinand and the government.
Major General Konstantin Zhostov died on 30 August 1916 after suffering from complications of
appendicitis.
Awards
*
Order of Bravery, II grade and III grade,2 class
*
Order of St Alexander
The Order of St Alexander ( bg, Орден "Свети Александър") was the second highest Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria. It was established by Knyaz Alexander I and named after his patron saint ( Alexander Nevsky).
...
, II and III grade with swords
*
Order of Military Merit, IV and V grade
*German
Iron Cross
*Austrian
Order of the Iron Crown
*Ottoman
Liyakat Medal
References
Sources
*Richard Hall, Balkan Breakthrough: The Battle of Dobro Pole 1918, Indiana University Press, 2010,
General Zhostov(in Bulgarian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhostov, Konstantin
1867 births
1916 deaths
People from Blagoevgrad Province
19th-century Bulgarian people
Bulgarian generals
Bulgarian military personnel of the Balkan Wars
Bulgarian military personnel of World War I
Recipients of the Order of Bravery, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class
Recipients of the Liakat Medal
Macedonian Bulgarians
Deaths from appendicitis
19th-century Bulgarian military personnel