Stefan Nerezov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stefan Nerezov
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Native name |
Стефан Михайлов Нерезов
|
| Born | 12 November 1867 Sevlievo |
| Died | 16 April 1925 (aged 57) Sofia |
| Allegiance |  Bulgaria |
| Service/ |
 Bulgarian Army |
| Years of service | 1885 - 1920 |
| Rank | General of the Infantry |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards |
|
Stefan Mikhailov Nerezov (Bulgarian: Стефан Михайлов Нерезов) (born 12 November 1867 – 16 April 1925) was a famous Bulgarian General. He also served as the Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff, which is like being the main leader of the country's army.
Contents
Who Was Stefan Nerezov?
Stefan Nerezov was born in Sevlievo, a town that was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. When Bulgaria became free, he joined the Student's Legion. He helped defend the joining of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.
After this war, he worked as a corporal in the army. In 1887, he joined the Sofia Military School. After finishing school, he served in the 4th Artillery Regiment. Later, from 1892 to 1896, he went to a special military academy in Turin, Italy, to learn more.
When he came back to Bulgaria, he took on different jobs in the Army's General Staff. In 1903, Prince Ferdinand made him the Commandant of the Palace. He was also promoted to major. In 1908, Nerezov became the Chief of the Operations Department of the Army Staff. In this role, he helped plan for the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1912. He was promoted to colonel in 1911.
The Balkan Wars
During the First Balkan War, Stefan Nerezov was the Chief of the Operations Department. He also helped General Ivan Fichev, who was the chief of the General Staff. After this war, there was tension between Bulgaria and its former allies. General Fichev did not want another war and tried to resign, but his resignation was not accepted.
Colonel Nerezov took over some of his duties. Bulgaria did not have a clear plan for a war against its former allies. So, in May 1913, Colonel Nerezov suggested a plan. He wanted all five Bulgarian armies to attack at the same time. The main forces would go towards Macedonia. The rest would push into Serbia to cut off their supplies. This plan was approved, but it did not happen as he intended.
When the war started on 16 June 1913, only two Bulgarian armies attacked. The other three waited for almost a week. Also, Romania joined the war, which made Nerezov's plan even harder. The Bulgarian leaders decided to pull back forces that were fighting in Old Serbia. These forces had been successful, taking Knjaževac and getting ready to take Pirot.
Bulgaria then focused its forces to the south. They stopped the Serbian army after the battle of Kalimanci. They also almost surrounded the Greek Army in the battle of Kresna Gorge. Even with these successes, the Romanian Army threatened the Bulgarian Army from behind. They got close to the capital city, Sofia. This forced Bulgaria to give up.
First World War
In 1914, Colonel Nerezov took command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. This brigade was part of the Ninth Pleven Infantry Division. The next year, he was promoted to major general and took charge of the entire division. When Bulgaria joined the First World War, his division was sent to the First Army. Their job was to fight near the Timok and Morava rivers.
In the battles that followed, the Serbian Army was defeated. However, they managed to avoid being completely surrounded at Kosovo Pole. After the Serbian Campaign ended, the Ninth Division moved to the Macedonian front. There, it became part of the 11th German Army.
On 25 November 1916, General Nerezov became the commander of the Third Army on the Dobrudja Front. He stayed there for one year. In 1917, he was given command of the new Morava Army Region in occupied Serbia.
In the summer of 1918, the 5th Bulgarian Division lost a battle at Battle of Skra-di-Legen. The Commander in Chief, General Nikola Zhekov, decided that the First Army needed a new leader. This was to help the soldiers feel more confident. General Dimitar Geshov was replaced by General Nerezov. Nerezov was described as "more healthy, more lively and more steadfast." In August, he was promoted to Lieutenant General.
In September, the Allies started their final attack to make Bulgaria leave the war. The Bulgarian Army was spread out over a very long front (350 km). They had few extra soldiers to stop a breakthrough at the Battle of Dobro Pole. General Nerezov's First Army was attacked by the British and Greeks at the Battle of Doiran. The fighting was very tough. But unlike other parts of the front, the Bulgarian soldiers kept their spirits high. This was partly because General Nerezov visited the battlefield himself. He also placed his forces well, keeping two infantry regiments ready as a quick backup.
Because of this, the Bulgarians won an important victory. This made General Nerezov want to plan a counter-attack with his army. However, the senior German and Bulgarian commanders were worried after the Dobro Pole defeat. They did not want to fight one last big battle. Instead, the First Army was ordered to retreat. For the rest of the war, the British chased them, and they only fought small battles to protect their retreat. The war ended with Bulgaria losing, and the First Army was disbanded in October 1918.
Later Life
After the war, General Nerezov worked as the Inspector of the Infantry. In 1919, he became the Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff. In 1920, he was promoted to General of the Infantry. This was the highest rank in the Bulgarian Army. After this, he retired from active service.
General Nerezov passed away on 16 April 1925. He died during an event in Sofia.
Awards and Honors
Stefan Nerezov received many awards for his bravery and service:
- Order of Bravery, II grade and III grade, 1 and 2 class
- Order of St Alexander, IV and V grade without swords
- Order of Military Merit, I grade with military decorations
- German Iron Cross
Sources
- General Nerezov (in Bulgarian)
- [1]
- [2]
