REPORT ON THE BULGARIAN ARMY: ORGANIZATION; MOBILIZATION; TRAINING; DISCIPLINE AND MORALE.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R007700170003-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 1, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 29, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION LT CONFLDI I T AL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION REPORT
CD NO.
COUNTRY Bulgaria
DATE DISTR..29MBy 1951
SUBJECT Report.on the Bulgarian Armys Organization; NO. OF PAGES
Mobilization; Training; Discipline and 1'Sarale.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW
The High Command of the Armed Forces
1. The high comnand of the armed forces comes under the Ministry of National
Defense, which has as its chief Lieutenant General Peter Panchevski, a
.Bulgarian who was a former Soviet officer and who graduated from the
military academy in Russia.. The actual commend and direction of the array
is in the hands of the military section of the Central Committee of the
Bulgarian Communist Party. The functions of the Minister of National
Defense are more administrative and political than military. The actual
military direction of the armed forces is in the hands of the Chief of
the General Staff. The Minister of War ,or Minister of National Defense,
has three assistant ministers who are also generals. The Ministry of
National Defense has the following known divisions:
a. Political Directorate of the Amy - Headed by a Communist general,
this division is organized on the pattern of the Soviet counterpart.
It is charged with propagandising Communism in the armed forces and
also conducts party espionage within the armed forces. This division
has at its disposal the officers who have graduated from the Institute
for Political Officers as well as all members of the Dimitrov Union
of People's Youth who are in the armed forces.
b. Chancellery of the Miinistv - In this division a
and dismissals from mill PPo~tments, promotions
is charged with the issuing and disseminationcofamil~~ division
military orders.
c. Infantry Division - Formerly called the Infantry Inspectorate.
d. Art i11e1-y i vision _ Formerly called the Artillery Inspectorate.
e. Signals Division - Formerly called the Signals Inspectorate.
f. Airforce Division
g. Armored Di ion
h. Naval Division
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CONFIDENTIAL
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I. fining bivision - This division is charged with the formulation'of
scholastic programs among the troo
s
lan
l
p
, p
s, ru
es and regulations,
conduct and supervision of military schools and establishments, and
all those on active service who have stipends of one kind or another.
Mlitarv Justice Division _ This division is charged with the super-
vision and operation ofilitary courts, military jurors, and military
laws and regulations.
k. Sustenance Division - Equivalent to a quartermaster unit, this division
is charged with the supply for the armed forces of everything they
need for peacetime and wartime use of the troops, and the supervision
of the military factories and workshops.
1. maimed Forces Sanitary and Veterinary Division - This division is
charged with the maintaining and establishing of hospitals, aid
centers, and furnishing the individual soldier with sanitary materials.
It is also charged with furnishing the army with horses.
m, A group of sections as follows:
1) Ordnance Section
2) Military Cemetery Section
3) Foreign Military Attache Section
Mobilization
2. The peacetime composition of an infantry regiment is two battalions, which
in time of war are augmented by an additional infantry battalion. The
same composition Is true of the other branches and arms. The drafting of
new soldiers, the mobilization of reserve soldiers, and the supervision of
the reserves is accomplished through the medium of so-called military districts.
The entire country is divided into approximately 30 such military districts
which in turn fill quotas for all arms and branches. The first and second
military districts are located in Sofia in the former barracks of 1 and 6
Infantry Regiments, respectively.
3. The bringing of units up to table of organization strength is accomplished
through the so-called territorial system, as follows: If, for example,
I Infantry Regiment from Sofia needs additional troops, it will call up
soldiers from outlying districts, and in a similar manner Sofia residents
will in turn be sent to garrisons far from Sofia. There are two reasons
for adopting this system. One is that ,in case of wer,the casualties will
not be from the same town, city, or area; and the second reason is that the
Communist Party does not fully trust the mass of Bulgarian soldiers.
4. Attached to every people's council (municipal) is a special section for
military service and labor service. This section keeps records of all
youths in the entire co munity who have attained their seventeenth year;
and each year, in the vicinity of the m nicipal courthouse, lists are posted
with the names of the youths from the district who are eligible for military
service. This is done in order that each youth can check the list himself
and make Mare name and data are correct; if there is a mistake of any kind,
each youth is charged with informing the military section of the people's
council of any such errors.
The corrected and completed lists are then sent by the people's council to
the appropriate military district. After receiving the list the military
districts form so.-called draft commissions composed of the following;
a, President who in al the chief of the military district or the
deputy chief of the military district,
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b. The president of the people's council.
c. A number of doctors and a representative from the Communist Party.
The youths are called up by the people 'a council who pass them on to the
draft comnission. The draft commissions are mobile but ordinarily stay
in a more central, heavily populated town to which the local youth of the
surrounding area report.
6. Upon appearing before the draft eoamdssion each youth must fill out a
large queationnriire which contains many types of questions, including
name, date of birth, family and material position, income, specific place
in life (laborer, farmer, small, middle or large bourgeois), his entire
biography, membership in any organization, connections with the Fatherland
Front, what members of his family have suffered from the Fatherland Front,
and similar data. After filling out this questionnaire, each 'ember is
given a medical examination, the results of which are written on the back
of the draft notice by the president of the draft commission. The comments
put on the back are either OPS (good for field service) or GNS (good for
non-field service); in some cases "not acceptable" is put on his record.
The president of the draft commission also is charged with assigning the
individual to the arm or branch wherein the youth should serve, depending
upon his questionnaire and the need of the various units within the army.
The youth, however, is not informed of the location where he is destined to
serve.
7. One month after the draft commission completes its work, various control
caomissiuns come into being whose job is to again review each questionnaire
and take up special eases, such as, deferment and request for change of
category. They also consider people who have been considered in past year"
unfit for military service and who may,, by now, have been properly hospi-
talized and poured. University students come under this category, as they
must obtain deferment for each scholastic year. Between one and two months
before the youth is ordered to the barracks he is sent a draft notice which
designates where and when he will appear for duty.
8. Reservists are treated in the same manner and through the same channels.
Each military district keeps special dossiers for all reservists in which
are entered all data concerning the reservists which have been obtained
through the Voenna Osvedomiselna Slovzhba (Military Informational t ervice),
especially concerning his political life. Eve member of the reserve is
equipped with a "voenna knizhka" (military book, which is red for reserve
officers and green for non-commissioned officers and soldiers. In this
book are entered all the data concerning the reservist and the number
assigned to him in the reserve, as veil as the exact location where he
will go upon being called to active duty. During 1948 a large scale
examination was conducted of all reservists in the country to re-evaluate
their political reliability. The draft commission interviewed every case,
even the prisoners who were reservists.
9. At the end of 1950 the Government established special examination commissions
for reserve officers. These comissions were still conducting their work
at the end of January 1951. Former officers of the old army were examined
carefully and interrogated fully as to their present position and thoughts,
what their work was. and what attitude they had toward the Fatherland Front.
They were also asked what they would do if the Fatherland Front asked them
during time of war to command fighting units. It was the opinion of the
reservists brought before these commissions that the Government is trying
to screen all reservists who had been let out of active service, because
the army was very low in trained officers.
10. The equipping of mobilized reservists is aceom lished through regimental
supply stations. In time of war these supply d into tsmall towns in the area where the mobilizaton is will be moved into the
these regimental supply depots there are also the divisional and army
depots. At the present time one large army depot of clothes and shoes is
located in the village of Chelopechene, near Sofia.
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Training and Military Schools
U. The Vasil Levski (tlitary School in Sofia, trains future regular infantry,
engineer, signal, and cavalry officers. Admission to this school is based
on competitive examinations; each candidate who appears before the board
of examiners must have finished high school. The present criteria for
entrance are far different from those established right after 1945; many of
the officers serving today have little or no education. These officers
may or may not have graduated from grade, grammar or high school. After a
one-year course in the military school, they are appointed directly as
officer in the army with ranks from lieutenant to general, depending upon
their guerrilla activity and the confidence reposed in them by the
Comoaainist Party. They also must have a recommendation from and bold
membership in the Dimitrov Union of Paople'a Youth.
12. During the fail of 1950, when the now class was being Inducted into the
military school, not enough applicants had applied to fill the quota and,
therefore, many candidates were orderei to appear for competitive examine..
tions by their respective people's cowacil. The people's council would
then automatically send the youths to the school to become ' rsenti"
(the name for what was formerly called a "junker"). One example is the
case of the son of a certain Mr. Petrov who was a pro-gymnasium teacher
in the Aprilov School located on Shipka Street, Sofia. The teacher was a
non,partisan and non-political person, but his son was sent to the military
school upon orders of the 5th District Taople's Council in Sofia and was
sponsored by the people's representativo Ivanka Georgieva. This was done
despite the yoautth's specific request that he be allowed to study engineer-
ing in the polytechnic school.
13. The course at the Vasil Leveki Military School takes three years. During
the first years. general study of military matters is undertaken, as well
as general infantry preparation. During the second year the students are
appointed to their various branches. Throughout the entire course extensive
political indoctrination is effected with the ideal of establishing a corps
of politically firm officers. The present training schedule at the military
school is such that a student rarely has any time to be by himself. During
the suer the school goes-out into the field for three to four months to
practice practical field problems, mainly in the area of Bankya, which is
near Sofia. The students who have completed the course at the military
school are promoted to the rank of junior lieutenant.
14. The Artillery School is located in the building formerly housing the Reserve
Officers School in Sofia (Lozenets). This school trains all artillery and
anti-aircraft artillery officers. The curriculum and method of operation
is the same as that of the Vasil Levski N4i.litery- School.
15. There is a tank school in Botevgrad which trains future tank officers, as
well as non-commissioned officers, mechanics, and other specialists of
the armored forces. The chief technical advisor of this school is Major
Nachko Paushkov. All training at this school is done with the Russian
T-34 tank.
16. An aviation school for officers and non,-commissioned officers is located.
in Kazanluk and has branches in Karlovo, for fighter pilots, and Bozburishte.
17. At the Naval School located in Stalin (Varna) the naval officers for the
fleet are trained.
18. The ftristo Botev School for reserve officers is located in Turnovo in the
barracks of 18 Infantry Regiment and the former Ron-a0mmissioned officer
teerve School. This school trains reserve officers for all branches of
the service and qualifications require that each candidate must have
finished high school. The school lasts one year, at the end of which
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time each candidate is sent out to various regiments for
until the end of his service. Because of the lack of qualified offices,
the highest scholastic ranking reservists are often informed that they
have been chosen to remain on active duty.
19. Schools for sergeants exist in every regiment and specialist sergeant and
non-commissioned officer schools exist under each division. Each year
special courses for the training of sergeants are conducted, lasting from
five to six months. During this period the sergeants are placed in charge
of training lower ranks. At the termination of their term of service the
better sergeants and nonpcommissioned officers are allowed to remain on
active duty if they so desire.
20. The Higher Military General Staff Academy is located in Sofia and maintains
its quarters in the Vasil Levski Military School. This academy is responsi-
ble for the training of future general staff officers. The candidates
must undergo a competitive examination, requirements for which are that
they must have served between four and five years as officers and have good
recommendations from their commanders. The course is three years long and
the program encompasses strategy, military geography of the Balkans, tactics,
administration of troops, mobilization, transportation, with special empha-
sis on tactical problem and military maneuvers. Until the beginning of
1949 all tactical problems were mainly attack problems Witch assumed that
the Bulgarian forces were three times stronger than those of the adversary
and that there was equality in air strength. From, 1949 on the
have mainly concerned defense, under the ' problems
general assumption that the
he
adversary is three times stronger and possesses air superiority. During
1950 the maneuvers included officers from engineer regiments who pertici-
pated in the defense games. The present teachers in the academy are mostly
former general staff officers from the old army, who umber about 60 persons.
They are dressed in officers, uniforms but wear a special stripe on their
epaulet. Those students who stand scholastically high and who are politically
pure are sent to the USSR where they are placed in the various specialized
military academies. At the present time there are approximately 104 Bulgarian
army officers who have completed courses at such Russian academies,
21. The training of the soldiers is completed in each individual regiment. The
individuals training lasts from three to four months, during which period
the following topics are studied: weapons study; tricks with weapons;
battle conditioning of the individual soldier; range firing with rifle;
light machine-guns and grenades; general military information, including
military courtesy and discipline; study of the military guide book; garrison
duty; and political preparation. Generally each recruit who finishes such
a course comes out as a very good soldier, who knows his weapons and how
to fire them. Each soldier during this period fires approximately 150 live
rounds of ammunition. After completion of basic training of the soldier,
the units then proceed to squad, platoon, and company training. The units
are assigned to various camps towards the end of May and remain there until
October, at which time they again return to their proper barracks. During
this summer period' each unit undergoes battalion, regimental, and divisional
maneuvers is-conjunction with the. various other armed services. During this
training in the field much attention and stress is placed upon the political
preparation. Training of specialists is accomplished in each regiment by
forming special schools for whatever specialists are needed by the regiments
such as radio telegraphists, drivers, machine-gunners, and mortarmen, In '
January 1951 a new system was Introduced for making non-commissioned officers,
based on the Russian pattern, Since the term of service has been len
significantly, the army released groaned
transferred them into other service and r pl?ced them withiwell-traineds
soldiers, without rank.
Biscipline Morale and Recreation
22. Subsequent to 1944 the Communists purposely allowed-a certain laxness to
exist in the array. Today, however, an extremely raw and strong discipline
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is being enforced; for the smallest infraction of regulations the soldier
is severely punished. Just as it does with the civilian population, fear
rules; and this fear is mainly instilled by the political commissars. A
soldier who is caught complaining about anything is placed under arms with
full field pack for a number of days, during which he must stand at attention
with his full field pack for one or two hours daily. This punishment is
usually effected out in the sun and in the middle of the parade ground
where everyone can see and learn a lesson. Other punishments are the taking
away of leave and pass privileges, garrison arrest, post stockade, or
stripping of rank. The stripping of rank also applies to officers, who may
be reduced to the lowest rank within their category; thus a captain can be
reduced to a second lieutenant. Punishments also include garnishing a
portion of the pay; sending the person for a specified period to hard labor
in mines or supervision in mines; working in quarries; or working in the
fields. There are special disciplinary companies for this purpose and
the Communists use these to a great extent. Time served in punishment is
not considered as military time, and, at the end of one's service, the
days spent under arrest or detention most be served out. The Communist
authorities do not recognize the 3octrine of not punishing an officer in
front of his subordinates. For example, during the month of January 1951
a group of officers from an armored regiment were punished by the garrison,
chief before the entire regiment, They were forced to do close order drill,
calisthentics and roll in the mud in the courtyard of the barracks. As a
result they became the laughing stock of the regiment.
23. There are two kinds of leave granted by the Bulgarian army, town leave or
home leave. The town leave is usually for a certain number of hours in a
city or tvnn, especially on ordinary holidays. Rome leave is usually
given for a period of ten to fifteen days. In comparison with the old
practice of the Bulgarian army, the present leaves are very short; in
some cases a soldier has not seen his family for one or two years. The
reasons for this area to keep the soldiers prepared for battle; and to
prevent the soldier from observing at home the unhappiness end misery of
his loved ones and returning with an anti-Communist disposition.
24. Because of extending the time of service, soldiers from the senior classes
receive a certain amount of monetary compensation, usually between 2,000
and 3,000 levas a month, to help their families. To the extremely poor
families the people's eounciiosend money or food products. The amount of
money and food sent by the people's eouncilsis, however, extremely minute
in quantity and merely represents a symbol of what Communism is supposed
to do for the family; therefore, such families exist in extreme misery and
unhappiness.
25. To reduce passes and leaves to a minisrum, soldiers are taken in groups to
sport festivals, cinemas, or theaters. Besides this, each unit has a
sports group which arranges competitions with other members of the unit
and between units. In the army there exists a so-called soldiers' theater
which visits garrisons and gives various plays or sends small groups of
actors, musicians, or dancers to the bar-racks. They also use a limited
number of movies. This entire program of recreation is urnd - the direction
and control of the Political:Ljrectorate of the .rmy.
26. The majority of the soldiers stem from peasant stock and they bring into
the army the spirit of unhappiness present in the mass of the peasantry;
they are fully aware of the forcible taking away of their fathers" land
and the forming of cooperatives and that the government is taking food
from the peasant populations who have labored so bard to ar .tivate this
food. They are also aware of the fact that their fathers or brothers or
other dear ones have been ant to concentration camps or prisons. One of
the reasons for prolonging the term of service and using harsh
disciplinary measures is in an attempt to suppress and control EM
desfre for revolt. The new officers are especially harsh with their troops.
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Despite the continuous propaganda and political training, the morale of
the soldier today is extremely low and the situation will become worse when
large new numbers of unhappy citizens are inducted into the service. This
is well known to the Cronist authorities, but they can do nothing to
wipe out the basic reason for this unhappy frame of mind. In order to
combat it, they have set up a rogime of terror by which they hope to keep
the soldier under control.
27., rebellion on the part of individual soldiers is increasing. As an example
of this, during the summer of 1950 two candidate non-commissioned soldiers
officers of 22 Infantry Regiment in Pupnitea tore off their stripes in
front of the entire regiment, tore them to shreds, threw them on the
ground, and stamped on then as an expression of dissatisfaction against
prrlonging the term of service. During the summer of 1950 a Trudovak
officer, from the Radomir labor batAalion,was called a kulak'a son by
the commanding officer, a major; the Trudovak took his spade and out off
the major's head, after which he d-'nappeared into the hills. During
June 1950 in 13 Infantry PAgiment a conspiracy of 30 soldiers was uncovered.
When it was discovered they were hiding weapons. A portion of the group ran
away and crossed into Yugoslavia. There was also a soldiers' conspiracy
in an armored division. Another recent conspiracy was made up almost
entirely of officers who favored Tito. Under present conditions and
considering the morale of the troops., it is almost a certainty that, in
the event of armed conflict, d'sser ion and rebellion within the Bulgarian
army will be on a much larger scale than anticipated.
CONFtDEK1'AL
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