Battles & Campaigns · 1912
Battle of Lule Burgas
Lüleburgaz, Turkey
What happened
Early in the First Balkan War, the Bulgarian Third Army reached the Ottoman lines and took the town of Lule Burgas on the first day. The First Army joined the next day, and several days of heavy fighting followed. On the night of 2 November the Ottoman line broke and its forces began a full retreat.
Why it matters
It was the bloodiest battle of the First Balkan War. By number of soldiers, it was the largest battle in Europe between the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War.
What came next
The Ottomans regrouped on the Çatalca line, about 30 km from Constantinople, while the Bulgarians did not follow closely.
Did you know?
About 108,000 Bulgarian soldiers took part, against about 130,000 Ottoman troops.
Timeline
- 17 Oct 1912Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece declare war on the Ottoman Empire.
- 28 Oct 1912The battle begins.
- 2 Nov 1912The Ottoman army retreats.
- 30 May 1913The Treaty of London ends the First Balkan War.