When the Bulgarians continued the advance the Ottoman Army was entrenched at the last defensive line before Constantinople – the Chataldzha defensive line. The Bulgarian tsar as nominal commander-in-chief managed to impose his will over the Bulgarian high command in favor of an attack of the Ottoman positions, despite the objections to a rashly organized attack raised by General Ivan Fichev and the raging cholera in the armies. The opinion of General Mihail Savov (the de facto commander-in-chief) who viewed an immediate attack as a tactical and strategic necessity also supported Ferdinand's opinion.
