Danail Nikolaev

Danail Nikolaev
Bulgarian Officer and Politician
Born	30 December 1852 Bolgrad, Russian Empire
Died	29 August 1942 Bankya, Bulgaria

Danail Tsonev Nikolaev (born 30 December 1852), was a Bulgarian officer and Minister of War on the eve of the Balkan wars. He was the first person to attain the highest rank in the Bulgarian military, General of the infantry. He was also known as "the patriarch of the Bulgarian military".

Biography

Danail Nikolaev was born in Bolgrad, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) to a Bulgarian family, who were refugees from Tarnovo^[1]. In 1871 he graduated from the Bolgrad Gymnasium and joined the Volunteer company of 54th Minsk regiment. On 19 September 1873 he joined the Infantry school in Odessa as a cadet, graduating in 1875. Nikolaev returned to his regiment in Chişinău as an acting cadet on 20 July. Realizing that Serbia was preparing for war with the Ottoman empire, he requested resignation from military service to join the war on 14 June 1876. His request was reviewed by division commander General Dragomirov, who furloughed him instead. As a volunteer he took part in Serbo-Turkish War in the battles of Babina glava, Mirovitsa and Gamzi grad.

References

1. ^ Пеев, П., Генералъ отъ пехотата Данаилъ Николаевъ, София, 1942, трето издание, с. 18

Sources

• Пеев, П., Генералъ отъ пехотата Данаилъ Николаевъ, София, 1942, трето издание
• Недев, С., Командването на българската войска през войните за национално обединение, София, 1993, Военноиздателски комплекс „Св. Георги Победоносец“, стр. 21–22
• Димитров, И., Съединението 1885 – енциклопедичен справочник, София, 1985, Държавно издателство „д-р Петър Берон“
• Ташев, Ташо (1999). „Министрите на България 1879–1999“. София: АИ „Проф. Марин Дринов“ / Изд. на МО. ISBN 978-954-430-603-8 / ISBN 978-954-509-191-9.

Persondata
Name	Nikolaev, Danail
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	30 December 1852
Place of birth	Bolgrad, Russian Empire
Date of death	29 August 1942
Place of death	Bankya, Bulgaria