Bulgarian Armed Forces

The Bulgarian Armed Forces, also called the Bulgarian Army, are the military of Bulgaria. The president of Bulgaria is commander-in-chief, the Ministry of Defense provides political leadership, and overall military command rests with the Defense Staff under the Chief of the Defense. There are three main branches, the Land Forces, the Air Forces and the Naval Forces. The army dates from the state's inception in 1878 and within a few years Bulgaria had become a regional military power. It fought in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, the First and Second Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, the First World War and the Second World War. During the Cold War the People's Republic of Bulgaria kept one of the largest militaries in the Warsaw Pact, an estimated 152,000 troops in 1988. After the fall of communism the leadership chose a pro-NATO course and cut personnel and weaponry, and Bulgaria joined NATO on 29 March 2004. Saint George is the patron saint of the army, honored on Armed Forces Day, 6 May.