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700 A.D.
Spreading on a large territory, from the Carpathian Mountains to the north, the Balkan Mountains to the south, from the Dnestr river and the Black Sea to the north-east and east, and to the Timok river to the west, DANUBIAN BULGARIA is a well organized political and military power from the very beginning.
KHAN Tervel- the successor of Khan Asparuh.
Khan TERVEL, supreme commander and gifted diplomat, ruled the country for years and occupied the Khan’s throne in the year Teku Chitem (the year of the Horse, month - third) according to the ancient Bulgarian calendar. Energetic and far-sighted TERVEL is an equal successor to his father. Taking advantage of the internecine tension about the emperor's throne in Byzantium, he is successful in acquiring even more territories for the Bulgarian State. Emperor Justinian II, who received help from the Bulgarians to regain his crown, yielded to them the region of Zagore in Eastern Thrace. And even more - Khan TERVEL was awarded the title of CEASAR, second only after the emperor himself, along with many presents of gold and silk and a promise for the hand of the emperor's daughter. Byzantine chroniclers write about the event: “Under Emperor Justinian the ruler of the Bulgarians TERVEL was at the peak of prosperity. He put his shield upside down and his whip too, with which he mastered his horse, and (the defeated Byzantines) poured money until they were fully covered… He gave out money to the soldiers, distributing gold with his right hand, and silver with his left hand.” Byzantium looked with awe at the superb military mastership of the Bulgarians. It is not strange then that in 717 it turned to Bulgaria for help, and not for the first time. The capital of the empire - Constantinople, was under siege by the Arabs and the fall of the Byzantines seemed only a matter of time. At that crucial moment Emperor Leo III turned to Khan TERVEL for help. The clever diplomat considered the benefit of saving Byzantium and keeping it as a neighbour against the prospect of having the Arab invaders as neighbours. A 30 000-strong heavy cavalry corps of Bulgarians, clad in mail from head to foot, appeared in the rear of the Arabs and striked them a mortal blow. According to the medieval chronicles more than 30 000 Arabs fell on the battlefield in one day.
This victory had a decisive role in the future fate of south-eastern and central Europe. The menacing march of the Arabs, coming through Spain and Southern Italy to Western Europe, that could wipe Byzantium off the face of the Earth, was cut to the root. The name BULGARIA spread far and wide in the civilized world. Once more it established its authority and showed to the world that in Eastern Europe exists a power which everybody must treat with respect.
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The units in these screenshots are the old v2 units.
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Army:
Khan
General
1.1 Cavalry
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1.2 Infantry