Army. – The order of the Bulgarian army derives from the application of the military clauses of the Neuilly peace treaty, which obliges Bulgaria to keep a voluntary army of no more than 33,000 men (including 10,000 gendarmes and 3,000 border guards) and does not allow establishment of units above division. Bulgaria, however, has officially renounced to also constitute divisions and therefore its army includes only regiments and battalions or autonomous groups.
The order of peace of the Bulgarian armed forces is as follows: a) infantry: 8 line regiments out of 3 battalions of 3 light weapons companies and one of heavy weapons companies: each company is on 3 platoons of 2 machine guns (light or heavy) ; 16 foot gendarmerie battalions; 1 coastal gendarmerie battalion; 1 school battalion out of 4 companies of 3 platoons (they have a similar formation to that of the line battalions); 8 border guard sectors, real infantry battalions. Each sector includes three subsectors (light arms companies) and a machine gun department (heavy machine gun companies). Each subsector is in turn subdivided into sections (platoons). b) cavalry: 3 cavalry regiments on 4 squadrons and 1 machine gun department of 4 weapons; 8 groups of mounted gendarmerie that have a similar formation to that of the cavalry regiments. c) artillery: 8 groups of light artillery (field and mountain); Each group of three batteries (the 75 from the countryside, one of 75 mountain, one of howitzers 105); 3 groups of heavy artillery, each group on 3 batteries of various caliber (105, 120, 150 etc.); 3 groups of coast artillery with various formation and material of different calibers (105, 120, 150, 210, 240 etc.). d) genius: 3 bridging battalions; 3 cycling battalions; each bridging battalion includes 2 diggers-miners companies, 1 mixed company (the bridge section, 1 photoelectric section, 1 radiotelegraphic section; 1 genius park). e) motorists: 8 regimental squads (each of 40 men and 15 motor vehicles). f) services and establishments: the Sofia military arsenal is the only factory permitted by the Treaty of Neuilly. There are also several ammunition depots and a military geographic institute. g) military schools: there is only one, in Sofia. h) aeronautics: the Treaty of Neuilly prohibits Bulgaria from holding a military aviation (for civilian ones see below).
The recruitment is confirmed for 12 years, reduced by half for the gendarmerie. The discharged soldiers, however, remain enrolled up to the age of 40 in the reserve, then pass to the 1st ban militia (up to the 44th age) and subsequently to the 2nd ban militia (up to the 46th age) . In case of war, young people aged 18 to 20 can also be called.
The Bulgarian military organization is completed by the institution of compulsory labor, with which a certain pre-military education is given to the annual conscript contingents.
According to the law governing this institution, all Bulgarian citizens, of both sexes, are subject to compulsory social work for a period of 16 months for men and 8 months for women; only the disabled, the military and married women are exempt.
Those enrolled in compulsory work are framed with permanent and reserve officers and non-commissioned officers.
The budget of the war, in 1926-27, was 1235 million conscription, a figure which, however, rises to about 1700 million when we add the expenses for compulsory work and for the police forces, equal to about 70 million gold lire.
It represents almost a quarter of the total state budget (7 billion leva), a very high percentage, due, in part, to the high cost of personnel recruited with the voluntary system, imposed by the peace treaty.
Navy. – Under the Treaty of Neuilly Bulgaria has the right to keep 4 torpedo boats and 6 motor boats for maritime and river police services only. These units are employed by the Ministry of Railways, Posts and Telegraphs, and the Directorate General for Ports. Authorized staff: 15 officials with the rank of officers and 15 with the rank of non-commissioned officers; 300 sailors. Bases: Burgas and Varna. Budget: approximately 33 million leva per year (almost 4,500,000 Italian lire).
Aviation. – Bulgaria, as it is said, is for the Neully Treaty without military aviation. Civil aviation began to exist following the law of 23 July 1925 in favor of the state aeronautics. With this law, the Bulgarian government did not want to hinder private initiative, but reserved the right to exercise control over it. It has therefore also entered into agreements with foreign companies, regulating national air traffic and its connection with international traffic.
Air navigation company. – They are: CFRNA (C. I. D. N. A.) And the Bulgarian company Bounavad, established following an agreement with the Bulgarian government the German company Junkers. For Bulgaria 2004, please check topb2bwebsites.com.
Airlines. – CIDNA manages the Belgrade-Sofia-Constantinople, continuation of the Paris-Belgrade, three times a week; the Bounavad the Vidin-Rustciuk-Varna and Sofia-Rustciuk-Varna lines.
Power. – The balanced force is 340 people; of these 63 are the crew. The force in aircraft is 50, of which 20 are used as schools, 25 for traffic, 5 seaplanes. The devices are of the types Potez, Bristol, Albatros, Macchi and Dar.
School. – The only driving school is located on the Kazanlăk field, where pilots and engine engineers are licensed.
Air bases. – The main air bases in Bulgaria are as follows: Borurište-Sofia, customs airport and training center, 16 km away. NO. from the city; measure m. 800 by 700; has 4 hangars, management, offices, workshop and accommodation. Gorna-Orehovica, civil airport, 3 km. N. from the city; measure m. 600 per 100; it has a hangar, a workshop, a radio-telegraph receiving station. Jamboli, civil airport, 4 km. O. from the city; measure m. 500 by 500; has an airship hangar, say m. 50 to 200. Kazanlăh civil airport, 2 km. S. from the city; measure m. 1000 per 1000; it has 2 hangars, a workshop and a weather station. Peinergik, seaplane base, 7 km. O. from the city; the ditching basin measures km. 20 for 2; has a repair shop and a weather station; Varna, airport, 7 km. O. from the city; measure m. 6000 by 400; it has 3 hangars, a workshop and a radiotelegraphic station. There are also numerous makeshift fields.
