Ivan Kolev (general)

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Ivan Kolev
Bulgarian Army
Years of service1885–1917
Ranklieutenant general
Commands held1st Cavalry Brigade
10th Infantry Division
1st Cavalry Division
Battles/warsFirst Balkan War

Second Balkan War

First World War

Romanian Campaign

Awards

Ivan Kolev Stoyanov (Bulgarian: Иван Колев Стоянов)[1] (15 September 1863 in Banovka [bg] – 29 July 1917 in Vienna) was a Bulgarian lieutenant general and distinguished cavalry commander during World War I.

Biography

Ivan Kolev was born in the

Bulgarian refugees from Thrace and situated about 25 kilometers to the east of Bolhrad.[2] Ivan received his primary education in his birthplace and from 1875 continued studying in the Bolhrad High School which he graduated in 1882. After this, he wanted to become a teacher in Banovka but his application was rejected and instead Kolev became a clerk
in the local municipality.

In 1884, he moved to Sofia where he worked as assistant secretary of the Sofia District Court and was soon promoted to secretary. A year later, Ivan took part in the defense of the unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia as volunteer in the Student's Legion during the Serbo-Bulgarian War.[2]

On 14 January 1886, he was admitted to the Military School in Sofia and, due to his high grades, the young cadet was assigned to study in the artillery section. This, however, did not satisfy him as Ivan was fond of riding and declared that he would leave the military service unless he was assigned to the cavalry.[2] Kolev finally got what he'd wished for, graduated the Military School on 27 April 1887 as a lieutenant, and was assigned to the Third Cavalry Regiment. On 18 May 1890, he was promoted to first lieutenant and after completing the necessary exams was admitted to the Military Academy of Turin in early 1892.

On 2 August 1894, Kolev was promoted to

rotmister and returned to Bulgaria after having successfully graduated in Italy.[2] Soon after, he was assigned as an officer to the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army and lectured the officers in the cavalry school on military history. Following his initiative, the youngest cavalry officers underwent special cavalry courses and the first army horse races were organized. During Autumn 1898, he attended army maneuvers in Romania and, in 1904, was promoted to lieutenant colonel
.

In 1907, Kolev was sent to train in the Austrian Army and was assigned to the 7th Uhlan Regiment in Pardubice. In 1908, he returned to Bulgaria, was promoted to colonel, and was assigned to command His Majesty's Life Guard Cavalry Regiment – the elite cavalry unit of the army and honor escort unit of the Bulgarian monarch.

Balkan Wars (1912–1913)

At the start of the First Balkan War, Ivan Kolev was serving as chief of staff of the Yambol fortified area and in November 1912 was temporarily chief of staff of the Third Army. During the Second Balkan War, he served as chief of staff of the Fifth Army.[3]

On 2 August 1915, Kolev was promoted to major general.[3]

First World War

During World War I, he served initially as commander of the 10th Infantry Division but was soon returned to the cavalry when on 8 May 1916 he received the command of the 1st Cavalry Division and a few days later was made inspector general of the cavalry.[3] These steps were taken by the Bulgarian high command as a precautionary measure against a possible threat from Romania. In view of this, General Kolev began a general reformation of his cavalry division and besides the attention he devoted to the physical and moral state of the soldiers and horses, he also introduced dismounted machine gun squadrons and increased the number of guns in the division's batteries to six. In July, the commander and his division were ordered to join the Bulgarian Third Army and take up positions close to the Dobrudja frontier.

Romania declared war and invaded Austria-Hungary on 27 August 1916. Bulgaria responded by declaring war on Romania on 1 September and initiating the planned first major offensive of the

Cara-Omer - Mangalia line and reached the Cobadin fortified line.[6]

General Kolev led his division in the

Perveli
(now Moşneni) on 24 of September.

General Kolev's actions and personal example earned him the respect of his superiors and, on 30 September 1916, Field Marshal

Wilhelm II.[8] The field marshal, who was a cavalryman himself, praised the actions of General Kolev as proof that the cavalry was still able to beat the infantry in the field in spite of the opposite opinion that prevailed among the prominent German cavalry commanders.[8] Mackensen also warned the general of the expected Romanian and Russian offensive and advised him to act "always onwards and sidewards". Later that day, the headquarters of the Third Army confirmed the warnings and dispatched reinforcements to the cavalry division.[8]

On 1 October, the expected offensive began with the brunt of their attacks directed against the Ottoman 25th Division and the Bulgarian cavalry division. General Kolev once again successfully defended his positions against an entire Romanian infantry division supported by another Russian cavalry division. Nevertheless, despite their efforts and numerical superiority the Romanians and Russians failed to achieve success in the Battle of Amzacea and their offensive failed leaving the initiative once again in the hands of the Bulgarians and their allies. For some ten days during the heavy fighting, General Kolev remained on the very front of the battle often in the trenches where he was exposed to severe rain and low temperatures that began affecting his health.[9]

On 19 October, the

Constanţa, and entered the vital port city. These successes allowed the Bulgarian Third Army to advance some 80 kilometers and assume defensive positions along the narrowest part of Dobruja between the Danube and the Black Sea which in turn permitted Field Marshal Mackensen to focus on the crossing of the river at Svishtov and the operations against Bucharest
that were to be carried out in conjunction with the German 9th Army.

General Kolev and his favorite horse, Pirin.

In November, the cavalry division had to undergo some structural changes ordered by the new commander of the Third Army, General Stefan Nerezov, that were opposed by Kolev. Despite the reduction of its size, however, the division continued fighting in Dobruja and ended the campaign on 4 January 1917 with the capture of Tulcea. By now, however, the general's health had begun to decline and, after a battle journey of 1000 kilometers, he gave up the command of his division on 10 March 1917.[10]

On 28 July 1917, Ivan Kolev was promoted to lieutenant general; at the time, he was undergoing medical treatment in Austria. The disease he had contracted, however, proved fatal and Ivan Kolev died on 29 of July in Vienna. His body was returned to Bulgaria and laid to rest in Sofia.[10]

His favorite horse, Pirin, with which he fought throughout the four months of the Dobruja Campaign, became a legend in the army and continued serving until 21 May 1925 when it was retired due to its old age (it was 15 years old at that time).[10]

Today, two villages in Southern Dobruja as well as numerous streets in several Bulgarian cities are named after him.

Awards

References

  1. ^ Тошкин, Ат., Рабанджийска, Ан., Куманов, М. - „Третото българско царство 1879–1946. Историческа енциклопедия“, С., КК „Труд“, 2003 - с.188
  2. ^ a b c d S. Nedev (2005) page 9
  3. ^ a b c S. Nedev (2005) page 10
  4. ^ Министерство на войната (1939), p. 719
  5. ^ Kisiov p.37
  6. ^ Kisiov p. 54-68
  7. ^ The War in Dobrogea. C. Chiriţescu, archived from the original on 2013-09-21, retrieved 2010-10-29
  8. ^ a b c Kisiov (1928) pp.98
  9. ^ S. Nedev (2005) page 13
  10. ^ a b c d S. Nedev (2005) page 14
  11. ^ С. Тошев (1924) page 88-89

Sources

  • Nedev, Svetlozar (2005). "General Ivan Kolev" (PDF) (in Bulgarian). Военноисторически сборник/MILITARY HISTORICAL COLLECTION. pp. 9–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-15.
  • General Kolev(in Bulgarian)
  • Пеев, П., Генерал-лейтенант Иван Колев, София, 1943, Библиотека прослава, Година 1, Книга 1
  • Билярски, Ц., Генерал-лейтенант Иван Колев – добруджанския герой (сборник) I и II том, София, 2008, Издателство „Анико“
  • Bakalov, Georgi (2003). Том 5 от История на българите: Военна история на българите от древността до наши дни. TRUD Publishers.
    ISBN 978-954-621-235-1
    .
  • Kisiov, Aleksandŭr (1928). Генерал Колев и действията на I. Конна дивизия в Добруджа през 1916. Печатниза на армейски военно издателски фонд.
  • Министерство на войната, Щаб на войската (1938). Българската армия в Световната война 1915–1918, Vol. III. Държавна печатница, София.
  • Тошев, Стефан (1938). Победени без да бъдем бити. Печатниза на армейски военно издателски фонд.
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