Treaty of Neuilly/Part IV

Part IV&mdash;Military, Naval and Air Clauses

In order to render possible the initiation of a general limitation of the armaments of all nations, Bulgaria undertakes strictly to observe the military, naval and air clauses which follow.

Article 64
Within three months of the coming into force of the present Treaty, the military forces of Bulgaria shall be demobilised to the extent prescribed hereinafter.

Article 65
Universal compulsory military service shall be abolished in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Army shall in future only be constituted and recruited by means of voluntary enlistment.

Article 66
The total number of military forces in the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed 20,000 men, including officers and depot troops.

The formations composing the Bulgarian Army shall be fixed in accordance with the wishes of Bulgaria, subject to the following reservations:

(1) The effectives of units shall be compulsorily fixed between the maximum and minimum figures shown in Table IV annexed to the present Section.

(2) The proportion of officers, including the personnel of staffs and special services, shall not exceed one-twentieth of the total effectives with the colours, and that of non-commissioned officers shall not exceed one-fifteenth of the total effectives with the colours.

(3) The number of machine guns, guns and howitzers shall not exceed those fixed in Table V annexed to the present Section per thousand men of the total effectives with the colours.

The Bulgarian Army shall be exclusively employed for the maintenance of order within the Bulgarian territory and for the control of the frontiers.

Article 67
In no case shall units be formed of greater size than a division, the latter being in accordance with Tables I, II and IV annexed to the present Section. The maximum size of the staffs and of all formations are given in the Tables annexed to the present Section; these figures need not be exactly followed, but they must not in any case be exceeded.

The maintenance or formation of any other group of forces, as well as any other organisation concerned with military command or war preparation, is forbidden.

Each of the following units may have a depot:

A regiment of Infantry;

A regiment of Cavalry;

A regiment of Field Artillery;

A battalion of Pioneers.

Article 68
All measures of mobilisation or appertaining to mobilisation are forbidden.

Formations, administrative services and staffs must not in any case include supplementary cadres.

It is forbidden to carry out any preparatory measures for the requisition of animals or any other means of military transport.

Article 69
The number of gendarmes shall be fixed by the Inter-Allied Military Commission of Control referred to in Article 98, and shall not exceed the number of men employed in a similar capacity in 1911 within the territorial limits of Bulgaria as fixed in accordance with the present Treaty. In no case shall the number of these officials who are armed with rifles exceed 10,000.

The number of these officials may only be increased in the future in proportion to the increase of population in the localities or municipalities which employ them.

These officials, as well as those employed in the railway service, must not be assembled for the purpose of taking part in any military exercises.

In addition, Bulgaria may establish a special corps of frontier guards, which must be recruited by means of voluntary enlistment and must not exceed 3,000 men, so that the total number of rifles in use in Bulgaria shall not exceed 33,000.

Article 70
Any military formation not dealt with in the above Articles is forbidden. Such other formations as may exist in excess of the effectives authorised shall be suppressed within the period laid down in Article 64.

Article 71
All officers, including the gendarmerie, customs, forest and other services must be regulars (officers de carrière). Officers at present serving who are retained in the army, gendarmerie or the abovmentioned services must undertake to serve at least up to the age of 40. Officers at present serving who do not join the new army, gendarmerie or the abovementioned services shall be free from any military obligations. They must not take part in any military exercises, theoretical or practical.

Officers newly appointed must undertake to serve on the active list of the army, gendarmerie or the abovementioned services for at least 20 consecutive years.

The proportion of officers leaving the service for any cause before the expiration of their term of engagement must not exceed in any year one-twentieth of the total effectives of officers provided by Article 66. If this percentage is unavoidably exceeded, the resulting deficit in the cadres shall not be filled up by new appointments.

Article 72
The total length of engagement of non-commissioned officers and men shall not be less than 12 years' consecutive service with the colours.

The proportion of men dismissed before the expiration of their term of service for reasons of health or discipline or for any other cause must not exceed in any year one-twentieth of the total effectives fixed by Article 66. If this number is unavoidably exceeded, the resulting deficit shall not be filled by fresh enlistments.

Article 73
On the expiration of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty there must only exist in Bulgaria one military school, strictly set apart for the recruitment of officers for the authorised units.

The number of students admitted to instruction in the said school shall be strictly in proportion to the vacancies to be filled in the officer cadres. The students and the cadres shall be reckoned as part of the effectives fixed by Article 66.

Consequently, within the time fixed above, all military colleges or similar institution in Bulgaria, as well as the various schools for officers, student officers, cadets, non-commissioned officers or student non-commissioned officers, other than the school above provided for, shall be abolished.

Article 74
Educational establishments, other than those referred to in Article 73 above, universities, societies of discharged soldiers, touring clubs, boy scouts' societies, and associations or clubs of every description, must not occupy themselves with any military matters. They will on no account be allowed to instruct or exercise their pupils or members in the use of arms.

These educational establishments, societies, clubs or other associations must have no connection with the Ministry of War or any other military authority.

Article 75
In schools and educational establishments of every description, whether under State control or private management, the teaching of gymnastics shall not include any instruction or drill in the use of arms or training for war.

Article 76
On the expiration of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the armament of the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed the figures fixed per thousand men in Table V annexed to the present Section.

Any excess in relation to effectives shall only he used for such replacements as may eventually be necessary.

Article 77
The stock of munitions at the disposal of the Bulgarian Army shall not exceed the amounts fixed in Table V annexed to the present Section.

Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the Bulgarian Government shall deposit any existing surplus of armament and munitions in such places as shall be notified to it by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

No other stock, depot or reserve of munitions shall be formed.

Article 78
The number and calibre of guns constituting the fixed normal armament of fortified places existing at the present moment in Bulgaria shall be immediately notified to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, and will constitute maximum amounts which may not be exceeded.

Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the maximum stock of ammunition for these guns will be reduced to and maintained at the following uniform rates:

1,500 rounds per gun for those the calibre of which is 105 mm. and under;

500 rounds per gun for those of higher calibre;

No new fortifications or fortified places shall be constructed in Bulgaria.

Article 79
The manufacture of arms, munitions and of war material shall only be carried on in one single factory, which shall be controlled by and belong to the State, and whose output shall be strictly limited to the manufacture of such arms, munitions and war material as is necessary for the military forces and armaments referred to in Articles 66, 69, 77 and 78 above.

Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty all other establishments for the manufacture, preparation, storage or design of arms, munitions or any other war material shall be abolished or converted to purely commercial uses.

Within the same length of time, all arsenals shall also be supresssed, except those to be used as depots for the authorised stocks of munitions, and their staffs discharged.

The plant of any establishments or arsenals in excess of the needs of the authorised manufacture shall be rendered useless or converted to purely commercial uses, in accordance with the decisions of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control referred to in Article 98.

Article 80
Within three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty all arms, munitions and war material, including any kind of anti-aircraft material, of whatever origin, existing in Bulgaria in excess of the authorised quantity shall be handed over to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

This delivery shall take place at such points in Bulgarian territory as may be appointed by the said Powers, who shall also decide on the disposal of such material.

Article 81
The importation into Bulgaria of arms, munitions and war material of all kinds is forbidden.

The manufacture for foreign countries and the exportation of arms, munitions and war material shall also be forbidden.

Article 82
The use of flame throwers, asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and all similar liquids, materials or processes being prohibited, their manufacture and importation are strictly forbidden in Bulgaria.

Material specially intended for the manufacture, storage or use of the said products or processes is equally forbidden.

The manufacture and importation into Bulgaria of armoured cars, tanks or any similar machines suitable for use in war are equally forbidden.

TABLE I. COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES OF AN INFANTRY DIVISION

* Each regiment comprises 3 battalions of infantry. Each battalion comprises 3 companies of infantry and 1 machine gun company.

† Each battalion comprises 1 headquarters, 2 pioneer companies, 1 bridging section, 1 searchlight section.

‡ This regiment comprises 1 headquarters, 3 groups of field or mountain artillery, comprising 8 batteries; each battery comprising 4 guns or howitzers (field or mountain).

§ This detachment comprises: telegraph and telephone detachment, 1 listening section, 1 carrier pigeon section.

TABLE II. COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES FOR A CAVALRY DIVISION

* Each regiment comprises 4 squadrons.

† Each group comprises 9 fighting cars, each carrying 1 gun, 1 machine gun and 1 spare machine gun, 4 communication cars, 2 small lorries for stores, 7 lorries, including 1 repair lorry, 4 motor cycles.

Note: The large cavalry units may include a variable number of regiments and be divided into independent brigades within the limit of the effectives laid down above.

TABLE III. COMPOSITION AND MAXIMUM EFFECTIVES FOR A MIXED BRIGADE

* Each regiment comprises 3 battalions of infantry. Each battalion comprises 3 companies of infantry and 1 machine gun company.

TABLE IV. MINIMUM EFFECTIVES OF UNITS WHATEVER ORGANISATION IS ADOPTED IN THE ARMY (DIVISIONS, MIXED BRIGADES, ETC)

TABLE V. MAXIMUM AUTHORISED ARMAMENTS AND MUNITION SUPPLIES


 * Automatic rifles or carbines are counted as light machine guns.

Note: No heavy gun, ie, of a calibre greater than 105 mm, is authorised, with the exception of the normal armament of fortified places.

Article 83
From the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty all Bulgarian warships, submarines included, are declared to be finally surrendered to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

Bulgaria will, however, have the right to maintain on the Danube and along her coasts for police and fishery duties not more than four torpedo boats and six motor boats, all without torpedoes and torpedo apparatus, to be selected by the Commission referred to in Article 99.

The personnel of the above vessels shall be organised on a purely civilian basis.

The vessels allowed to Bulgaria must only be replaced by lightly-armed patrol craft not exceeding 100 tons displacement and of non-military character.

Article 84
All warships, including submarines, now under construction in Bulgaria shall be broken up. The work of breaking up these vessels shall be commenced as soon as possible after the coming into force of the present Treaty.

Article 85
Articles, machinery and material arising from the breaking up of Bulgarian warships of all kinds, whether surface vessels or submarines, may not be used except for purely industrial or commercial purposes.

They may not be sold or disposed of to foreign countries.

Article 86
The construction or acquisition of any submarine, even for commercial purposes, shall be forbidden in Bulgaria.

Article 87
All arms, ammunition and other naval war material, including mines and torpedoes, which belonged to Bulgaria at the date of the signature of the Armistice of 29 September 1918, are declared to be finally surrendered to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

Article 88
During the three months following the coming into force of the present Treaty the high-power wireless telegraphy station at Sofia shall not be used for the transmission of messages concerning naval, military or political questions of interest to Bulgaria, or any State which has been allied to Bulgaria in the war, without the assent of the Principal Allied and Associated Powers. This station may be used for commercial purposes, but only under the supervision of the said Powers, who will decide the wave-length to be used.

During the same period Bulgaria shall not build any more high-power wireless telegraphy stations in her own territory or that of Germany, Austria, Hungary or Turkey.

Article 89
The armed forces of Bulgaria must not include any military or naval air forces. No dirigible shall be kept.

Article 90
Within two months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the personnel of the air forces on the rolls of the Bulgarian land and sea forces shall be demobilised.

Article 91
Until the complete evacuation of Bulgarian territory by the Allied and Associated troops the aircraft of the Allied and Associated Powers shall enjoy in Bulgaria freedom of passage through the air, freedom of transit and of landing.

Article 92
During the six months following the coming into force of the present Treaty the manufacture, importation and exportation of aircraft, parts of aircraft, engines for aircraft, and parts of engines for aircraft shall be forbidden in all Bulgarian territory.

Article 93
On the coming into force of the present Treaty all military and naval aeronautical material must be delivered by Bulgaria and at her expense to the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

Delivery must be effected at such places as the Governments of the said Powers may select, and must be completed within three months.

In particular, this material will include all items under the following heads which are or have been in use or were designed for warlike purposes:

Complete aeroplanes and seaplanes, as well as those being manufactured, repaired or assembled.

Dirigibles able to take the air, being manufactured, repaired or assembled.

Plant for the manufacture of hydrogen.

Dirigible sheds and shelters of every kind for aircraft.

Pending their delivery, dirigibles will, at the expense of Bulgaria, be maintained inflated with hydrogen; the plant for the manufacture of hydrogen, as well as the sheds for dirigibles, may, at the discretion of the said Powers, be left to Bulgaria until the time when the dirigibles are handed over.

Engines for aircraft.

Nacelles and fuselages.

Armament (guns, machine guns, light machine guns, bomb-dropping apparatus, torpedo-dropping apparatus, synchronization apparatus, aiming apparatus).

Munitions (cartridges, shells, bombs loaded or unloaded, stocks of explosives or of material for their manufacture).

Instruments for use on aircraft.

Wireless apparatus and photographic or cinematograph apparatus for use on aircraft.

Component parts of any of the items under the preceding heads.

The material referred to above shall not be removed without special permission from the said Governments.

Article 94
All military, naval and air clauses contained in the present Treaty for the execution of which a time limit is prescribed shall be executed by Bulgaria under the control of Inter-Allied Commissions appointed for this purpose by the Principal Allied and Associated Powers.

The above-mentioned Commissions will represent the Principal Allied and Associated Powers in dealing with the Bulgarian Government in all matters concerning the execution of the military, naval and air clauses. They will communicate to the Bulgarian authorities the decisions which the Principal Allied and Associated Powers have reserved the right to take or which the execution of the said clauses may necessitate.

Article 95
The Inter-Allied Commissions of Control may establish their organisations at Sofia, and shall be entitled as often as they think fit to proceed to any point whatever in Bulgarian territory, or to send sub-commissions or to authorise one or more of their members to go to any such point.

Article 96
The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Inter-Allied Commissions of Control all such information and documents as the latter may think necessary to ensure the execution of their mission, and all means (both in personnel and in material) which the said Commissions may need to ensure the complete execution of the military, naval or air clauses.

The Bulgarian Government must attach a qualified representative to each Inter-Allied Commission of Control, with the duty of receiving the communications which the Commission may have to address to the Bulgarian Government, and of furnishing it with or procuring all information or documents demanded.

Article 97
The upkeep and cost of the Commissions of Control and the expenses involved by their work shall be borne by Bulgaria.

Article 98
It will be the special duty of the Military Inter-Allied Commission of Control:

(1) to fix the number of gendarmes, customs officials, forest guards, local or municipal police, or other like officials, which Bulgaria shall be authorised to maintain in accordance with Article 69;

(2) to receive from the Bulgarian Government any information relating to the location of the stocks and depots of munitions, the armament of the fortified works, fortresses and forts, and the location of the works or factories for the production of arms, munitions and war material and their operations.

It will take delivery of the arms, munitions, war material and plant intended for war construction, will select the points where such delivery is to be effected, and will supervise the works of destruction and of rendering things useless or the transformation of material which are to be carried out in accordance with the present Treaty.

Article 99
It will be the special duty of the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control to take delivery of arms, munitions, and other naval war material, and to supervise the destruction and breaking up provided for in Article 84.

The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Naval Inter-Allied Commission of Control all such information and documents as the Commission may deem necessary to ensure the complete execution of the naval clauses, in particular the designs of the warships, the composition of their armaments, the details and models of the guns, munitions, torpedoes, mines, explosives, wireless telegraphic apparatus, and in general everything relating to naval war material, as well as all legislative or administrative documents or regulations.

Article 100
It will be the special duty of the Aeronautical Inter-Allied Commission of Control to make an inventory of the aeronautical material which is actually in possession of the Bulgarian Government, to inspect aeroplane, balloon and motor manufactories and factories producing arms, munitions and explosives capable of being used by aircraft, to visit all aerodromes, sheds, landing grounds, parks and depots situated in Bulgarian territory, and to authorise where necessary the removal of material and to take delivery of such material.

The Bulgarian Government must furnish to the Aeronautical Inter-Allied Commission of Control all such information and legislative, administrative or other documents which the Commission may think necessary to ensure the complete execution of the air clauses, and in particular a list of the personnel belonging to all Bulgarian air services and of the existing material, as well as of that in process of manufacture or on order, and a complete list of all establishments working for aviation, of their positions and of all sheds and landing grounds.

Article 101
After the expiration of a period of three months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the Bulgarian laws must have been modified and shall be maintained by the Bulgarian Government in conformity with this Part of the present Treaty.

Within the same period all the administrative or other measures relating to the execution of this Part of the present Treaty must have been taken by the Bulgarian Government.

Article 102
The following portions of the Armistice of 29 September 1918: paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 6, remain in force in so far as they are not inconsistent with the stipulations of the present Treaty.

Article 103
Bulgaria undertakes from the coming into force of the present Treaty not to accredit to any foreign country any military, naval or air mission, and not to send or allow the departure of any such mission; she undertakes moreover to take the necessary steps to prevent Bulgarian nationals from leaving her territory in order to enlist in the army, fleet or air service, of any foreign Power, or to be attached to any such Power with the purpose of helping in its training, or generally to give any assistance to the military, naval or air instruction in a foreign country.

The Allied and Associated Powers undertake on their part that from the coming into force of the present Treaty they will neither enlist in their armies, fleets or air services nor attach to them any Bulgarian national with the object of helping in military training, or in general employ any Bulgarian national as a military, naval or air instructor.

The present arrangement, however, in no way hinders the right of France to recruit for the Foreign Legion in accordance with French military laws and regulations.

Article 104
So long as the present Treaty remains in force Bulgaria undertakes to submit to any investigation which the Council of the League of Nations by a majority vote may consider necessary.