General who in effect commanded the Bulgarian army in the Balkan Wars and ordered the June 1913 attack on Bulgaria's former allies
Born in Ottoman-ruled Stara Zagora, he graduated from the Military School in Sofia and the Nicholas General Staff Academy in Saint Petersburg, commanded the left flank at Slivnitsa in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, and was Minister of War in 1891–1894 and 1903–1907; in 1907 he was charged with corruption over arms supplies. In 1912 he became assistant to Tsar Ferdinand as commander-in-chief, in effect commanding the army: he ordered the assault on the Çatalca lines and directed the reduction of Adrianople. In June 1913 he ordered the demonstrative attack on the Serbian and Greek armies that set off the Second Balkan War, and planned the battles of Kalimanci and the Kresna Gorge. He later lived in France and was minister plenipotentiary in France and Belgium in 1920–1923.
Also known as: Mikhail Savov
Activities and affiliations
Career Timeline
- 1885Commanded the left flank at Slivnitsa
- 1891–1894Bulgarian Minister of War
- 1903–1907Bulgarian Minister of War
- 1912–1913Assistant (de facto) commander-in-chief of the Bulgarian army
- 1920–1923Minister plenipotentiary in France and Belgium