The Times History of the War - First rent in the German alliance: surrender of Bulgaria

First rent in the German alliance: surrender of Bulgaria

This week's chapter examines the fall of Monastir (Nov 1916) followed by quiet period on Salonika front, General Milne's winter problems, offensive in Doiran sector, April 1917, Koritza, Allied success in Albania, the coup d'etat of Athens June 1917, triumph of Venizelos and the policy of Greek mobilization in Allied interest, internal situation in Bulgaria, zenith and anticlimax of pro-German solidarity, prospects of summer 1918 campaign, survey of British front, Hellenic reinforcements, combined advance of September, the great days of September 14-28, armistice of September 29, 1918, percussion throughout the world, omens not to be disguised, vanished dream of Bulgar hegemony in South-Eastern Europe

At eight o'clock on the morning of September 26, a Bulgarian parlementaire, under a white flag and bearing a proposal to conclude an armistice, approached the British lines, and was immediately conducted to Sir G Milne's Headquarters and thence to the Allied Headquarters at Salonika

100 Years Ago - Russia, Greece, titles

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/english-titles-for-englishmen-wkcghlmnk

june 20, 1917

English titles for Englishmen

When the war broke out people were quick to see that some awkwardness might arise from the possession of English titles by foreign persons and of foreign titles by British subjects. The King’s request this morning is made to those Princes and Princesses of his family who bear German names and titles. First of all, he asks them to relinquish those titles and to adopt other names. The titles were conferred by ruling Sovereigns and are the birthright of those who bear them; but in Great Britain they are merely courtesy titles, used at the King’s pleasure. In asking for their relinquishment the King confers membership of the British peerage. The Duke of Teck (the Queen’s brother, son of the English Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who married a German duke) ceases to bear the title of a German duke and will take that of an English marquess. His brother, Prince Alexander of Teck, becomes an English earl. Prince Alexander of Battenberg (the son of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Beatrice, and of the German Prince Henry of Battenberg) gives up his German name and takes an English marquisate; his surviving brother, Prince Leopold, will be called “of Battenberg” no longer; his father’s brother, Prince Louis of Battenberg, becomes an English marquess, and Prince Louis’s two sons, Prince George of Battenberg and Prince Louis Francis of Battenberg, will also relinquish their German names.
All these were Englishmen before they became English in name. Prince Louis of Battenberg, naturalized 50 years ago, was till lately First Sea Lord of the Admiralty; his sons are both in the British Navy. Prince Alexander of Battenberg (whose father died on active service with our Army in Ashanti in 1896) is serving in the British Army. The Duke of Teck (who married the late Duke of Westminster’s daughter, Lady Margaret Grosvenor) and his brother are both in the British Army.
These Englishmen will now bear English names and titles. The name of Battenberg will give place to that of Mountbatten. That is simply the English translation of the German name, but it is not perhaps wholly accidental that the new name of a First Sea Lord’s family should also be that of the little headland that overlooks the old eastern harbour of Plymouth, whence Drake sailed.

100 Years Ago - Greece II

MEMBERS Of THE VENIZELIST GOVERNMENT TAKING THE OATH OF FIDELITY 

 

KING ALEXANDER READING HIS SPEECH FROM THE THRONE AFTER TAKING THE OATH

 

FRENCH TROOPS OUTSIDE ATHENS, DECEMBER 1916

 

KING CONSTANTINE AND PRINCE (AFTERWARDS KING) ALEXANDER

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/plain-words-to-king-constantine-n9lxdbmtx?CMP=TNLEmail_118918_1871716

Plain Words to King Constantine

King Constantine has temporized too often, and has more than once acquiesced in principles which he never had the smallest intention of putting into effect

December 16, 1916

The Entente Powers have at last, after far too much hesitation, taken the only possible course with King Constantine of Greece. On Thursday Sir Francis Elliot, on behalf of the ministers of the Allies, handed to the Greece’s Foreign Minister a Note framed in the most firm and peremptory terms. The Greek Government were given twenty-four hours, which expired yesterday, to begin to move their troops in a direction indicated, and were told that failure to comply would be looked upon as “an act of hostility”.
We could ask for nothing more drastic than the contents of the Note. It began by declaring that recent events in Athens had “proved in a conclusivo manner” that neither the King nor the Greek Government were. in possession of sufficient authority over the Greek Army to prevent it from becoming a menace to the Allied Armies in Macedonia. The Allied Governments therefore demanded the immediate “displacement” of the Greek troops and war material, and they specified the directions in which they were to be sent. It is understood that the entire Greek force was to be withdrawn from Thessaly, where it is far too near General Sarrail’s line of communications; and a portion of the Army was to be sent south to the Peloponnesus. The Greek Government were to begin the removal within twenty-four hours, and were to complete the movements as rapidly as possible. Failing unqualified acceptance by the Greek Government within twenty-four hours, the Allied Ministers and their Staffs were to leave Greece at once; but the blockade would bo continued until full reparation had been made for the unprovoked attack upon the Allied troops in Athens.
The Note is in effect an ultimatum, and our only regret is that some such step was not taken long ago. It is said that yesterday there were indications that King Constantine and his advisers were inclined to accept “in principle” the Allied demands. At this stage no acceptance “in principle” can be entertained for a moment unless it is instantly accompanied by action. King Constantine has temporized too often, and has more than once acquiesced in principles which he never had the smallest intention of putting into effect. We have repeatedly pointed out that his obvious intention is to play for time. He expects succour from the north, and meanwhile he is prepared to discuss principles at interminable length. The Allies have at last taken the measure of his aims.
We are confident that the new War Cabinets of Great Britain and Franco will not repeat the unfortunate mistake of Admiral du Fournet. The public in both countries will look to them not to place themselves in the humiliating position of formulating demands which they cannot enforce should action become necessary. Admiral du Fournet made the error of risking a small force which was quite unable to ensure fulfilment of the wishes of the Allies. There must be no repetition of that deplorablo occurrence. We are steadily moving towards a very critical situation in Greece and in Macedonia. It can still be saved, but only by immediate and adequate reparation, which we hope is in progress, against possible developments.
The four great Allied Powers cannot conceivably have called upon King Constantine to do their bidding without being ready to apply compulsion should the necessity arise. We fear it may arise, for the increasing hostility of the Greek Monarch is hardly veiled. We shall never feel safe about Greece, we shall never be in a position to pursue our projects in Macedonia, until the Greek Royalist Army and its pro-German leaders have been removed to areas where they cannot affect the military situation. The true remedy for Greece, in their present unhappy and divided condition, is to keep her sword sheathed and to place the country under the control of M Venizelos. This remedy is advocated in the important letter we publish today, signed by Lord Cromer, Dr Burrows, Sir Arthur Evans, Sir James Frazer, and other prominent scholars and friends of Greece. They urge that the Protecting Powers - a timely designation of great significance - should insist upon the recall of M Venizelos in the general direction of affairs.

We agree, but such a course is not possible in the presence of a hostile King and an over-excited Army. The first necessity is to eliminate the Greek Army. The Allies have propounded their plan. If it is rejected, they must undertake the task themselves.

100 Years Ago - Greece/Salonika

ATHENS: THE ACROPOLIS AND (on the left) THE MODERN TOWN

WITHDRAWAL OF THE GREEK TROOPS FROM SALONIKA, DECEMBER 1915

'A GREEK GUARD ON THE BULGARIAN FRONTiER


MACHINE GUNS ON THE ACROPOLIS


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/letter-from-salonika-ftkwb2slq?CMP=TNLEmail_118918_1832901

Letter from Salonika

We want plenty of warm clothing, especially as they say the cold weather does not really begin until January, but personally I am perfectly well and fit, and much prefer it to being boxed up in a trench in Flanders

December 16, 1915

The following letter was written by an officer in an English regiment now part of the Balkan Expeditionary Force: Orders having come for us to move on, we soon packed up and entrained, and spent two days and nights travelling through France and some magnificent scenery. We were very glad to get to our train journey end, as we had not much room to stretch. We then marched straight on towards our base, and for the next two days, it being very rough, I am afraid we all wished we were safely on dry land. But after that we had glorious weather, and altogether a most enjoyable voyage, and it was hard to believe that it was near the end of November, when we were glad to take advantage of every bit of shade on deck. The time was pleasantly passed, with boxing contests, and concerts and music from our band, to say nothing of the excitement of watching for submarines.
On arriving at Salonika we marched to our camping ground, about three miles out of the town on a side of a hill. Here we soon settled in, in our tents, but I must say we found a difference in the temperature, the nights being particularly cold. The weather in fact has not been of the best, for after two or three days’ rain the whole place was a mud swamp, so much so that provisions, &c, could only be brought to us by hand-carts for the last half-mile; then snow and frost set in, so that it looks more like a Polar expedition, and the men in their sheepskin coats add to the picture.
It is extraordinary when you think that we are in a neutral country. In the town you see men of all nationalities - Greeks, Turks, Jews, Bulgars, French, and British - and all sorts and conditions of uniforms and colours; it is a wonderful sight. The Greek Army is concentrated round here, and they are a very fine set of men, dressed in khaki and well equipped. It is a strange sight to see in the same street ancient carts drawn by a pair of buffaloes or yaks (great grey brutes) and numbers of the French and English motor lorries and dispatch riders, with boys selling an English newspaper called the Balkan News, which they also bring up to camp quite early in the morning. It is quite nice to be near a town once more, where one can get really hot baths and shampoos and buy anything one may want, although naturally the shopkeepers’ motto is to “make hay while the sun shines,” and they don’t forget to make one pay. It is no good to try and argue, it is take it or leave it.
There are a music-hall and picture palaces, also good cafes and hotels where you can get a good English dinner. The dining-room of the hotel is full of people of all nations - Ambassadors with their wives and families, Turks and Germans in civilian clothes, but the majority officers of all ranks and nations. The Greek officers are very smart, with gold epaulettes and swords, also senior Serbian officers covered in medals and lace and braid - fearful nuts! With already 10 or 12 degrees of frost and snow under foot: we want plenty of warm clothing, especially as they say the cold weather does not really begin until January, when we hope we shall be more acclimatized, but personally I am perfectly well and fit, and much prefer it to being boxed up in a trench in Flanders. Of course, we do not know how long we shall be in this camp, and we may perhaps spend our Christmas in dug-outs in the Serbian mountains.

Скіфи в експозиції Національного історичного музею