Bulgarian Deserters in France during the First World War

One of the still poorly studied problems related to the participation of the Bulgarian army in the First World War is the desertion of its ranks. The number of deserters is not to be underestimated -according to official figures, it was nearly 7,000 people. While there is some evidence of this phenomenon in the battles in Dobrudja against the Russian army, there is a complete lack of research on the Thessaloniki front and the reasons, scale and peculiarities that characterized the desertion to the French side. The purpose of this article is to fill this gap and analyze the various reasons for this action. It examines the gradual change in the ethnic composition of the army with the recruitment of more and more ethnic minorities from Bulgaria and the occupied territories, the poor conditions and supplies, the fatigue of war, which lead to a weakening of discipline and morale, Russophilism among some soldiers and officers. The study also provides data on the methods of propaganda used by the French command to incite Bulgarian soldiers and officers to surrender, as well as on the treatment of deserters. Particular attention is paid to a specific structure - the "Organization of Bulgarian Workers ", as well as to the problems faced by the authorities in the use of the soldiers and officers enlisted in it.