Danail Tsonev Nikolaev ( bg, Данаил Цонев Николаев; 30 December 1852 – 29 August 1942) was a

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

and Minister of War on the eve of the Balkan wars. He was the first person to attain the highest rank in the Bulgarian military, General of the infantry. He was also known as ''"the patriarch of the Bulgarian military"''.

Biography

Danail Nikolaev was born in

Bolgrad Bolhrad ( uk, Болгра́д, Bolhrad, ; bg, Болград, Bolgrad; ro, Bolgrad, Gagauz: ''Bolgrad''), is a small city in Odesa Oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, in the historical region of Budjak. It is the administrative center o ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

(now

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

) to a Bulgarian family, who were refugees from

Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...

. In 1871 he graduated from the Bolgrad Gymnasium and joined the Volunteer company of 54th

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

regiment. On 19 September 1873 he joined the Infantry school in Odessa as a cadet, graduating in 1875. Nikolaev returned to his regiment in Chişinău as an acting cadet on 20 July. Realizing that

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

was preparing for war with the

Ottoman empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, he requested resignation from military service to join the war on 14 June 1876. His request was reviewed by division commander General Dragomirov, who furloughed him instead. As a volunteer he took part in Serbo-Turkish War in the battles of ''Babina glava'', ''Mirovitsa'' and ''Gamzi grad''. He was awarded

Order of Prince Danilo I The Order of Prince Danilo I ( cnr, Орден Књаза Данила I, translit=Orden Knjaza Danila I) was an order of the Principality and later Kingdom, of Montenegro. It is currently a dynastic order granted by the head of the House of Pet ...

and other decorations.

References

Sources

* * Пеев, П., ''Генералъ отъ пехотата Данаилъ Николаевъ'', София, 1942, трето издание * Недев, С., ''Командването на българската войска през войните за национално обединение'', София, 1993, Военноиздателски комплекс "Св. Георги Победоносец“, стр. 21–22 * Димитров, И., ''Съединението 1885 – енциклопедичен справочник'', София, 1985, Държавно издателство "д-р Петър Берон“ * Ташев, Ташо (1999). "Министрите на България 1879–1999“. София: АИ "Проф. Марин Дринов“ / Изд. на МО. / . {{DEFAULTSORT:Nikolaev, Danail Bulgarian generals Bessarabian Bulgarians People from Bolhrad Bulgarian people of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) People of the Serbo-Bulgarian War Bulgarian military personnel of the Balkan Wars 1852 births 1942 deaths Recipients of the Order of Bravery Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 3rd class Recipients of the Medal for Bravery (Serbia) Recipients of the Order of the Star of Romania Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class Defence ministers of Bulgaria