[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.  In these circumstances Bulgaria appealed to Germany, but was deeply chagrined to receive from the Wilhelmstrasse a Delphic utterance which might have been interpreted as an indorsement of Turkish claims.  The reason for this was that Germany was then overrunning the Ukraine preparatory to the occupation of Transcaucasia and the penetration of the middle East.  For such far-flung projects zealous Turkish cooperation was a prime necessity.  Accordingly, Turkey had to be favored in every possible way.  As for Bulgaria, she must not embarrass Germany in her march to world dominion.

[Sidenote:  Germany does not promise Saloniki.]

[Sidenote:  Reservation regarding Macedonia.]

A third shock was in store.  Ever since the spring of 1916 Bulgaria had occupied the Drama-Serres-Kavala districts of Greek Macedonia.  In 1916, Greece was clinging to an ambiguous neutrality, but a year later the Entente powers deposed King Constantine, and Greece ranged herself squarely on the Allied side, with a declaration of war against Bulgaria as one of the first consequences.  Thereupon Bulgaria urged Germany to allow her definitely to annex the occupied districts and to promise her Saloniki when victory should crown the Teuton-Bulgar arms.  But here again Bulgaria discovered that Germany had other fish to fry.  Ex-King Constantine and the Greek royalists might yet be very useful to Berlin.  Therefore they must not be alienated by giving Bulgaria territories which would render every Greek an irreconcilable foe to Mitteleuropa.  Also Saloniki, the great AEgean outlet of central Europe was far too valuable a prize to be committed exclusively to Bulgarian hands.  But Saloniki could be reached from central Europe only across Macedonia.  Therefore in the final Balkan settlement there must be reserves regarding Bulgaria’s control of the Macedonian railroad system.  For that matter, this might have to be applied to Bulgaria’s own railroad system, since it was the trunk-line from central Europe to the East.

[Sidenote:  German interests first.]