Bulgarian siege gun at the Battle of Adrianople A heavy artillery piece at Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey) during the siege of the city, which lasted from November 3, 1912, to March 26, 1913. It was a decisive conflict of the first of the two Balkan Wars (1912–13). Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-B2-2483-14). (more) Siege of Adrianople Balkan Wars [1912-1913] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Adrianople-1912-13 Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Weapons and Warfare - Third Battle of Edirne Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by John Swift John Swift is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Cumbria. His work appears in Encyclopaedia Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with the publisher of 1001 Battles That... John Swift Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 2, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Date: November 3, 1912 - March 26, 1913 (Show more) Location: Edirne Turkey (Show more) Participants: Bulgaria Ottoman Empire Serbia (Show more) Context: Balkan Wars (Show more) See all related content Siege of Adrianople, Adrianople (modern Edirne, Turkey) was one of the largest cities in the Ottoman Empire. When the Bulgarians captured the city after laying siege to it from November 3, 1912, to March 26, 1913, during the First Balkan War, it seemed they would become the predominant power in the Balkans and that the Turks might be evicted from European soil. One of the earliest uses of airplanes for bombing (in this case dropping hand grenades from the air) occurred during this conflict, and Adrianople was the first European city to fall in a siege in the 20th century.

　　Adrianople is strategically located near the point where modern Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria meet, blocking the European path to Constantinople/Istanbul. Military historian John Keegan called it “the most contested spot on the globe.” It was strongly defended by a ring of batteries and fortifications incorporating several belts of barbed wire. Lacking precise information about these defenses, the Bulgarians hesitated to launch an attack on the city, which they had besieged since early November 1912; they did not relish another failure such as that at the Battle of Chataldzha. The Bulgarians’ Serbian allies agreed to send troops to assist, but an assault on Adrianople’s defenses still seemed too hazardous. There was desultory shelling and some attempts at bombing the city from the air, but the Bulgarians did little harm and settled in for a siege. This was risky, however, because a prolonged investment might give the Turks time to bring fresh troops from Asia and attempt to relieve the city.

　　Balkan Wars Events keyboard_arrow_left

　　Siege of Adrianople November 3, 1912 - March 26, 1913

　　Second Balkan War June 29, 1913 - August 10, 1913

　　Treaty of Bucharest August 10, 1913 keyboard_arrow_right Intense cold, hunger, and idleness had undermined Bulgarian morale during the five-month siege, but the Turkish garrison was also suffering severe food shortages and was reaching the limits of endurance. Finally, bolstered by Serbian reinforcements and heavy artillery to a strength of nearly 150,000 troops, the Bulgarians attacked on March 24, 1913. The sudden Bulgarian artillery barrage, followed by an infantry attack, took the Turks completely by surprise. Fearing the main attack would come from the south, reserves were rushed there. However, this was a diversion, and the infantry attacked toward the eastern wall, penetrating the barbed wire.

　　Initially Turkish resistance was stubborn, invigorated by the Young Turks coup, but when the Bulgarians broke through the final defenses, Turkish morale collapsed, and the city fell within a few hours on March 26, when the Ottoman commander surrendered to the Bulgarians, with the result that Ottoman Europe was confined to the Gallipoli Peninsula. This left the Bulgarians with the greatest territorial gains in the war, but their allies were already plotting against them. The Second Balkan War soon followed, and with it the Ottomans’ retaking of the city.

　　Losses: Bulgarian-Serbian, 1,800 dead, 8,500 wounded; Turkish, 15,000 dead or wounded, some 60,000 captured.