The Size of Bulgaria’s Medieval Field Armies: A Case Study of Military Mobilization Capacity in the Middle Ages

The actual size of Bulgarian medieval armies, reputedly among the largest and most successful European armies of the day, has continued to interest historians, but serious studies have generally relied on evidence drawn from a handful of specific events. This article aims to ascertain army size from a survey of Bulgarian medieval military history. It will provide a critical overview of army size during the entire medieval period, from the First Bulgarian Empire (681–1018) through the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1422), as the country evolved from a semi-nomadic state into a centralized empire whose armies were able to hold their own against their regional foes, particularly the more powerful Byzantine Empire.