SERVIA. 



727 



Servian Government notified the great powers 

 that the Servian array was mobilizing for the 

 purpose of restoring the status quo of the Ber- 

 lin Treaty, or, in case the powers should decide 

 to the contrary, of readjusting the equilibrium 

 among the Balkan states. The Austrian Gov- 

 ernment assured King Milan that the Bulga- 

 rian union would not be sanctioned unless 

 Servia received compensation. When the in- 

 formal conference that met in Constantinople, 

 Oct. 1, ended without a conclusive decision, 

 Servia, with the approval of Austria, mobil- 

 ized her whole army. On Oct. 13 the powers 

 presented the collective note at Sofia and Con- 

 stantinople (see BULGARIA). The invasion of 

 Macedonia by the Servians was rendered im- 

 possible by the concentration on the frontier 

 of a Turkish force sufficient to prevent the 

 occupation of any portion of Old Servia. The 

 Servians then determined to seize upon what 

 they called eastern Servia as a pledge for the 

 restoration of the status quo or an indemnity 

 for Bulgarian aggrandizement. The coveted 

 territory comprised the Danubian port of Wid- 

 din with its district and the district of Sofia, 

 within which are the capital of the principality 

 and the main route of intercommunication be- 

 tween northern and southern Bulgaria. The 

 Servian claims to these districts were based 

 upon the. fact that they contain a considerable 

 element Serbic in race though not in language. 

 The mobilization of the army was advanced 

 as rapidly as possible, and a loan of 15,000,000 

 francs was contracted in Vienna. The Skupt- 

 schina was convened for an extra session on 

 Oct. 1. It passed the measures submitted to 

 it by the Government, and adjourned Oct. 4. 

 The Servian army was ^mustered at Nish, and 

 advanced troops were stationed at Zaitshar, 

 Pirot, and Vranja. On Oct. 12 the Servian 

 army began to advance in two columns, one 

 in the direction of Leskowacz and the other 

 toward Ak-Palanka. The Bulgarian troops 

 were absent on the Roumelian frontier. Irreg- 

 ular forces were formed to defend the border. 

 Arrangements for a loan of 25,000,000 francs, 

 on the security of the tobacco regie, were con- 

 cluded Oct. 13. The Austrian Government 

 warned King Milan that any warlike action 

 he might take would be entirely at his own 

 risk. Russia was at that time seeking to ar- 

 range the basis for a conference of the pow- 

 ers, and had come to an understanding with 

 Austria and Germany (see BULGAKIA). In 

 reply to the diplomatic intervention of the 

 powers, King Milan issued a manifesto insist- 

 ing that the unification of Bulgaria should not 

 be recognized unless Servia received material 

 compensation. On Oct. 20 the Prince of Bul- 

 garia summoned the national militia to join 

 the colors. The warnings of Austria and fresh 

 remonstrances from the powers impelled the 

 Servian Government to await the conference 

 at Constantinople before resorting to warlike 

 action. In the mean time the Bulgarian forces, 

 recalled from Roumelia, were collected in the 



threatened districts and echeloned along the 

 Servian frontier from Widdin to Kostendil. 

 On Nov. 4 the Servian headquarters were 

 transferred from Nish to Pirot. On Nov. 3 

 the second class of the reserves was called 

 out. On Nov. 8 a band of Servian soldiers 

 crossed the frontier near Trn, and attacked a 

 Bulgarian outpost. A skirmish ensued, in 

 which one of the Servians was killed. There 

 had been frequent violations of the boundary 

 before, through inadvertence or by parties in 

 search of water. Servian outposts were now 

 placed at points on Bulgarian territory, and 

 Bulgarian pickets were attacked several times. 

 At Tsaribrod the Schumadja division of the 

 Servian army occupied the heights on the 

 frontier line. To prevent the Bulgarian flotil- 

 la from ascending the Danube, fortifications 

 were erected on the banks and armed with 

 heavy guns. Although the Servian people, by 

 nature and tradition inclined to military ad- 

 ventures, were convinced that action was ne- 

 cessary to preserve their national prestige, and 

 although they were incensed against the Bul- 

 garians, particularly on the railroad question, 

 and on the ground of the customs duties that 

 deprived eastern Servia of its former market, 

 yet they sympathized with the Bulgarians in 

 their desire for union, and were not satisfied 

 with the cause in which they were to be led 

 in war against a kindred people. The Servian 

 troops in the field numbered 75 battalions of 

 infantry, with 1,065 officers and 78,255 men ; 

 25 squadrons of cavalry, with 191 officers and 

 4,758 men ; 40 batteries of field-artillery, with 

 240 guns, 248 officers, and 6.820 men ; and en- 

 gineers, transport, and medical corps, bringing 

 up the total to 107,436 men of all ranks, not 

 including the mobilized Landwehr in the rear. 

 Though officially warned that it would be at 

 his own risk if he proceeded to military action, 

 King Milan was abetted in his war prepara- 

 tions by the Hapsburg Government. 



The Invasion of Bulgaria. King Milan, con- 

 vinced that the conference would break up 

 without definite results, called his Cabinet to- 

 gether on Nov. 12 and decided, on their ad- 

 vice, to send an ultimatum to Bulgaria. On 

 that day M. Garaschanin dispatched a circular 

 complaining of the treatment of 300 Servians 

 as brigands and of attacks upon Servian out- 

 posts, a repetition of which would be regarded 

 as a casus belli. News then came of a skir- 

 mish on the frontier, in which the Bulgarians 

 were reported to have attacked an outpost on 

 Servian territory, near the village of Vlassina 

 in the district of Vranja, and to have been re- 

 pelled, leaving ten dead and wounded on the 

 field. Orders were thereupon dispatched to 

 the corps commanders to advance along the 

 whole line. On Nov. 14 a proclamation was 

 issued declaring war on the grounds of the 

 violation of the Treaty of Berlin and the dis- 

 turbance of the balance of power, the tariff 

 war, the seizure of the frontier post of Bre- 

 gova in 1884, the countenance and succor given 



