[Sidenote: Germany disposes of the Dobrudja.]
The first shock came regarding the Dobrudja. When the Teuton-Bulgar
armies had swept the Rumanians out of the Dobrudja at the close of 1916,
Bulgaria had expected to acquire the entire peninsula. But Germany soon
showed that she had other ideas on the matter. The Dobrudja not only
controlled the mouth of the Danube, but also contained the port terminus
of the main railroad trunk-line from Central Europe to the Black Sea.
These things Germany had no intention of placing in Bulgarian hands.
Accordingly, Bulgaria was given only the southern Dobrudja, the rest of
the peninsula being held "in common." And when in the spring of 1918
Russia's final collapse forced Rumania to make peace with the Central
powers, it was to them, and not to Bulgaria, that Rumania ceded the
Dobrudja prize. Of course Germany temporized, and extended the Dobrudja
"condominium" until the final peace settlement, but Bulgaria could see
with half an eye that her hopes in this quarter would never be realized.
[Sidenote: The dispute with Turkey about Thrace.]
A second shock was presently administered by Turkey. In return for
Bulgaria's extension of territory in the southern Dobrudja, Turkey
demanded compensation by Bulgaria's retrocession of the Demotika
district of Thrace. This district, it will be remembered, was vital to
Bulgaria's railway communications with her AEgean seaboard. Bulgaria
therefore angrily rejected the proposal, Turkey as vehemently insisted,
and by the beginning of 1918 a very pretty quarrel was on between the
two allies, culminating in at least one bloody mix-up between Turkish
and Bulgarian troops.
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