On June 17, 1945, the First Bulgarian Army was solemnly welcomed in Sofia. This marked the end of its victorious battle path in World War II. The event was organized with a large-scale military ceremony, nationwide celebrations and a strong emotional charge for the capital.
The representative army units arrived at the Central Station in Sofia. From there, they began their march in columns towards the Lion's Bridge. An impressive 15-meter triumphal arch was erected especially for the event, located on the soldiers' path. It bears the welcoming inscription: “Welcome, victors!“.
The procession continues to the square in front of the Patriarchal Cathedral, the “Saint Alexander Nevsky“. There, an official prayer service is held in memory of the Bulgarian soldiers who died during the fighting in Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria. A large rally is held, followed by an official military parade. At the head of the marching column stand the generals – commanders of corps and divisions who led the army on the fronts.
The troops are led by the commander of the First Bulgarian Army – Lieutenant General Vladimir Stoychev.
The hostilities for the Bulgarian army officially ended around May 15, 1945 in the area of the Austrian town of Völkermarkt and the Alps. There, the Bulgarian units established contact with the Eighth British Army, after defeating the remnants of the resisting German and Croatian troops.
With their return to Sofia and the subsequent parade, the official process of demobilization of the First Bulgarian Army began, which finally ended at the end of December 1945.
The Bulgarian Army suffered a total of about 12,500 killed and over 30,000 wounded during its participation in World War II. The majority of these losses were suffered during the final stage of the war.
In the battles in Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo during the 1944 armistice, nearly 4,800 Bulgarian soldiers were killed and over 14,000 were wounded. In the large-scale battles in Hungary (the Drava Operation) and Austria in early 1945, the First Bulgarian Army lost about 6,900 people, and nearly 18,000 were wounded.
According to the Paris Peace Treaty of February 10, 1947, Bulgaria emerged from the war as a defeated country, but unlike previous national catastrophes, it retained its borders from January 1, 1941. This allowed the state to retain Southern Dobrudja, which was returned under the Craiova Agreement.
Total reparations of $70 million were imposed - $45 million for Greece and $25 million for Yugoslavia. They had to be paid in goods and raw materials within 8 years, which put a heavy burden on the Bulgarian economy.
Bulgaria failed to gain access to the Aegean Sea, and neighboring countries Greece and Yugoslavia made unsuccessful territorial claims to Bulgarian lands.
The Bulgarian army was reduced to 65 thousand people. Possession of modern weapons (such as submarines and bombers) was prohibited, as was the construction of military fortifications along the border with Greece.
The treaty regulated the withdrawal of Soviet troops, but the country was finally left in the Soviet sphere of influence, which predetermined its future in the Eastern Bloc. Despite the military clauses of the treaty, they were not practically applied due to the onset of the Cold War.