Stiliyan Kovachev
Encyclopedia
Stiliyan Kovachev (born on 26 February 1860 in Yambol
, died on 11 July 1939 in Sofia
) was a Bulgarian
General
. During the First Balkan War
he commanded the Rodopi Detachment and later 4th Army. He was a Minister of Defense for short time in the beginning of the Second Balkan War
in the government of Stoyan Danev
(1913).
, then under Ottoman rule. He received his elementary education in Yambol and in Sliven
. Since early age he entered the Yambol Revolutionary Committee where he assisted Dimitar Drazhev helping for the correspondence of the committee. When the April Uprising
broke out the cheta of Drazhev joined the squad of Ilarion Dragostinov
and Stoil Voyvoda. During battle to the north of Sliven Georgi Drazhev was captured by the Turks and hanged on 29 June 1876 but Kovachev managed to escape the gallows.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria
the 18-year old Kovachev continued his education in Plovdiv
. In November 1878 he moved to Sofia
and enter the newly-established Military School. He graduated in the following year and on 10 May was promoted to Lieutenant
and was appointed as a commander of a platoon in the 2nd company of the training forces of the Eastern Rumelia
militia.
On 9 July he was promoted to First Lieutenant
. Between 1882 and 1883 he studied in the Military Engineering Academy in Saint Petersburg
but fell ill and had to return to Bulgaria. On 7 March 1884 he was promoted to Captain and in the spring of 1885 his company was sent in the Rhodope Mountains
to the south of Pazardzhik
to protect the Bulgarian population of Turk and Greek bands.
in 1885 his company was transferred from the south-eastern border and took part in the battle of Slivnitsa
. Kovachev participated in the advanced guard of the army during the advance to Tsaribrod (11 November) and Pirot
(14–15 November). For his achievements during the war he was awarded Order "For Bravery" IV Grade.
After the war he became chief of the chancellery of the Military Ministry (1886–1894). On 13 August 1886 he was promoted to Major
and on 1 January 1882 to Lieutenant Colonel
. Between 1894 and 1905 he was in command of the 9th infantry regiment, 12th infantry regiment, 5th infantry brigade and 2nd infantry division. On 1 January 1896 he was promoted to Colonel
and in 1905 to Major General
. Between 1905 and 1909 he commanded the 4th Preslav Infantry Division and then 2nd Thracian Infantry Division up to 1912. From September 1912 he commanded the Rodopi Detachment.
he was in command of the 2nd infantry division and the Rodopi Detachment which advanced in the secondary direction from Plovdiv to Western Thrace
. After the success in that operation he was put in charge of the 4th Army which defeated the Ottomans in the battle of Bulair
and in the battle of Şarköy
.
On 14 July 1913 General Kovachev was appointed Minister of Defense in the new government of Stoyan Danev
but due to the tense situation he remain in the front lines. Due to his disapproval of the action of Tsar Ferdinand and the beginning of the Second Balkan War
he was removed from office and from command of the 4th Army and on 27 August 1913 went to the reserve.
. After the war he resigned from the army. On 6 May 1936 he was promoted to General of the Infantry.
General Stiliyan Kovachev died in Sofia on 11 July 1939.
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...
, died on 11 July 1939 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...
) 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:...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. During the First Balkan War
First 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...
he commanded the Rodopi Detachment and later 4th Army. He was a Minister of Defense for short time in the beginning of 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...
in the government of Stoyan Danev
Stoyan Danev
Stoyan Petrov Danev was a leading Bulgarian liberal politician and twice Prime Minister.A legal graduate of both the University of Heidelberg and the University of Paris, Danev served in a number of Ministerial roles, including Foreign Minister, and became known as a strong supporter of Imperial...
(1913).
Biography
Stiliyan Kovachev was born on 26 February in YambolYambol
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...
, then under Ottoman rule. He received his elementary education in Yambol and in Sliven
Sliven
Sliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
. Since early age he entered the Yambol Revolutionary Committee where he assisted Dimitar Drazhev helping for the correspondence of the committee. When the April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
broke out the cheta of Drazhev joined the squad of Ilarion Dragostinov
Ilarion Dragostinov
Ilarion Ivanov Dragostinov , nicknamed Arbanascheto was a Bulgarian revolutionary and an important figure in the organization and direction of the anti-Ottoman April Uprising of 1876....
and Stoil Voyvoda. During battle to the north of Sliven Georgi Drazhev was captured by the Turks and hanged on 29 June 1876 but Kovachev managed to escape the gallows.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
the 18-year old Kovachev continued his education in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
. In November 1878 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...
and enter the newly-established Military School. He graduated in the following year and on 10 May was promoted to 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 appointed as a commander of a platoon in the 2nd company of the training forces of the 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...
militia.
On 9 July 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...
. Between 1882 and 1883 he studied in the Military Engineering Academy in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
but fell ill and had to return to Bulgaria. On 7 March 1884 he was promoted to Captain and in the spring of 1885 his company was sent in the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
to the south of Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik
Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality...
to protect the Bulgarian population of Turk and Greek bands.
Serbo-Bulgarian War
During the Serbo-Bulgarian WarSerbo-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...
in 1885 his company was transferred from the south-eastern border and took part in the battle of Slivnitsa
Battle of Slivnitsa
Called by historians the "Battle of the captains vs the generals," referring to the young Bulgarian army, whose highest rank went up to a captain, the Battle of Slivnitsa was a decisive factor in the victory of the Bulgarian army over the Serbians on November 17–19, 1885 in the...
. Kovachev participated in the advanced guard of the army during the advance to Tsaribrod (11 November) and Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
(14–15 November). For his achievements during the war he was awarded Order "For Bravery" IV Grade.
After the war he became chief of the chancellery of the Military Ministry (1886–1894). On 13 August 1886 he was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and on 1 January 1882 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...
. Between 1894 and 1905 he was in command of the 9th infantry regiment, 12th infantry regiment, 5th infantry brigade and 2nd infantry division. On 1 January 1896 he was 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 in 1905 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...
. Between 1905 and 1909 he commanded the 4th Preslav Infantry Division and then 2nd Thracian Infantry Division up to 1912. From September 1912 he commanded the Rodopi Detachment.
Balkan Wars
In the beginning 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...
he was in command of the 2nd infantry division and the Rodopi Detachment which advanced in the secondary direction from Plovdiv to Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
. After the success in that operation he was put in charge of the 4th Army which defeated the Ottomans in the battle of Bulair
Battle of Bulair
The battle of Bulair took place on 26 January 1913 between the Bulgarian Seventh Rila Infantry Division under General Georgi Todorov and the Ottoman 27th Infantry Division. The result was a Bulgarian victory.- Origins :...
and in the battle of Şarköy
Battle of Sarköy
The Battle of Şarköy or Sarkoy operation took place between 9 and 11 February 1913 during the First Balkan War between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans attempted a counter-attack, but were crushed by the Bulgarians at Battles of Bulair and Şarköy.- References :*...
.
On 14 July 1913 General Kovachev was appointed Minister of Defense in the new government of Stoyan Danev
Stoyan Danev
Stoyan Petrov Danev was a leading Bulgarian liberal politician and twice Prime Minister.A legal graduate of both the University of Heidelberg and the University of Paris, Danev served in a number of Ministerial roles, including Foreign Minister, and became known as a strong supporter of Imperial...
but due to the tense situation he remain in the front lines. Due to his disapproval of the action of Tsar Ferdinand and the beginning of 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 was removed from office and from command of the 4th Army and on 27 August 1913 went to the reserve.
First World War
After Bulgaria entered the First World War in 1915, Stiliyan Kovachev was mobilized in the headquarters of the 2nd divisional region and from 1916 he became head of the Main Rear Command of the army. On 15 August 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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....
. After the war he resigned from the army. On 6 May 1936 he was promoted to General of the Infantry.
General Stiliyan Kovachev died in Sofia on 11 July 1939.
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...
3rd class, 4th class - Great Cross of the 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:...
2nd class with swords, 1st class without 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:...
2nd class - Russian Order of St. AnnaOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
2nd class - Austro-Hungarian Order of the Iron CrownOrder of the Iron CrownThe Imperial Order of the Iron Crown was established June 5, 1805 by Napoleon Bonaparte . It took its name from the ancient Iron Crown of Lombardy, a medieval jewel with an iron ring, forged from what was supposed to be a nail from the True Cross as a band on the inside. This crown also gave its...
2nd class - Montenegrin Order of Prince Danilo IOrder of Prince Danilo IThe Order of Prince Danilo I of Montenegro was an order of the Principality, and later Kingdom, of Montenegro...
2nd class - Romanian Order of the Gold StarOrder of the Star of RomaniaThe Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
2nd class
Sources
- Рангелов, Л., Храбри идат твоите капитани, София, 1985, Военно издателство
- Недев, С., Командването на българската войска през войните за национално обединение, София, 1993, Военноиздателски комплекс "Св. Георги Победоносец"
- Димитров, И., Съединението 1885 - енциклопедичен справочник, София, 1985, Държавно издателство "д-р Петър Берон"