Panteley Kiselov
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Panteley Kiselov ( bg, Пантелей Киселов) (23 October 1863 – 14 October 1927) was a Bulgarian soldier and general who fought in 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 ...
of 1885, the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 and
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He is best known as commander of the 4th Preslav Infantry Division during the Romanian Campaign of 1916 and victor of the
Battle of Tutrakan The Battle of Turtucaia ( ro, Bătălia de la Turtucaia; bg, Битка при Тутракан, ''Bitka pri Tutrakan''), also known as Tutrakan Epopee ( bg, Тутраканска епопея, ''Tutrakanska epopeya'') in Bulgaria, was the openi ...
.


Biography

Born in Svishtov in 1863, Panteley was the third child born to Georgi Kiselov and his wife Tomitsa Kiselova. His three brothers were named Simeon, Iliya and Angel and his two sisters were named Elena and Eudikia. Georgi was a wealthy merchant who desired his children to succeed him in the family business and accordingly took special care for their education, enrolling them in the local school of Svishtov and even hiring a personal tutor to oversee their progress.Г. Казанджиев (2006) Panteley was eager to study foreign languages, especially French, and a special relation with his tutor Georgi Borov who provided the young boy with the various books he was interested in. On 28 June 1877, Russian units crossed the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, liberated Svishtov and established their base of operations in the town. The soldiers were met with euphoria by the local Bulgarian population, including the then fourteen-year-old Panteley Kiselov. The boy interacted with different Russian officers and soldiers and expressed a desire to serve in the military. After the war he learned that a military school was to be opened in the new Bulgarian capital of
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 ...
and decided to continue his education there. Georgi Kiselov support the decision of his son but soon after he lost a great part of his fortune in unsuccessful business deals, succumbed to illness and died. In 1880, Panteley was also wounded accidentally by his younger brother Angel who was playing with a Russian revolver without realizing that the gun was loaded. Still he was able to recover from the wound and enter the
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 ...
Military school in 1880. During the years in the school, he learned Russian and once again proved to be an excellent student. On 30 July 1883, the students celebrated their graduation by parading in honor of Prince
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 Bul ...
, who was celebrating his
name day In Christianity, a name day is a tradition in many countries of Europe and the Americas, among other parts of Christendom. It consists of celebrating a day of the year that is associated with one's baptismal name, which is normatively that of a ...
and from whom the young soldiers received their first promotion to officer rank. Following the graduation Panteley Kiselov was assigned to the 15th Infantry Battalion, which at the time was stationed in his home town of Svishtov.


Serbo-Bulgarian War

After 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 ...
broke out, Lieutenant Kiselov and his company were sent to defend the fortress of
Vidin Vidin ( bg, Видин, ; Old Romanian: Diiu) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as ...
where he received his first baptism of fire. The town was soon besieged by numerically superior Serbian forces but its garrison remained firm and repulsed all their attacks until the end of the war. On 1 January 1888. Kiselov was promoted to captain and assigned commander of the border guards in Svishtov. The next decade of his life Panteley spent in his home town where he married and created a family. He and his wife had three children – Georgi, Aleksandar and Tatiana On 1 January 1899, while he was serving in Varna, he was promoted to the rank of major and received the command of an infantry battalion. In 1908, he was unexpectedly recalled to
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 ...
and assigned commandant of the city for several months but was soon dispatched by the Bulgarian General Staff to receive further training in France. He spent one year serving with the French 82nd Regiment in the town of Montjoi. Upon his return to Bulgaria Kiselov 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 o ...
and assigned commander of the 5th Danube regiment in
Ruse Ruse may refer to: Places *Ruse, Bulgaria, a major city of Bulgaria **Ruse Municipality ** Ruse Province ** 19th MMC – Ruse, a constituency *Ruše, a town and municipality in north-eastern Slovenia * Ruše, Žalec, a small settlement in east-ce ...
. On the eve of 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 ...
he was reassigned to Varna and received the command of the 8th Primorski regiment.


Balkan Wars

On 17 September 1912, the Bulgarian Tsar Ferdinand declared the general mobilization of the army. The order was relayed to Kiselov and accepted with great joy by him and his soldiers. Within six days the regiment was fully mobilized and could field 70 officers, 4 clerks and 4716 soldiers in four battalions and armed with 4,476 rifles or carbines, 4 heavy machine guns and 29 sabers. On 4 October, the 8th regiment marched out of Varna towards the assembly area of the 4th Preslav Infantry Division, to which it belonged. The 4th Division was assigned to the Bulgarian Third army under General
Radko Dimitriev Radko Dimitriev ( bg, Радко Димитриев) (24 September 1859 in Gradets – 18 October 1918 near Pyatigorsk) was a Bulgarian general, Head of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army from 1 January 1904 to 28 March 1907, as well ...
which was tasked with the attack on the fortress of Kirk Kilisse. Colonel Kiselov's regiment was part of the divisions vanguard when it advanced into Ottoman territory and was soon engaged in heavy fighting around the village of Seliolu. The Bulgarians managed to defeat the Ottomans in the
Battle of Kirk Kilisse The Battle of Kirk Kilisse or Battle of Kirkkilise or Battle of Lozengrad was part of the First Balkan War between the armies of Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. It took place on 24 October 1912, when the Bulgarian army defeated an Ottoman army ...
but did not pursue immediately their retreating opponent. Thus the Ottoman were able to entrench on a new defensive further south, around Lule Burgas. Thus the 4th Division and its regiments found itself involved in the thick of the fighting once again. The battle was so ferocious that at some point the determination of the soldiers of the 8th Regiment wavered. Colonel Kiselov understood this and decided to bolster the morale of his troops by making a personal example of bravery. So he rode forward and personally led the soldiers in the attack. The
Battle of Lule Burgas The Battle of Lule Burgas ( tr, Lüleburgaz Muharebesi) or Battle of Luleburgas – Bunarhisar ( bg, Битка при Люлебургас – Бунархисар , tr, Lüleburgaz – Pınarhisar Muharebesi) was a battle between the Kingdom ...
once again ended in Bulgarian victory but it had inflicted on the victor some 20,000 casualties, so the Bulgarian High Command ordered the troops to reorganize and rest for another several days. Following this battle the fourth division participated in the fighting on the Chataldzha line and remained on that line until the end of the war. Shortly after the end of 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 ...
the Bulgarian Army was ordered to engage in a much shorter but an even costlier conflict that was 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 r ...
. The 4th division, including the 8th Regiment, was now part of the Bulgarian Fourth Army which was facing the Serbians in
Vardar Macedonia Vardar Macedonia (Macedonian and sr, Вардарска Македонија, ''Vardarska Makedonija'') was the name given to the territory of the Kingdom of Serbia (1912–1918) and Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) roughly corresponding to to ...
. Following the unsuccessful Bulgarian attack in the
Battle of Bregalnica The Battle of Bregalnica was fought between the Kingdom of Bulgaria army and the Kingdom of Serbia 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 th ...
the 4th Army retired on positions around the village of Kalimantsi. On 24 June Colonel Kiselov was assigned commander of the 7th Division's rearguard which was occupying the defensive line. Here he managed to convince his superiors not to abandon the positions and instead resist the advancing Serbians. This act allowed the 2nd Bulgarian Division to safely withdraw to its new line and ensured Bulgarian success in the
Battle of Kalimantsi The Battle of Kalimanci ( bg, Битка при Калиманци, sr, Битка код Калиманаца) was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Bulgaria during the Second Balkan War. The battle started on ...
. Nevertheless, Bulgaria was forced to ask its enemies for peace and 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 r ...
officially ended with the humiliating Treaty of Bucharest. Following the war Panteley Kiselov received the command of the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry division. In April 1914, however, he was made commander of the entire division.


First World War

Bulgaria entered the World War on the side of the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
in 1915. The 4th Division was again part of the Third Army which was tasked with the defense of the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
against possible Romanian incursions. In late August 1916 Romania declared war on
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. In returned Bulgaria fulfilled the obligations to its allies and declared war on Romania on 1 September 1916. On the same day Kiselov 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 ...
. The Bulgarian Third Army unleashed the first major offensive of the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
against their new enemy. General Kiselov's division had the crucial task of capturing the important fortress of
Tutrakan Tutrakan ( bg, Тутракан , ro, Тurtucaia, tr, Turtukaya) is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of the homonymous municipality, part of Silistra Province. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube opposite t ...
located on the shores of the
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
. Within a couple of days the Bulgarians and a small German detachment besieged the town which boasted a large Romanian garrison. On 5 September General Kiselov gave the order for the attack of the main defensive line of the fortress. The task was completed only after a day of heavy fighting and great losses. The fall of the main defensive line however left the Romanians with only their second line which was incomplete. Thus the Bulgarian attack on 6 September proved unstoppable and forced the surrender of the remaining Romanian troops. The
Battle of Tutrakan The Battle of Turtucaia ( ro, Bătălia de la Turtucaia; bg, Битка при Тутракан, ''Bitka pri Tutrakan''), also known as Tutrakan Epopee ( bg, Тутраканска епопея, ''Tutrakanska epopeya'') in Bulgaria, was the openi ...
ended in a decisive Bulgarian victory which held vital importance for the entire campaign. Some 480 Romanian officers, 28,000 soldiers and 120 artillery guns were captured and even the German Kaiser celebrated the victory with a champagne party for the Bulgarian representatives at the German High Command.Glenn E. Torrey (2003) During the battle General Kiselov maintained full command independence and even allowed himself to disobey the orders of field marshal Mackensen, who was the supreme commander of the Bulgarian, German and Ottoman forces for the invasion of
Dobrudja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
. After this engagement he became one of the most well known and respected Bulgarian commanders. Following the
Battle of Tutrakan The Battle of Turtucaia ( ro, Bătălia de la Turtucaia; bg, Битка при Тутракан, ''Bitka pri Tutrakan''), also known as Tutrakan Epopee ( bg, Тутраканска епопея, ''Tutrakanska epopeya'') in Bulgaria, was the openi ...
the Bulgarian Third army continued its advance deeper into Romanian territory. The 4th division and general Kiselov took part in all of the remaining major battles in this theater and achieved great success against Romanian and Russian forces it faced. Thus the campaign ended in success after four months of struggle. The Bulgarian High Command felt free to transfer the 4th division to the Macedonian Front in early 1917, where the general received his promotion to the rank of
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 the ...
and remained until the very end of the war following the Vardar Offensive of 1918.


Later life

Following the Great War, Panteley Kiselov was promoted to General of the Infantry, which was the highest rank in the
Bulgarian Army The Bulgarian Land Forces ( bg, Сухопътни войски на България, Sukhopŭtni voĭski na Bŭlgariya, lit=Ground Forces of Bulgaria) are the ground warfare branch of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. The Land Forces were establishe ...
, and moved with his family to
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 ...
where he died following a heart attack on 14 October 1927.


Awards

*
Order of Bravery The Order of Bravery ( bg, Орден за Храброст) is a Bulgarian order which existed during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and currently exists in the Republic of Bulgaria. It was the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and is the fourt ...
, 1st class * Order of St Alexander, 3rd class with swords and 5th class without swords * Order of Military Merit, 4th class *German
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...
(1914), 1st and 2nd class *
Ottoman War Medal The Gallipolli Star is a military decoration awarded by the Ottoman Empire. It was known as the Ottoman War Medal ( tr, Harp Madalyası) or the Iron Crescent (from German ''Eiserner Halbmond'', in allusion to the Iron Cross). It was instituted b ...
("Gallipoli Star", "Iron Crescent")


References


Sources

The general who liberated Dobrudzha
* Казанджиев, Г., ''Генерал от пехотата Пантелей Киселов – епопея на един живот'', Добрич, 2006, Издателство Матадор * Glenn E. Torrey, "The Battle of Turtucaia (Tutrakan) (2–6 September 1916): Romania's Grief, Bulgaria's Glory".East European Quarterly, Vol. 37, 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kiselov, Panteley 1863 births 1927 deaths People from Svishtov Bulgarian generals Bulgarian military personnel of World War I Bulgarian military personnel of the Balkan Wars People of the Serbo-Bulgarian War Recipients of the Order of Bravery Officers of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria) Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class