Incident at Petrich
Encyclopedia
The incident at Petrich, or the War of the Stray Dog, was the short invasion of Bulgaria by Greece near the border town Petrich
in 1925. The incident was a result of the minority problems that caused many disputes between Greece
and Bulgaria
in the post-World War I
era.
; thus, it is sometimes referred to as the War of the Stray Dog. The border was guarded by Bulgarian sentries, and one of them shot the Greek soldier. According to the Greek army
a Greek captain was also shot.
Given the tense political climate, escalation was inevitable; in response, the Greek dictatorial government under General Theodoros Pangalos
sent soldiers into Bulgaria and tried to occupy Petrich. He also sent message to the Bulgarian side demanding:
Bulgaria
was given 48 hours to accept the Greek demands.
to settle the dispute. Otherwise some chetas of Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), together with the sentries, organised defence lines against the Greeks near Petrich, which prevented the Greeks from entering the town. Volunteers and war veterans from the whole region were summoned to join the resistance. On the other side Greece made it clear that it was not interested in Bulgarian territory, but demanded compensation.
The League did indeed condemn the Greek invasion, and called for both Greek withdrawal and compensation to Bulgaria. Greece acceded to this demand and a fine of £45,000 was imposed. Over 50 people were killed before Greece complied, mostly Bulgarian civilians. Greece complained about the disparity between its treatment and that of Italy
in the Corfu incident
in 1923, when the Italian armed forces occupied the Greek island of Corfu
in retaliation for the murder of Italian general Enrico Tellini
while he was surveying the Greek border with Albania
.
Petrich
Petrich is a town in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Belasica Mountains in the Strumeshnitsa Valley. , the town has 29920 inhabitants.Petrich is located close to the borders with Greece and the Republic of Macedonia...
in 1925. The incident was a result of the minority problems that caused many disputes between Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in the post-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
era.
The incident
It allegedly started on October 22, when a Greek soldier ran after his dog, which had strayed across the border from GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
; thus, it is sometimes referred to as the War of the Stray Dog. The border was guarded by Bulgarian sentries, and one of them shot the Greek soldier. According to the Greek army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
a Greek captain was also shot.
Given the tense political climate, escalation was inevitable; in response, the Greek dictatorial government under General Theodoros Pangalos
Theodoros Pangalos (general)
Major General Theodoros Pangalos was a Greek soldier and politician. A distinguished staff officer and an ardent Venizelist and anti-royalist, Pangalos played a leading role in the September 1922 revolt that deposed King Constantine I and in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic...
sent soldiers into Bulgaria and tried to occupy Petrich. He also sent message to the Bulgarian side demanding:
- The punishment of the Bulgarian commanders of the troops that shot the Greek soldiers.
- Official apology from the Bulgarian government for the incident.
- Six million DrachmasGreek drachmaDrachma, pl. drachmas or drachmae was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history:...
as compensation for the families of the victims.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
was given 48 hours to accept the Greek demands.
International intervention
Bulgaria ordered its troops to provide only token resistance, trusting the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
to settle the dispute. Otherwise some chetas of Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), together with the sentries, organised defence lines against the Greeks near Petrich, which prevented the Greeks from entering the town. Volunteers and war veterans from the whole region were summoned to join the resistance. On the other side Greece made it clear that it was not interested in Bulgarian territory, but demanded compensation.
The League did indeed condemn the Greek invasion, and called for both Greek withdrawal and compensation to Bulgaria. Greece acceded to this demand and a fine of £45,000 was imposed. Over 50 people were killed before Greece complied, mostly Bulgarian civilians. Greece complained about the disparity between its treatment and that of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the Corfu incident
Corfu incident
The Corfu Incident was a 1923 diplomatic crisis between the Kingdom of Greece and the Kingdom of Italy.-Background:There was a boundary dispute between Greece and Albania. The two nations took their dispute to the Conference of Ambassadors. The Conference of Ambassadors created a commission to...
in 1923, when the Italian armed forces occupied the Greek island of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
in retaliation for the murder of Italian general Enrico Tellini
Enrico Tellini
Enrico Tellini was an Italian General whose assassination provoked the Corfu incident of 1923.-Biography:Enrico Tellini was born in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana in the province of Lucca in Tuscany. After a childhood in Florence and enlistment in the Italian army he enrolled in classes at a local...
while he was surveying the Greek border with Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.