Ivan Kolev (general)
Encyclopedia
Ivan Kolev Stoyanov (born on 15 September 1863 in Banovka, died on 29 July 1917 in Vienna
) was a Bulgarian
lieutenant general
and distinguished cavalry
commander during World War I.
, which was founded by Bulgarian refugees from Thrace
and situated about 25 kilometers to the east of Bolhrad
. 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 latter 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
.
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 satisfied him as Ivan was fond of riding and declared that he would leave the military service unless he was assigned in the cavalry. 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. 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 the 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, promoted to colonel
and assigned to command the Body Guard Cavalry Regiment of the Bulgarian monarch.
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.
On 2 August 1915 Kolev was promoted to major general
.
Romania declared war and invaded Austria-Hungary on 27 August 1916. Bulgaria responded by declaring war on Romania on 1 of September and initiating the planned first major offensive of the Central Powers
during the Romanian Campaign. The operation was entrusted to the Bulgarian Third Army under general Stefan Toshev
and field marshal August von Mackensen
. General Kolev was ordered to cut the communications between Dobrich
and Silistra
in order to assist the assaul of the army's left wing on the important fortress of Tutrakan. The division achieved this task relatively easy when it captured the village of Kurtbunar on 2 of September. General Kolev then defeated a counter attack of parts of the Romanian 19th Division at the villages of Kochmar and Kara Pelit thus creating the possibility of his division to encircle Dobrich
from the north east. Faced with this threat the commander of the 19th Division ordered the evacuation of the town which was then occupied by Bulgarian forces. Thus general Kolev and his division had done their part for the Bulgarian victory at Tutrakan on 6 of September. On that day the division resumed its task of protecting the flank of the forces at Tutrakan while at Dobrich
the right wing of the Bulgarian Third Army came under attack from the superior forces of the Russian XLVII Corps and Romanian 19th Division. On the 7th of September the sound of the artillery fire reached the cavalry division and forced general Kolev to inquire about the situation. After he received the information that the Bulgarian forces were outnumbered and in great danger of being defeated he decided to act without direct orders from general Toshev and assist the Bulgarian 6th Division at Dobrich
. This decision proved crucial in preventing a disaster on the right wing of the Third Army as it allowed the 1st Cavalry Division to appear and attack the flank of the Serbo-Croatian Division at a critical point of the Battle of Dobrich
, forcing the retreat of that division which in turn caused the retreat of all the other Russian and Romanian forces. Following this victory the Bulgarians continued perusing their retreating opponents and once again defeated them on the lake Oltenia
- Kara Omer - Mangalia
line and reached the Cobadin
fortified line.
General Kolev led his division in the First Battle of Cobadin
but despite their efforts the Bulgarians were forced to suspend their attack due to the losses and exhaustion they had suffered from the almost three weeks of continuous fighting. This allowed the Romanians and Russians for the first time since the beginning of the campaign to gain the initiative and prepare a major offensive aimed at the destruction of the Bulgarian Third Army. To achieve this they concentrated a force of 124 infantry battalions, 89 artillery batteries and 31 cavalry squadrons that were supposed to attack and penetrated the Bulgarian lines while the Romanian third Army crossed the Danube
at Flamanda
and advanced in their rear. The Bulgarians also consolidated their position when the Ottoman 25th Division and general Kolev's cavalry division took the villages of Amzacea
and Preveli 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 Mackensen
arrived in the headquarters of the cavalry division to personally award him the German Iron Cross
on behalf of Kaiser
Wilhelm II. 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. 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.
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.
On 19 of October the Central Powers
began the decisive second attempt
to break the Allied Cobadin Fortified Line. The right wing of the forces was tasked with delivering the decisive blow but its initial assault achieved little. Only general Kolev's cavalry division, reinforced with infantry units, once again enjoyed somewhat greater success. It was in this difficult situation that the cavalry proved the advantage of its mobility and managed to overcome the heavy enemy fire on 20 of October. Breaking through the main defensive line general Kolev pushed back the Romanians and Russians towards the important village of Topraisar and threatened their flank. This and the success of the left wing of the Central Powers
forces made the Allied positions untenable and they soon began a general retreat. Following his orders General Kolev began their pursuit almost immediately, defeated the withdrawing Romanians and Russians at Constanța
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 Dobrudja 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.
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 general Kolev. Despite the reduction of its size however the division continued fighting in Dobrudja and ended the campaign on 4 January 1917 with the capture of Tulcea
. By now however the general's health had began declining and after a battle journey of 1000 kilometers he gave up the command of his division on 10 March 1917.
On 28 July 1917 Ivan Kolev was promoted to lieutenant general
, at a time when 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
.
His favorite horse Pirin, with which he fought throughout the four months of the Dobrudja 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).
Today two villages in Southern Dobrudja as well as numerous streets in several Bulgarian cities are named after him.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) was a Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and distinguished cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
commander during World War I.
Biography
Ivan Kolev was born in the Bessarabian village of Banovka, then part of RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which was founded by Bulgarian refugees from Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and situated about 25 kilometers to the east of Bolhrad
Bolhrad
Bolhrad sometimes known as Bolgrad is a small city in Odessa Oblast of south-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Bolhrad Raion , and is located at around ....
. Ivan received his primary education in his birthplace and from 1875 continued studying in the Bolhrad High School
Bolhrad High School
The Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School ; , Bolgradskaya gimnaziya imeni G. S. Rakovskogo is a gymnasium in Bolhrad, Odessa Oblast, southwestern Ukraine...
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
Clerk
Clerk, the vocational title, commonly refers to a white-collar worker who conducts general office or, in some instances, sales tasks. It is also occasionally used to refer to third-year medical students completing a medical clerkship. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record...
in the local municipality.
In 1884 he moved to Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
where he worked as assistant secretary of the Sofia District Court and was soon promoted to secretary. A year latter Ivan took part in the defense of the unification of the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
and the province of Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
as volunteer in the Student's Legion during the Serbo-Bulgarian War
Serbo-Bulgarian War
The Serbo-Bulgarian War was a war between Serbia and Bulgaria that erupted on 14 November 1885 and lasted until 28 November the same year. Final peace was signed on 19 February 1886 in Bucharest...
.
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 satisfied him as Ivan was fond of riding and declared that he would leave the military service unless he was assigned in the cavalry. Kolev finally got what he'd wished for, graduated the Military School on 27 April 1887 as a Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and was assigned to the Third Cavalry Regiment. On 18 May 1890 he was promoted to first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
and after completing the necessary exams was admitted to the Military Academy of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in early 1892.
On 2 August 1894 Kolev was promoted to rotmister and returned to Bulgaria after having successfully graduated in Italy. 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 the autumn 1898 he attended army maneuvers in Romania and in 1904 was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
In 1907 Kolev was sent to train in the Austrian Army and was assigned to the 7th Uhlan Regiment in Pardubice
Pardubice
Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
. In 1908 he returned to Bulgaria, promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and assigned to command the Body Guard Cavalry Regiment of the Bulgarian monarch.
Balkan Wars (1912–1913)
At the start of the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
Ivan Kolev was serving as chief of staff of the Yambol
Yambol
Yambol is a city in southeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha river in the historical region of Thrace. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 72,843 inhabitants. It is occasionally spelt 'Jambol'.The administrative centres...
fortified area and in November 1912 was temporarily chief of staff of the Third Army. During the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
he served as chief of staff of the Fifth Army.
On 2 August 1915 Kolev was promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
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 latter was made inspector general of the cavalry. 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 of September and initiating the planned first major offensive of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
during the Romanian Campaign. The operation was entrusted to the Bulgarian Third Army under general Stefan Toshev
Stefan Toshev
Stefan Toshev was a Bulgarian General, from World War I. His mother was a teacher from the period of the National Revival. He volunteered in the Bulgarian Opalchentsi Corps during the Russo-Turkish War and later served as a translator. On 10 May 1879 he graduated the Military School in Sofia in...
and field marshal August von Mackensen
August von Mackensen
Anton Ludwig August von Mackensen , born August Mackensen, was a German soldier and field marshal. He commanded with success during the First World War and became one of the German Empire's most prominent military leaders. After the Armistice, Mackensen was interned for a year...
. General Kolev was ordered to cut the communications between Dobrich
Dobrich
Dobrich is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province. With 91,030 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobruja...
and Silistra
Silistra
Silistra is a port city of northeastern Bulgaria, lying on the southern bank of the lower Danube at the country's border with Romania. Silistra is the administrative centre of Silistra Province and one of the important cities of the historical region of Southern Dobrudzha...
in order to assist the assaul of the army's left wing on the important fortress of Tutrakan. The division achieved this task relatively easy when it captured the village of Kurtbunar on 2 of September. General Kolev then defeated a counter attack of parts of the Romanian 19th Division at the villages of Kochmar and Kara Pelit thus creating the possibility of his division to encircle Dobrich
Dobrich
Dobrich is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Dobrich Province. With 91,030 inhabitants, as of February 2011, Dobrich is the ninth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobruja...
from the north east. Faced with this threat the commander of the 19th Division ordered the evacuation of the town which was then occupied by Bulgarian forces. Thus general Kolev and his division had done their part for the Bulgarian victory at Tutrakan on 6 of September. On that day the division resumed its task of protecting the flank of the forces at Tutrakan while at Dobrich
Battle of Dobrich
The battle of Dobrich, also known as the battle of Bazargic or the Dobrich epopee , took place between 5 and 7 September 1916 between the armies of Bulgaria and Romania...
the right wing of the Bulgarian Third Army came under attack from the superior forces of the Russian XLVII Corps and Romanian 19th Division. On the 7th of September the sound of the artillery fire reached the cavalry division and forced general Kolev to inquire about the situation. After he received the information that the Bulgarian forces were outnumbered and in great danger of being defeated he decided to act without direct orders from general Toshev and assist the Bulgarian 6th Division at Dobrich
Battle of Dobrich
The battle of Dobrich, also known as the battle of Bazargic or the Dobrich epopee , took place between 5 and 7 September 1916 between the armies of Bulgaria and Romania...
. This decision proved crucial in preventing a disaster on the right wing of the Third Army as it allowed the 1st Cavalry Division to appear and attack the flank of the Serbo-Croatian Division at a critical point of the Battle of Dobrich
Battle of Dobrich
The battle of Dobrich, also known as the battle of Bazargic or the Dobrich epopee , took place between 5 and 7 September 1916 between the armies of Bulgaria and Romania...
, forcing the retreat of that division which in turn caused the retreat of all the other Russian and Romanian forces. Following this victory the Bulgarians continued perusing their retreating opponents and once again defeated them on the lake Oltenia
Oltenia
Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....
- Kara Omer - Mangalia
Mangalia
Mangalia , is a city and a port on the coast of the Black Sea in the south-east of Constanţa County, Romania.The municipality of Mangalia also administers several summer time seaside resorts: Cap Aurora, Jupiter, Neptun, Olimp, Saturn, Venus.-History:...
line and reached the Cobadin
Cobadin
Cobadin is a commune in Constanţa County, Romania. The commune includes five villages:*Cobadin *Viişoara *Negreşti...
fortified line.
General Kolev led his division in the First Battle of Cobadin
First Battle of Cobadin
The First Battle of Cobadin, also known as the First Battle of the Rasova - Cobadin - Tuzla Line was a battle fought from 17 to 19 of September 1916 between the Bulgarian Third Army and the Russo - Romanian Army of the Dobrogea...
but despite their efforts the Bulgarians were forced to suspend their attack due to the losses and exhaustion they had suffered from the almost three weeks of continuous fighting. This allowed the Romanians and Russians for the first time since the beginning of the campaign to gain the initiative and prepare a major offensive aimed at the destruction of the Bulgarian Third Army. To achieve this they concentrated a force of 124 infantry battalions, 89 artillery batteries and 31 cavalry squadrons that were supposed to attack and penetrated the Bulgarian lines while the Romanian third Army crossed the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
at Flamanda
Flamânda Offensive
The Flămânda Offensive The Flămânda Offensive The Flămânda Offensive (or Flămânda Maneuver, which took place between 29 September and 5 October 1916, was an offensive across the Danube mounted by the Romanian 2nd Army during World War I. The battle represented a consistent effort by the Romanian...
and advanced in their rear. The Bulgarians also consolidated their position when the Ottoman 25th Division and general Kolev's cavalry division took the villages of Amzacea
Amzacea
Amzacea is a commune in Constanţa County, Romania. It includes three villages:* Amzacea * Casicea* General Scărişoreanu - named after a Romanian World War I General-References:...
and Preveli 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 Mackensen
August von Mackensen
Anton Ludwig August von Mackensen , born August Mackensen, was a German soldier and field marshal. He commanded with success during the First World War and became one of the German Empire's most prominent military leaders. After the Armistice, Mackensen was interned for a year...
arrived in the headquarters of the cavalry division to personally award him the German Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
on behalf of Kaiser
Kaiser
Kaiser is the German title meaning "Emperor", with Kaiserin being the female equivalent, "Empress". Like the Russian Czar it is directly derived from the Latin Emperors' title of Caesar, which in turn is derived from the personal name of a branch of the gens Julia, to which Gaius Julius Caesar,...
Wilhelm II. 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. 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.
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.
On 19 of October the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
began the decisive second attempt
Second Battle of Cobadin
The Second Battle of Cobadin was a battle fought from 19 to 25 October 1916 between the Central Powers, chiefly the Bulgarian Third Army and the Entente, represented by the Russo - Romanian Army of the Dobrogea...
to break the Allied Cobadin Fortified Line. The right wing of the forces was tasked with delivering the decisive blow but its initial assault achieved little. Only general Kolev's cavalry division, reinforced with infantry units, once again enjoyed somewhat greater success. It was in this difficult situation that the cavalry proved the advantage of its mobility and managed to overcome the heavy enemy fire on 20 of October. Breaking through the main defensive line general Kolev pushed back the Romanians and Russians towards the important village of Topraisar and threatened their flank. This and the success of the left wing of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
forces made the Allied positions untenable and they soon began a general retreat. Following his orders General Kolev began their pursuit almost immediately, defeated the withdrawing Romanians and Russians at Constanța
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
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 Dobrudja between the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
which in turn permitted field marshal Mackensen to focus on the crossing of the river at Svishtov
Svishtov
Svishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romanian town of Zimnicea. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality...
and the operations
Battle of Bucharest
The Battle of Bucharest, also known as the Argeş-Neajlov Defensive Operation in Romania, was an important battle of the Romanian Campaign in World War I, in which the Central Powers occupied the Romanian capital and forced the Romanian Government, as well as the remnants of the Romanian Army to...
against Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
that were to be carried out in conjunction with the German 9th Army.
In November the cavalry division had to undergo some structural changes ordered by the new commander of the Third Army general Stefan Nerezov
Stefan Nerezov
Stefan Mikhailov Nerezov was a Bulgarian General and Chief of the Bulgarian Army Staff.-Biography:Stefan Nerezov was born in Sevlievo, at the time part of the Ottoman Empire...
that were opposed by general Kolev. Despite the reduction of its size however the division continued fighting in Dobrudja and ended the campaign on 4 January 1917 with the capture of Tulcea
Tulcea
Tulcea is a city in Dobrogea, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea county, and has a population of 92,379 as of 2007. One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city.- History :...
. By now however the general's health had began declining and after a battle journey of 1000 kilometers he gave up the command of his division on 10 March 1917.
On 28 July 1917 Ivan Kolev was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
, at a time when 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
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. His body was returned to Bulgaria and laid to rest in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
.
His favorite horse Pirin, with which he fought throughout the four months of the Dobrudja 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).
Today two villages in Southern Dobrudja as well as numerous streets in several Bulgarian cities are named after him.
Awards
- Order of BraveryOrder of BraveryThe Order of Bravery is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the most esteemed Bulgarian order and the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and forth highest in the Republic of Bulgaria...
, II grade and III grade,1st and 2nd class - Order of St AlexanderOrder of St AlexanderThe Order of St Alexander was the second highest Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria. It was established by Knyaz Alexander I and named after his patron saint .-History:...
, III grade with swords - Order of Military MeritOrder of Military Merit (Bulgaria)The Order of Military Merit is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. In is the third highest order in the Republic of Bulgaria along with the Order of Civil Merit and the Order of the Madara Rider.-History:...
, IV and V grade with crown - Order for Merit
- Commemorative Medal for the Serbian-Bulgarian War 1885
- Commemorative Medal for the accession to the throne of Prince Ferdinand I in 1887
- German Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, I and II class - Italian Order of the Crown of ItalyOrder of the Crown of ItalyThe Order of the Crown of Italy was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861...
, IV grade - Romanian Order of the Romanian CrownOrder of the Crown (Romania)The Order of the Crown is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania...
, III grade - Russian Order of Saint StanislausOrder of Saint StanislausThe Order of Saint Stanislaus , also spelled Stanislas, was an Order in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Kingdom of Poland between 1765 and 1831 and of Russian Empire from 1831 to 1917.-History of the Order of Saint Stanislaus:Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland, established the...
II grade - Serbian Order of the White Eagle III grade
- Ottoman Iron CrescentGallipoli Star (Ottoman Empire)The Ottoman War Medal , better known as the Gallipoli Star, or the Iron Crescent was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire which was instituted by the Sultan Mehmed Reshad V on 1 March 1915 for gallantry in battle...
- Austro-Hungarian Franz Joseph 60th Jubilee Medal
Sources
- 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“