This article lists the wars, campaigns and battles involving Bulgaria since its establishment around 680.
*e.g. result unknown or indecisive/inconclusive, result of internal conflict inside Bulgaria, status quo ante bellum, or a treaty or peace without a clear result.
First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result First Bulgarian-Byzantine War(680–689) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory Khan Asparuh conquered Thrace The First Bulgarian Empire formed and expanded Battle of Anchialus (708)(708) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory Emperor Justinian II turned against Tervel but was defeated by the Bulgarian army Justinian II was executed Siege of Constantinople (717–718) Bulgarian Empire Umayyad Caliphate Victory Caesar Tervel annihilated roughly 25,000 Umayyad soldiers, forcing a surrender and retreat.War History Online (2016). https://www.warhistoryonline.com/ancient-history/siege-constantinople-bulgarian-khan-fought-arabs.html Tervel was canonized "Savior of Europe" by the Pope Bulgarian Invasion of Avaria(804) Bulgarian Empire Avar Khaganate Victory Khan Krum fully subjugated the remainder of the Avar EmpireHistorical Park Bulgaria (2020). https://ipark.bg/en-US/Age/Item/385 Second Bulgarian-Byzantine War(809–822) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory Emperor Krum defeated the massive Byzantine army, killing King Nicephorus I Bulgarian-Frankish War(827–829) Bulgarian Empire Frankish Empire Victory King Omurtag defeated the Frankish fleet at the Drava river First Bulgarian-Serbian War(839–842) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Principality Defeat Second Bulgarian-Serbian War 853 Bulgarian Empire Serbian Principality Defeat First Bulgarian-Croatian War(854) Bulgarian Empire Croatian Kingdom Inconclusive Peace treaty concluded with King Boris I First Bulgarian-Hungarian War(862–896) Bulgarian Empire Hungarian Empire Victory The Bulgarian army under Boris I obliterated the Magyar army, forcing them northHistory of Hungary, 955–1196 Third Bulgarian-Byzantine War(894–896) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory The Bulgarian Empire expanded Invasion of the Principality of Serbia by the pretender to the Serbian throne Klonimir backed by the Bulgarian Empire (897–898) Bulgarian Empire Klonimir Serbian Principality Defeat Rebellion supported by Tsar Simeon I was defeated,Srejović, Dragoslav. Mirković, Miroslava. et al.(1981). Istorija srpskog naroda - Prva knjiga: Od najstarijih vremena do Maričke bitke (1371). Series: Istorija srpskog naroda u šest knjiga Publisher: Srpska književna zadruga Beograd Pages: 156 resulting in the death of Klonimir Serbian-Bulgarian alliance was created Petar Gojniković was recognized as a rightful ruler of SerbiaFine, John Van Antwerp Jr. (1991) . The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472081497. p.141. Fourth Bulgarian-Byzantine War(913–927) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory The Bulgarian Empire nearly conquered Constantinople Third Bulgarian-Serbian War(917–924) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Principality Byzantine Empire Victory Emperor Simeon I and Bulgaria conquer Serbia Second Bulgarian-Croatian War(926) Bulgarian Empire Croatian Kingdom Defeat Second Bulgarian-Hungarian War(932–980) Bulgarian Empire Hungarian Empire Inconclusive Bulgaria forced the migrating Hungarians to settle within the Pannonian PlainHistory of Hungary, 895–970 Liberation of the Principality of Serbia from the Bulgar rule (933–934)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibor_%C5%BDivkovi%C4%87 (2008). Forging unity: The South Slavs between East and West 550-1150. Belgrade: The Institute of History, Čigoja štampa. ISBN 978-86-7558-573-2. p.255. Bulgarian Empire Serbian Principality Defeat Prince Česlav, with a small group of followers,Srejović, Dragoslav. Mirković, Miroslava. et al.(1981). Istorija srpskog naroda - Prva knjiga: Od najstarijih vremena do Maričke bitke (1371). Istorija srpskog naroda u šest knjiga. Srpska književna zadruga Beograd. p. 160. took possession of the Serbian Principality and submitted to Byzantine emperor Romanos I LekapenosMoravcsik, Gyula, ed. (1967) . Constantine Porphyrogenitus: De Administrando Imperio (2nd revised ed.). Washington D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies. .Fine, John Van Antwerp Jr. (1991) . The Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472081497. p.159. Bulgarian-Kievan Rus War(967–997) Bulgarian Empire Kievan Rus Empire Byzantine Empire Inconclusive Kievan Rus occupied areas of Northern Bulgaria The Rus were defeated in a three-way war with Byzantium Fifth Bulgarian-Byzantine War(968–1018) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Defeat The First Bulgarian Empire dissolved Kingdom of Duklja became last remaining region left unconquered Bulgarian invasion of Duklja(997) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Duklja Victory The Bulgarian Empire conquered Duklja and installed Jovan Vladimir as their vassalĆirković, Sima (2004). The Serbs. Malden: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 9781405142915. Third Bulgarian-Croatian War(997–1000) Bulgarian Empire Croatian Kingdom Defeat
Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result Seventh Bulgarian-Byzantine War(1185–1201) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory The Bulgarian Empire resurfaced as a great power in Eastern Europe Fourth Bulgarian-Serbian War(1202–1203) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Principality Victory The Bulgarian Empire under King Kaloyan pushed Serbia to the west First Bulgarian–Latin War(1204–1208) Bulgarian Empire Latin Empire Victory The Latin Empire weakened, while the Bulgarian Empire enlarged Battle of Klokotnitsa(1230) Bulgarian Empire Empire of Thessalonica Victory Bulgaria conquered the Empire of Thessalonica Thessaly and Epirus became vassals of the Bulgarian Empire Bulgaria emerged as a preeminent power in Southeast Europe Mongol invasion of Bulgaria and Serbia(1241) Bulgarian Empire Golden Horde Victory The Bulgarian army pushed back Batu Khan's forces Bulgarian Civil War(1277–1280) Bulgarian Empire Tsar Constantine Allies: Byzantine Empire Golden Horde Bulgarian Empire Tsar IvayloAllies: Bulgarian rebels Royal victory Rebellion leader Ivaylo was murdered George Terter I became emperor of Bulgaria Fifth Bulgarian-Serbian War(1290–1291) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Kingdom Defeat Bulgaria lost the Belgrade and Branicevo provinces. Fourth Bulgarian-Mongol War(1299–1300) Bulgarian Empire Golden Horde Victory Tsar Theodore Svetoslav expelled the Mongols to the east Ninth Bulgarian-Byzantine War(1304–1305) Bulgarian Empire Byzantine Empire Victory The Bulgarian Empire conquered most of Thrace Battle of Velbazhd(1330) Bulgarian Empire Serbian Kingdom Defeat Byzantine Civil War(1341–1347) Byzantine Empire John V PalaiologosAllies: Bulgarian Empire Serbian Empire Byzantine Empire John VI KantakouzenosAllies: Serbian Empire Ottoman Empire Victory Kantakouzenos defeated regents and became emperor The Bulgarian Empire gained northern Thrace First Bulgarian–Ottoman War(1344–1371) Bulgarian Empire Ottoman Empire Defeat Bulgaria held off the Ottoman army until the Bulgarian betrayal of brothers Second Bulgarian–Ottoman War(1371–1396) Bulgarian Empire Ottoman Empire Defeat The Bulgarian Empire fell
Principality of Bulgaria (1878–1908) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result Bulgarian-Serbian War(1885) Principality of Bulgaria Kingdom of Serbia Victory Macedonian Struggle(1893–1908) Principality of Bulgaria Kingdom of Greece Kingdom of Serbia Draw Inconclusive result after Young Turk Revolution Bulgaria gained full independence in 1908
Kingdom of Bulgaria (1908–1946) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result First Balkan War(1912–1913) Balkan League Kingdom of Bulgaria Kingdom of Greece Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Montenegro Allies: Austria-Hungary Albanian irregularsBalkan League victory The Ottoman Empire lost most remaining holdings in Europe Bulgaria obtained control over Macedonia, northern Greece, Albania and southern Serbia Treaty of London was signed Second Balkan War(1913) Kingdom of Bulgaria Kingdom of Greece Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Romania Kingdom of Montenegro Defeat Romanian and Ottoman intervention forced Bulgaria to ask for an armistice Treaty of Bucharest and Treaty of Constantinople resulted in Bulgarian territorial cessions World War I(1914–1918)(see Bulgaria during World War I)Central Powers: German Empire Austria-Hungary Kingdom of Bulgaria (from 1915)Allied Powers: Kingdom of Italy Russian Empire French Third RepublicOccupied by Central Powers: Kingdom of Greece Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Romania Allied victory Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine resulted in Bulgarian territorial cessions Incident at Petrich (1925) Kingdom of Bulgaria Kingdom of GreeceBulgarian diplomatic victory League of Nations brokered a ceasefire and Greek withdrawal Greece fined for violating Bulgarian territory Bulgaria paid damages for shooting Greek soldiers World War II (1941–1945)(see Bulgaria during World War II)Allied Powers: Soviet Union Kingdom of Italy (1943–45) French Third Republic (1939–40) Kingdom of Romania (1944–45) Kingdom of Bulgaria (1944–45) Kingdom of Greece (1940–45) Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1941)Axis Powers: Nazi Germany Empire of Japan Kingdom of Italy (1939–43) Italian Social Republic (1943–45) Kingdom of Romania (1941–44) Kingdom of Bulgaria (1941–44) Allied victory The Bulgarian monarchy was abolished and replaced with a communist government Southern Dobruja ceded to Bulgaria
People's Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia(1968) Logistics support:Supported by: Warsaw Pact victory Czech reformist leaders were forced to sign Moscow Protocol, ending the Prague Spring
Republic of Bulgaria (1990–) Conflict Combatant 1 Combatant 2 Result Iraq War(2003–2011) NATO
other allies Baath Loyalists Islamic State of Iraq Al-Qaeda Islamic Army of Iraq
Ba'athist Iraq Coalition victory The Ba'ath Party government was defeated and Saddam Hussein executed Iraqi insurgency depleted and public security improved Democratic elections were established and a new Shia-led government was formed War between Iraq and the Islamic State broke out2011 military intervention in Libya NATO
(one frigate as part of NATO contribution) other allies Libya NATO victory NTC assumed interim control of Libya Civil war broke out in Libya
See also Byzantine–Bulgarian wars Bulgarian–Latin wars Bulgarian–Ottoman wars Bulgarian–Hungarian wars Bulgarian–Serbian wars Croatian–Bulgarian wars Medieval Bulgarian army Medieval Bulgarian navy Medieval warfare
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