DMITRIEFF, miery'ef, Radko, Bulgarian general: b. Grodez, Bulgaria, then a Turkish province. When his country obtained her inde pendence (1878) he was one of the first pupils topass through the new military academy at Sofia. The Bulgarian army being then entirely under Russian control, he completed his studies in Saint Petersburg (Petrograd), and returned home with the rank of captain on the eve of the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. Immedi ately promoted to colonel, Dmitrieff commanded a regiment in the Slivnitza campaign. He be came implicated in the conspiracy which led to the abdication of Prince Alexander. Driven out of the country by Stambulov, Dmitrieff served over 10 years in the Russian army, but returned after the accession of Prince —now King—Ferdinand. In 1902 he was made chief of the general staff and placed in command of the military district on the Turkish frontier. In the first Balkan War (q. v.) he commanded one of the Bulgarian armies and won the first victory of Kirk Kilisseh. He was regarded as a popular hero, but weary of the quarrels among the Balkan Allies, he re-entered the Russian service as a general. In the European
War he was one of the youngest of the great army leaders. When Bulgaria refused to aid Serbia against Austria, Dmitrieff returned all his decorations to King Ferdinand and definitely cast in his lot with the Russians. He per formed marvels of fighting in the Galician and Carpathian campaigns. When von Mackensen began his great Galician drive in the of 1915, he opened his attack against the Dunaiec Biala line held by Dmitrieff, broke through at Gorlice, and inflicted a severe defeat upon the Russians, which resulted in the reconquest of the whole province for Austria. Dmitrieff was relieved of his command and brought before a military tribunal. As his failure was due to lack of artillery he was honorably acquitted and reinstated. He served with distinction two years longer and resigned in July 1917. See