Construction Corps (Bulgaria)

The Bill provoked vehement opposition on the ground that it revived the Ottoman feudal labour obligation and exploited young people, but Stamboliyski's overwhelming election victory in 1920 meant it was voted into law on 23 May 1920.

Stamboliyski's official reasons were to enable post-war reconstruction at a time when the impoverished country was faced with enormous war reparations; and to provide modern vocational education for young men and women.

[7] In 1938 with the signing of the Salonika Agreement limits on the armed forces were officially removed and Bulgaria was able to fully reinstate compulsory military service.

By 1942 the fully mobilised wartime labour corps exceeded 80,000 men building roads and military installations, draining the Svishtov wetlands, increasing agricultural production and restoring communications in the newly recovered Southern Dobruja, Western Thrace and Vardar Macedonia.

[8] By order of the Bulgarian chief of the general staff, effective 27 January 1941, Jews were removed from the regular armed forces and were drafted in the labour corps, while retaining their military rank and privileges.

[9] After Bulgaria joined the Tripartite Pact on 1 March 1941 and became a base for German military operations against Yugoslavia and Greece repressive measures increased.

[12] Those units (usually 100-300 strong) were based in remote camps with poor conditions and typically did heavy labour completing specific stretches of roads.

The metal works of the bridge were manufactured in Bulgaria and transported via ship from Burgas to the South African port of Durban and then on a 1,000 km stretch over land.

The commander of the Construction Troops, Major General Radoslav Peshleevski (bg:Радослав Пешлеевски) attended the official opening ceremony (seen in uniform behind Nelson Mandela.