Battle of Brusen

The Battle of Brusen took place during the communist partisan movement in Bulgaria. In this particular case, the fighting was between the third band of the Georgi Benkovski Partisan Detachment from Cherven Bryag and a gendarmerie battalion near Brusen village. The movement itself formed part of the resistance to the countries of the Tripartite Pact. It lasted from 24 June 1941 to 9 September 1944 and was organised by the Bulgarian Revolutionary Party (BRP). This period was characterised by active partisan operations and terrorist attacks against state authority in Bulgaria. The partisans aimed to establish workers' and peasants' rule and a dictatorship of the proletariat. A wartime regime was already in force in the country, described as a "monarchical totalitarian regime", an "authoritarian monarchical regime" or a "monarchical dictatorship". 

The battle ended in victory for the government forces. Eighteen partisans were killed, including Dr Stoyan Ivanov, commander of the Georgi Benkovski Partisan Detachment. A monument was erected in their memory at the site of the engagement.