Armies of the Balkan Wars 1912-13: The Priming Charge for the Great War (Men-at-Arms 466)

In 1912, the Balkan states formed an alliance in an effort to break free from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Forming an army of some 645,000 troops from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenego, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. Both sides were equipped with the latest weapons technology. This book looks at the diverse and sometimes colourful uniforms worn by both sides, paying special attention to insignia, weapons and equipment. It also gives an overview of the campaigns that became a 'priming pan' of World War I. "Overshadowed today by the vast scale of World War I, it was the two Balkan Wars of 1912-13 that laid the tinder for that world-changing explosion. This details concisely the background, course and outcomes of these sequential campaigns, and describes the armies involved -- in 1912, those of the Ottoman Empire against the Balkan League (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro), joined in 1913 by Romania. It illustrates a fascinating period of transition from 19th to 20th century dress and equipment, with many rare photographs, and colour plates showing a varied range of uniforms and exotic regional costumes"--P. [4] of cover. "Overshadowed today by the vast scale of World War I, it was the two Balkan Wars of 1912-13 that laid the tinder for that world-changing explosion. This details concisely the background, course and outcomes of these sequential campaigns, and describes the armies involved -- in 1912, those of the Ottoman Empire against the Balkan League (Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro), joined in 1913 by Romania. It illustrates a fascinating period of transition from 19th to 20th century dress and equipment, with many rare photographs, and colour plates showing a varied range of uniforms and exotic regional costumes"--Page 4 of cover Chronology The armies. The Ottoman Army, 1912-13 The Bulgarian Army, 1912-13 The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps The Greek Army, 1912-13 Cretan volunteers The Italian Legion The Serbian Army, 1912-13 The Montenengrin Army, 1912-13 The Romanian Army, 1913 Macedonian irregulars, 1912-13 Albanian volunteers, 1912-13 Weapons & equipment. Small arms Machine guns Artillery Military transport Air arms Uniforms. Ottoman Bulgarian Greek Serbian Montenegrin Romanian Macedonian irregulars Albanian volunteers Field signs Branch-of-service colours Winter clothing. In 1912, the Balkan states formed an alliance in an effort to break free from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Forming an army of some 645,000 troops from Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, they took on a force of 400,000 Turkish soldiers. This book looks at the diverse and sometimes colourful uniforms worn by both sides Uniformer og udrustning anvendt af de landes hære, der deltog i Balkan krigen 1912-1913