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| 1914, Nov. 9 |
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| In order to secure Bulgarian help the Allies offered Bulgaria the Enos-Midia line in eastern Thrace and, after the war, the (1912) uncontested zone of Macedonia, this territory being in the possession of Serbia. | 1 |
| It was clear almost from the outset, however, that such an offer would not prove attractive, since the Bulgarians aspired not only to part of Thrace, but also to most of Macedonia, the Kavalla-Drama-Seres region of western Thrace, and that part of Dobrudja lost to Romania in 1913. | 2 |
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| 1915, Jan |
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| As the Dardanelles campaign was being decided on, the Allies offered to Greece the Turkish city of Smyrna and its hinterland, on condition that the Greeks cede the Kavalla region to Bulgaria and join a Balkan bloc in support of Serbia. Venizelos favored this policy strongly, but King Constantine preferred the sparrow in the hand to the pigeon on the roof (Jan. 24, 29). | 3 |
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| March 6 |
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| Venizelos fell from power when the king refused to adopt his policy of aiding the Allies at the Dardanelles (See April 25). His successor, Demetrios Gounaris March 9–Aug. 22), was less favorable toward the Entente. | 4 |
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| April 12 |
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| Gounaris rejected a second offer of the Smyrna region, on the plea that the Allies would not guarantee Greek territory (i.e., against Bulgaria). | 5 |
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| May 7 |
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| The Allies, more eager than ever to secure the aid of Bulgaria in view of their failure at the Dardanelles, gave Serbia a conditional guarantee of the eventual acquisition of Bosnia and Herzegovina and “a wide access to the Adriatic,” as compensation for the part of Macedonia required to bring in Bulgaria. | 6 |
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| May 29 |
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| A definite offer along these lines was made to Bulgaria. The Sofia government treated these advances dilatorily, and was already leaning to the Central Powers, which were prepared to promise whatever Bulgaria wanted, in view of the fact that Bulgarian aspirations were directed chiefly to Serbian and Greek territory. | 7 |
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| July 22 |
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| The Germans persuaded the Turks to cede to Bulgaria a strip of territory along the Maritza River (definitive agreement Sept. 22). On Aug. 8 the Bulgarian government secured from Germany and Austria a loan of 400 million francs. | 8 |
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| Sept. 6 |
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| Bulgaria concluded an alliance and military convention with Germany and Austria, providing for mutual aid against attack by a neighboring state, for a German-Austrian campaign against Serbia within 30 days, and for Bulgarian participation five days later. Bulgaria was to receive Macedonia, and, if Romania joined in the war, Dobrudja also; if Greece proved hostile, Bulgaria was to receive the Kavalla region as well. | 9 |
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| Sept. 21 |
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| The Bulgarians began to mobilize. The Serbs, being directly threatened, appealed to Greece for aid under the terms of the treaty of May 1913. Venizelos, who had returned to power on Aug. 22, was as eager as ever to intervene, but made it a condition that the Allies furnish the 150,000 troops that Serbia was required to supply under the treaty terms. | 10 |
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| Sept. 24 |
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| The British and French governments gave a promise to this effect. Venizelos then secured the secret consent of the king to the landing of the Allied forces at Saloniki, but publicly the request of the Allies to land was rejected (Sept. 28). | 11 |
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| Oct. 3–5 |
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| One British and one French division were landed at Saloniki, followed by two more French divisions at the end of the month. King Constantine now refused to support Venizelos to the extent of joining in the war; the prime minister resigned (Oct. 5, 1915) and was succeeded by Alexander Zaimis (Oct. 6–Nov. 5, 1915). | 12 |
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| Oct. 6 |
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| Beginning of the great Austro-German campaign in Serbia (Gen. von Mackensen). Belgrade fell (Oct. 9), and then Semendria (Oct.11). | 13 |
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