Balkan Breakthrough: The Battle of Dobro Pole 1918 (Twentieth-Century Battles)

In spring 1918, German units transferred to the western front weakened the Central Powers' position on the Macedonian front. Bulgarian forces faced scarce materiel and declining morale. The Entente Command saw an opportunity to pressure Germany, already retreating in the west, by launching an offensive in Macedonia in September directed at Bulgarian defenses at Dobro Pole. Balkan Breakthrough examines this battle and its aftermath. The Battle of Dobro Pole triggered the collapse of the Central Powers in southeastern Europe and contributed to Entente victory in the region. The defeat influenced German military leadership to conclude the war was lost. Though decisive in ending World War I in the Balkans, the battle did not resolve the underlying national conflicts in the area. The book analyzes the morale crisis that weakened the Bulgarian Army and led to its collapse at Dobro Pole and beyond, addressing a largely overlooked front of the First World War.