Editing Bulgarian Armed Forces (section)

===Serbo-Bulgarian war===
{{main|Serbo-Bulgarian War}}
The Serbo-Bulgarian War was the first armed conflict after [[Liberation of Bulgaria|Bulgaria's liberation]]. It was a result of the [[Bulgarian unification|unification]] with [[Eastern Rumelia]], which happened on 6 September 1885. The unification was not completely recognised, however, and one of the countries that refused to recognise the act was the [[Kingdom of Serbia]]. The [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] had been expanding its influence in the [[Balkans]], and was particularly opposed. Serbia also feared this would diminish its dominance in the region. In addition, Serbian ruler [[Milan Obrenović IV]] was annoyed that Serbian opposition leaders like [[Nikola Pašić]], who had escaped persecution after the [[Timok Rebellion]], had found asylum in Bulgaria. Lured by Austria-Hungary's promises of territorial gains from Bulgaria (in return for concessions in the western Balkans), Milan IV declared war on Bulgaria on 14 November 1885.

Military strategy relied largely on surprise, as Bulgaria had moved most of its troops near the border with the Ottoman Empire, in the southeast. As it happened, the Ottomans did not intervene and the Serbian army's advance was stopped after the [[Battle of Slivnitsa]]. The main body of the Bulgarian army travelled from the Ottoman border in the southeast to the Serbian border in the northwest to defend the capital, [[Sofia]]. After the defensive battles at Slivnitsa and [[Vidin]], Bulgaria began an offensive that took the city of [[Pirot]]. At this point the Austro-Hungarian Empire stepped in, threatening to join the war on Serbia's side if Bulgarian troops did not retreat. Fighting lasted for only 14 days, from 14 to 28 November. A peace treaty was signed in [[Bucharest]] on 19 February 1886. No territorial changes were made to either country, but Bulgarian unification was recognised by the Great Powers.