Nikola Zhekov
| Nikola Zhekov | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
6 January 1865 Sliven, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire |
| Died | 1 November 1949 (aged 84) Füssen, West Germany |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria
|
| Service/branch | Bulgarian Army |
| Years of service | 1885–1918 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army Commander in chief of the Bulgarian Army |
| Battles/wars |
Serbo-Bulgarian War Balkan Wars First World War |
| Awards |
           
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Nikola Todorov Zhekov (Bulgarian: Никола Тодоров Жеков; 6 January 1864 – 1 November 1949) was the Minister of War of Bulgaria in 1915 and served as commander-in-chief from 1915 to 1918 during World War I.
Nikola Zhekov was born 1865 in Sliven. He was accepted in Sofia Military School and volunteered to serve in a reserve regiment during the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. In 1886 he took part in the military coup against prince Alexander Batenberg. After the plot failed he was demoted to the rank of cadet and sent to serve in the 12th infantry regiment. Soon after he received an amnesty for his offence and graduated from the Military School. In 1887 he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the 2nd artillery regiment in Shumen. In 1894 he was promoted to captain and sent to Italy where in 1898 he graduated the military academy of Turin. After his return to Bulgaria he served in the 3rd artillery regiment and in the Army's staff. In 1901 he was promoted to major and taught at the Sofia military school, becoming its headmaster in 1912. Between 1910 and 1912 he also served as commander of the 1st infantry regiment.
During the First Balkan War, Colonel Zhekov served as chief of staff of the 2nd Army which was tasked with the initial siege and latter the storming of the important fortress of Edirne.He contracted an illness which prevented him from taking part in the Second Balkan War and after it was assigned commander of the Bulgarian forces in Western Thrace.
In 1913-1914 Zhekov was also part of a Bulgarian diplomatic mission to Istanbul which was involved in negotiating a military convention between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. After that he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army and commander of the 8th "Tundzha" division. In August 1915 he was promoted to major general and appointed Minister of War.
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