Nikola Ivanov ( bg, Никола Иванов) (2 March 1861,

Kalofer Kalofer ( ) is a town in central Bulgaria, located on the banks of the Tundzha between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south. Kalofer is part of Plovdiv Province and the Karlovo municipality. It is best known as th ...

– 10 September 1940,

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

) 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 ...

n general and a

minister of defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

of the

Kingdom of Bulgaria The Tsardom of Bulgaria ( bg, Царство България, translit=Tsarstvo Balgariya), also referred to as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom ( bg, Трето Българско Царство, translit=Treto Balgarsko Tsarstvo, links=no), someti ...

. One of the first graduate of the General Staff Military Academy of St Petersburg, he fought as a volunteer during the

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...

. Ivanov then became chief of the Headquarters of the Bulgarian Army between 10 May 1894 and 29 November 1896 then minister of war between 29 November 1896 and 30 January 1899. During the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

, Ivanov lead the Bulgarian Second Army throughout the successful Siege of Adrianople. On 4 July his army was defeated at the

Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas The Battle of Kilkis–Lachanas took place between Greece and Bulgaria during the Second Balkan War. The two countries fought for the town of Kilkis in Central Macedonia from 19 to 21 June 1913 O.S. with Greece ultimately being victorious. ...

during the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies ...

, a month later his troops succeeded in halting the oncoming

Greek army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

at the Battle of Kresna Gorge as the catastrophic Second Balkan War came to an end.

Biography

Nikola Ivanov was born on 2 March 1861 in

. He studied in the

Aprilov National High School The Aprilov National High School (Национална Априловска гимназия) in Gabrovo is the first modern secular school in Bulgaria. It was opened on 2 January 1835, when Bulgaria was still part of the Ottoman Empire, with th ...

Gabrovo Gabrovo ( bg, Габрово ) is a town in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an internat ...

and then in the Imperial lyceum Galasaray in

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...

(1875–1877). He participated in the

Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European his ...

as a volunteer. After the war he stayed for a short time in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the ...

before going to the Military School in

in 1878 which he graduated in the next year. On 22 May 1879 he was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. In the same year he was appointed in the

Eastern Rumelia Eastern Rumelia ( bg, Източна Румелия, Iztochna Rumeliya; ota, , Rumeli-i Şarkî; el, Ανατολική Ρωμυλία, Anatoliki Romylia) was an autonomous province (''oblast'' in Bulgarian, '' vilayet'' in Turkish) in the Ott ...

militia as a junior officer and served in 1st and 2nd Plovdiv Company. On 9 February 1881 he was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

. He participated in the

Unification of Bulgaria The Unification of Bulgaria ( bg, Съединение на България, ''Saedinenie na Balgariya'') was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated ...

. On 9 September 1885 he was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and with Order No. 4 was appointed for commander of the Tarnovo-Seymen Detachment on the same day.

Serbo-Bulgarian War

During the

Serbo-Bulgarian War The Serbo-Bulgarian War or the Serbian–Bulgarian War ( bg, Сръбско-българска война, ''Srăbsko-bălgarska voyna'', sr, Српско-бугарски рат, ''Srpsko-bugarski rat'') was a war between the Kingdom of Ser ...

in 1885 he worked for the chief of the Central Column of the Western Detachment. He participated 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 ...

on 14–15 November. After the war in 1886 he was appointed as Fligel Adjutant of

Knyaz , or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

Alexander Batenberg Alexander Joseph ( bg, Александър I Батенберг; 5 April 185717 November 1893), known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince (''knyaz'') of the Principality of Bulgaria from 1879 until his abdication in 1886. The Bulga ...

and after that as Chief of the Building-Inspection department on the Ministry of Defense. On 1 April 1887 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 indicato ...

. In 1888 he was commander of the 10th Infantry Regiment, in 1889 he was

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the 4th Brigade and in 1890 of the 4th Cavalry Regiment. On 2 August he was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colon ...

. After that he was assistant to the Chief of the Headquarters of the Army (1891–1894) and then Chief of the Headquarters (1894–1896). On 2 August 1895 he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

. Between 17 November and 29 November 1896 he was temporarily in charge of the Ministry of Defense. Nikola Ivanov was a Minister of Defense in the Government of

Konstantin Stoilov Konstantin Stoilov ( bg, Константин Стоилов) (23 September 1853 O.S. – 23 March 1901 O.S. ) was a leading Bulgarian politician and twice Prime Minister. Simeon Radev described him as the most European-like of all Bulgaria ...

(1896–1899), commanded the

4th Preslav Infantry Division Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...

(1899–1903) and the 2nd Thracian Infantry Division (1903–1907). On 15 November 1900 he was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. From 1907 he was appointed as head of the 2nd Military inspection region. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his arrival in Bulgaria,

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

promoted six major generals to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

on 2 August 1912, and Ivanov was one of them. This was the first time in the Third Bulgarian Kingdom when that rank was given to active officers.

Balkan Wars

During the

, Nikola Ivanov commanded the 2nd Army between September 1912 and July 1913. He was in charge of the siege and capture of Adrianople. During the

in 1913, the outnumbered 2nd Army led fierce battles against the whole Greek army and had to retreat after the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas and later stopped and surrounded the Greeks in the Battle of Kresna Gorge. Ivanov was substituted in the command of the 2nd Army in July 1913 and on 7 August after the cease-fire he resigned from the army. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he remained in the reserve. At that time he acted as a public figure and publicist. He was elected for chairman of the club of the reserve officers in Sofia. On 6 May 1936 he was promoted to General of the Infantry. General Nikola Ivanov died on 10 September 1940 in Sofia.

Bibliography

* *

Awards

* Order of Bravery, II grade 2nd class; IV 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). ...

, I and II grade with brilliants * Order of Military Merit, I grade * Order of Stara Planina, 1st grade with swords - awarded posthumously on 20 December 2012 *Russian Order of St. Anna, 1st and 2nd class with brilliants *Italian

Order of the Crown of Italy The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...

, Knight Grand Cross *German Order of the Prussian Crown, 1st Class *Austro-Hungarian

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph (german: Kaiserlich-Österreichischer Franz-Joseph-Orden) was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes ...

, 2nd class *Ottoman Order of the Medjidieh, 1st class *Ottoman Order of Osmanieh, 2nd class *Romanian Order of the Romanian Crown, Grand Officer *Serbian

Order of the Cross of Takovo The Order of the Cross of Takovo was a Serbian state order. History It was instituted in the Principality of Serbia in 1865 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Second Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which had started in Takovo, Serbi ...

, 1st class *Serbian

Order of St. Sava The Royal Order of St. Sava is an Order of merit, first awarded by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1883 and later by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was awarded to nationals and foreigners for meritorious ach ...

, 1st class

Footnotes

Sources

* * Недев, С., ''Командването на българската войска през войните за национално обединение'', София, 1993, Военноиздателски комплекс „Св. Георги Победоносец“, с. 68-69 * Списание ''Съвременна пехота'', статия ''Генерал от пехотата Никола Иванов'', София, октомври 1940, Изд. Пехотна инспекция, стр. 44, 45 * Ташев, Ташо (1999). ''Министрите на България 1879-1999''. София: АИ „Проф. Марин Дринов“ / Изд. на МО. / {{DEFAULTSORT:Ivanov, Nikola Bulgarian generals Bulgarian military personnel of the Balkan Wars People of the Serbo-Bulgarian War Bulgarian people of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Recipients of the Order of Bravery Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Takovo Grand Crosses of the Order of St. Sava Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Franz Joseph Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class Grand Officers of the Order of the Crown (Romania) People from Kalofer 1861 births 1940 deaths Defence ministers of Bulgaria