If you don't strike, fine—but once you do, you go all out!
To attack the Asia Minor peninsula, Bulgaria had assembled three army groups this time, totaling over six hundred thousand men. Without distinguishing between primary and secondary fronts, they launched simultaneous offensives across three battlefields.
The moment Bulgaria exerted itself, the Ottomans could no longer endure it. A showpiece was still just a showpiece; once it took the field, its true colors were exposed!
Although the Ottoman Empire had more than three hundred thousand modern troops, this modernized army was fundamentally no different from the old one. Those drawing pay for empty posts were still drawing it, and the officer corps was still monopolized by the nobility!
Still, having switched to better weapons and equipment, their combat strength had improved greatly compared to before. At Bandırma, they temporarily held back the Bulgarian landing force.
But at the other two landing sites, which were not focal points of Ottoman defense, Karaburun Port had already fallen, and the Third Army Group had reached the gates of the Ottoman stronghold of Izmir.
Zonguldak was not doing much better either. After landing successfully, the First Army Group did not blindly march on Ankara. Instead, it began expanding its territory, looking every bit as though it had no intention of leaving!
Well, it had been a show from the beginning, meant to lure the Anti-Bulgarian Alliance into taking the bait. How could Ferdinand truly have gone all out?
As long as they put enough pressure on the Ottoman government and made the Anti-Bulgarian Alliance believe that Bulgaria's main force was deeply bogged down in the Asia Minor peninsula, that was enough. There was no need yet to lock horns with the Turks to the death!
At this point, however, the Sultan's government could no