The Battle for Vidin

On the eve of the Serbo-Bulgarian War, a formation called the Northern Detachment was established to defend north-western Bulgaria. The Serbian command assigned the Timok Army to invade the north-western Bulgarian lands. On 12 November 1885, Serbian forces approached Vidin Fortress, but heavy Bulgarian rifle and artillery fire thwarted their attempt to besiege it. The following day, Serbian units advanced to the fortress's immediate approaches. The defenders were invited to surrender, to which the commandant, Captain Atanas Uzunov, replied: “I have learned to defend fortresses, not surrender them. I will negotiate with you when you leave the borders of my homeland. Otherwise, I will go on the offensive and defeat you.” On 14 and 15 November, units of the garrison counterattacked near Archar and Novoseltsi.

The battle ended in a Bulgarian victory. The defenders' determination discouraged the Serbian command, which halted its attacks on Vidin Fortress.