10 – Episode 10: The Fisherman and the Fish (1)
Sofia, Kingdom of Bulgaria.
A special envoy sent by the Kaiser visited the declining kingdom located in the eastern Balkan Peninsula. The visitor, who had traveled a long way on the Berlin-bound train through Budapest, Bucharest, and Varna, was immediately escorted to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Emperor Heinrich felt the irony of history as he headed towards the church.
“His Majesty is waiting for you.”
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was a place that honored the Russian soldiers who had fallen in the Russo-Turkish War, as the name suggests, and became the catalyst for Bulgaria’s independence.
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Was there anything more ironic than the fact that the Tsar of Russia’s enemy, the friendly Kaiser of Germany, and the Tsar’s ally, the Tsar of Bulgaria, were gathered in such a historically significant place?
Although the church usually had many visitors, access was strictly controlled today. The Emperor entered a quiet chapel and greeted the King of Bulgaria, Ferdinand von Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who was leading the worship at the front row. As the name of his family suggests, the King of Bulgaria was of German descent.
The Tsar of Bulgaria was satisfied with the weight of the envoy sent by the Kaiser. Emperor Heinrich, born in 1862, was a nobleman and a former German naval admiral. He was a suitable figure to represent the military and the imperial family.
The fact that the Emperor allowed an audience in a personal place of worship also indicated that he had a very favorable impression of Germany.
In fact, Berlin had sent a banking consortium to financially aid Bulgaria, which was facing a crisis in July. This was in stark contrast to the negotiating countries that only made unreasonable demands on Sofia without any helpful actions. The assistance at that time had a significant impact on Bulgaria’s favorable attitude towards Germany.
After exchanging friendly greetings, the Tsar and the Emperor immediately got down to business. As they had arranged this meeting in such a secluded place to avoid public scrutiny, it was beneficial for both parties to quickly move on to the main topic.
“As Your Majesty may have guessed, Germany and Austria hope that Bulgaria will join the Serbian attack. Of course, we are willing to pay a price that will satisfy you.”
Upon the Emperor’s proposal, the Tsar fell into deep thought. Bulgaria had previously received a proposal to join the alliance by accepting aid from Germany back in July.
At that time, the Tsar did not have the courage to step into the war.
However, the situation in Bulgaria had completely changed since then. The kingdom had secured its safety behind the scenes by signing a secret defense pact with the Ottoman Empire on August 6th. With this treaty, which relieved the diplomatic isolation after the Second Balkan War, Sofia had created conditions serious enough to seriously consider the war.
“A satisfactory price…”
Heinrich hinted at the reward in the secret chamber. Making a fuss over the treaty was a matter for democratic countries obligated to report to their citizens. Germany and Bulgaria, the two nations represented here, were authoritarian monarchies. There was no obligation to publicly disclose the contents of the treaty. That was precisely the advantage of authoritarian countries.
“Bring it.”
When King Heinrich gestured, the attendant who had been standing by approached and handed him a map. The king pointed his finger at the Bulgarian border. Slowly, his finger traced the territories Bulgaria had lost in the Second Balkan War.
“Our alliance intends to hand over Macedonia and Montenegro, which Serbia gained in the Second Balkan War, to Bulgaria. If Your Majesty decides, Bulgaria can easily regain its former glory.”
Ferdinand felt his stomach churn at the offer of returning the land Bulgaria was supposed to lose at the Bucharest Conference. The proposal brought by Germany was surprisingly attractive to Char, who had lost a significant amount of territory in the previous Second Balkan War and dreamed of revenge.
There was no need to compare the proposal that the negotiating countries had offered under the table, which seemed like a joke. The negotiating countries only promised to persuade Serbia with words and secure compensation, without specifying what they would do or how.
“But wouldn’t Austria also gain a substantial amount?”
“The Emperor of Vienna has no intention of increasing the number of South Slavic nationals within the empire. They are already burdened with the national issue they are carrying. What Vienna wants to gain in the Balkans is the punishment of Serbia and the restoration of the empire’s lost prestige.”
Heinrich’s words were not lies. From the perspective of the Dual Monarchy, it was worth shedding blood just to quell the separatist tendencies of the South Slavs within their own country, which had flourished after this war. Territory was a secondary issue to them. From Austria’s standpoint, as long as troublesome Serbia could no longer pose a threat to the empire, they were prepared to be satisfied with whatever the outcome.
If Austria was passive in territorial expansion, it was certain that Bulgaria would receive a share. The territories of Serbia and Montenegro stood before Char.
“Berlin also has no intention of acquiring territory in the Balkans. If Romania or Greece were to join the negotiation side, we will guarantee the territories they gained in the Second Balkan War to Bulgaria as well.”
Ferdinand was satisfied with the king’s proposal, but he also felt a sense of caution about such generous conditions. In his opinion, the price set by Berlin for Bulgaria was too high. Although Bulgaria had made a name for itself as the “Prussia of the Balkans” during the Balkan Wars, that was already in the past. Today, Bulgaria was nothing more than a poor country struggling with the pain of defeat.
“It seems Your Majesty appreciates the strength of our Bulgaria. However, we are in a situation plagued by the aftermath of defeat.”
“If Your Majesty is willing to join hands with us and make Bulgaria a strong nation in the Balkans, we will provide the necessary financial support for military preparations.”
Heinrich threw sweet words to Char, but he wondered if it was necessary to promise Bulgaria such a huge price to bring them in.
It was excessive to use bait to lure a small country with a population of less than five million.
However, the Kaiser’s instructions were clear. Give them enough land to control them, and if necessary, even promise military advisory groups, weapons, and financial support to attract them as allies.
The Kaiser believed that only by doing so could the Balkan front be definitively settled.
It was an utterly unbelievable belief.
Even if Austria received high praise for its weak military power, it was a powerful nation with a population of over 50 million and industrial strength that ranked among the top seven countries.
Could a country like that not defeat Serbia, a small agricultural nation with a population of only about 2 million?
If they didn’t have faith in Austria, why did they start a war by giving a blank check?
It just didn’t make sense.
But then again, my brother had always been capricious, even before the Sarajevo incident. He had always been like that. Drawing his own picture and acting accordingly. Thinking the world is foolish. Heinrich scoffed and handed over a letter.
“This is His Majesty’s letter.”
Oral promises can be broken, but documents serve as evidence.
After confirming the Kaiser’s letter, Ferdinand was convinced that there were no traps in Germany’s proposal.
“Germany’s conditions are attractive. And it seems that the situation is not unfavorable for Germany and Austria. But there is no need to decide immediately. We still don’t know how the war will turn out.”
Charles knew that he needed to watch the situation a little longer to see how the war would unfold. If Germany was in dire straits and Bulgaria promised to join, they would have to pay a terrible price for lining up on the wrong side.
The experience of shedding blood due to misjudging the situation was enough in the Second Balkan War. Charles didn’t want to repeat that painful memory.
“How long can we delay?”
Heinrich didn’t think that things would be resolved easily enough for the king to promise to join the war with just one letter. Urging him here would only give Ferdinand a negative impression.
“Please take your time as much as you want. Berlin is simply waiting for Your Majesty’s answer.”
Heinrich didn’t pressure Charles.
As Ferdinand bid farewell to the king with a pleasant mood, the feeling of ambition from long ago began to resurface.
The time when he was strong enough to consider himself the loser of the Balkans immediately after the First Balkan War seemed to be within reach.
“Alliance with Germany. The loser of the Balkans….”
Charles began to slowly contemplate a war against their homeland, with the spirits of the Russian soldiers sacrificed for Bulgaria watching over them from the cathedral.