Introduction

"The Macedonian War" is a Europa battle scenario for Balkan Front postulating an attack by Bulgaria on Yugoslavia in the summer of 1940 with the goal of securing the Yugoslavian province of Macedonia, long claimed as part of "Greater Bulgaria."

The Game starts with the Bulgarian turn of Jun I 40. It ends at the conclusion of the Sep II 40 turn.

Historical Background

When the Ottoman Empire began to break up late in the 19th century, the emerging nations of the Balkan peninsula took on national boundaries which often did not match ethnic, language, religious divisions. This lack of fit between political and natural borders created predictable difficulties and the new nations squabbled over the treatment of minorities in neighboring states.

Macedonia, in particular, remained a simmering point of contention in the years after World War I. Bulgaria had entered that war intent on gaining its "rightful" share of territory comprising Greater Bulgaria, including Thrace and Macedonia. Instead she had seen her wings clipped when the Central Powers went down to defeat. A desire to control the Macedonians, who spoke a language quite similar to Bulgarian, lingered on.

The Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which soon became Yugoslavia, did not help matters with her strongly antiBulgarian policies in the 1920s and 1930s. The Bulgarian language was banned in schools, and Bulgarians living inside Yugoslavia were generally harassed. A new resistance movement was reborn, this time against the Serbs instead of the Turks. This resistance culminated in the assassination of the Yugoslavian King Alexander I in 1934 by a Croatian terrorist who had strong ties to Italy and Bulgaria.

Hypothetical Background

Simmering Bulgarian animosity toward the Serbs came to a boil in early 1940 over a series of apparently unconnected, individually minor incidents in Macedonia that eventually resulted in Bulgarian mobilization. The Yugoslavs, beset by potential enemies on all sides, were desperate for peace.

Although they mobilized their forces in the provinces Macedonia and Kosovo, the mobilized forces did not advance toward the border.

Yugoslavia's traditional friends, Britain and France, were embroiled in a active campaign against the Germans; Russians had "corrected" their own borders by occupy Bessarabia and Bukovina and fighting the Finns. The time seemed right to the Bulgarians to in turn answer the Macedon question once and for all. After a series of escalating bellicose patriotic statements in support of Macedonian self determination, the Bulgarian Army cross the border in what was announced as "The War of Macedonian Liberation."

Components

All components necessary for play can be found in Balkan Front. The Bulgarian player uses Albanian units (white on light gray green) as VMRO units.

Prepare for Play

Set up Map 14A. This map contains the entire playable area for the scenario.

One player represents Bulgaria. The other player represents Yugoslavia.

Both players set up their forces using the "The Macedonian War" orders of battle. The Yugoslav player sets up first. The Bulgarian player sets up second. The Bulgarian player moves first.

Special Rules

Operational Boundaries: Yugoslav units may only enter Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia. Bulgarians may only enter Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, and hexes of Serbia south of the 14A:27xx hex row.

Rail capacities: The Yugoslavs have a rail capacity of 10 REs. The Bulgarians also have a rail capacity of 10 REs.

Albania and Italian Neutrality: The Italians, owners of Albania, tended to assist the Bulgarians in stirring up trouble in Macedonia over the years and it is assumed that they would be somewhat sympathetic with the Bulgarians, as both nations wanted to see the status quo in the Balkans upset. The following rules reflects this:

Up to a total of five REs of Bulgarian units may trace a supply line to any Albanian port. Any Bulgarian unit that could trace a theoretical line of supply to a port hex in Albania is not judged as isolated.

Bulgarian units that enter (or retreat into) Albania are removed from play, but not counted as eliminated for victory point purposes. Yugoslav units that enter Albania are eliminated and are counted for victory point purposes.

Greek Neutrality: Greece had signed a treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia and harbored long-standing ill feelings against the Bulgarians over Thrace and other matters (including Macedonia). It is assumed that they would be somewhat sympathetic with the Yugoslavs, although diplomatic pressure would prevent them from actively intervening with military force. The following rules reflect this:

In each Yugoslav initial phase, the Yugoslav player rolls a die. This number of REs my trace supply to any rail hex in Greece.

Any Yugoslav unit that could trace a theoretical line of supply to a rail hex in Greece (not limited by the die roll above) is not judged as isolated.

Yugoslav units that enter (or retreat into) Greece are removed from play, but not counted as eliminated for victory point purposes. Bulgarian units that enter Albania are Greece and are counted for victory point purposes.

Reinforcements: Players receive reinforcements and replacements per the scenario orders of battle, only.

Bulgarian replacements appear in Sofiya.

Yugoslav reinforcements and replacements appear in any city in Serbia. No two Yugoslav units may appear at the same city in the same turn.

Note that many Yugoslavian units present in Balkan Front do not appear in "The Macedonian War". These units are considered to be guarding the various other borders of Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavian Mobilization: The scenario Yugoslavian Order of Battle lists a number of single RE units in the Yugoslav Mobilization Pool. Each friendly initial phase, the Yugoslav may pick two units from the Mobilization Pool, selected at random (for example, drawn from a cup).

Albanian Frontier Defenses: The seven Yugoslav units of the Albanian Frontier Defense Force may not move until activated. This occurs when a Bulgarian movement moves within four hexes of that unit. Each unit is activated individually.

VMRO: The Bulgarian receives three units as conditional reinforcements indicated as "VMRO" units representing ethnic Bulgarian Macedonians. Use Albanian units for these units.

Victory Conditions

Game Length: The game begins with the Jun I 40 game turn and ends (if no decisive victory occurs earlier) at the conclusion of the Sep II 40 game turn. (Note: a scenario optional rule provides for a variable ending).

Victory. The Bulgarian player wins a decisive victory if he owns both Skolpje (14A:3713) and Nis (I 4A:3009) at any time.

If a decisive victory is not obtained from the above conditions, use victory points to determine the winner. Only the Bulgarian player scores victory points.

Victory Point Schedule

Upon occurrence:

VP Award : Event
+1 every Yugoslav attack strength point eliminated (divisions reduced to cadre are scored as the difference between their full attack strength and cadre attack strength.
-1 every Bulgarian attack strength point eliminated (divisions reduced to cadre are scored as above).

At the end of the game:

VP Award : Event
+20 the Bulgarians own Skolpje
+6 each Bulgarian-owned point city in Macedonia.

Levels of Victory

46 or more Bulgarian Decisive Victory
31 -45 Bulgarian Substantial Victory
16-30 Bulgarian Marginal Victory
8-15 Yugoslav Marginal Victory
1 -7 Yugoslav Substantial Victory
0 or less Yugoslav Decisive Victory

Optional Rules

Variable Game Ending. The standard scenario provides for a fixed game length of eight game turns. This really provides the players with more information than their historical counterparts would have in a war such as this, as both the Bulgarian and Yugoslav governments would be under an incredible variety diplomatic pressure from Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, Turkey, Greece, Romania, and even Great Britain to continue or halt the fighting, not to mention internal political pressure from various factions of the opposition (neither government was completely stable at the time). To reflect the uncertainty as to the possibility of a sudden armistice on the military commanders, use the following rule:

An "Armistice Negotiations Level" is in effect. The starting level is zero. The game immediately ends when the Armistice Negotiations Level reaches 4. Starting in every initial phase beginning with the Bulgarian player turn of Jul I 40 (the third turn of the game) roll a die and consult the Armistice Table, below. (Note: make this roll each player turn - that is, two times per game turn).

The Armistice Negotiations Level cannot fall below zero.

Die Roll	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct or later
1	-	-1	- 1	-
2	-	-	-	+ 1
3	-	-	+1	+ 1
4	-	-	+1	+1
5	-	+1	+1	+1
6	+ 1	+1	+2	+2

-: No change in Armistic Level
+#: Armistice Level increases by #
-#: Armistic Level decreases by #

More Macedonian War 1940

Europa Battle Scenario
Designer Notes
Order of Battle