| The Grand Historical Anniversary Thread | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 9 2012, 01:57 AM (5,137 Views) | |
| Basil Fawlty | Feb 18 2014, 05:43 PM Post #51 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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As Petar said, sarcasm doesn't translate well. Though it was an honest question. That is what these little picture thingies are for.
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| Matthew | Feb 18 2014, 05:43 PM Post #52 |
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| Basil Fawlty | Feb 19 2014, 06:45 PM Post #53 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin |
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| Basil Fawlty | Mar 24 2014, 09:32 PM Post #54 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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70 Years: The escape from Stalag Luft III. |
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| Petar | Apr 6 2014, 01:41 PM Post #55 |
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That day again. |
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| Matthew | Apr 8 2014, 08:34 PM Post #56 |
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"A historic event began today at Windsor Castle with the first visit to the UK by an Irish Head of State." That's not strictly true; I am fairly certain Anne must have been in the UK at some point... |
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| Basil Fawlty | Apr 8 2014, 08:46 PM Post #57 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Apparently today is the day the Canadians joined American baseball. |
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| Lewington | Apr 8 2014, 09:47 PM Post #58 |
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If only we could join American football... |
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| Basil Fawlty | Apr 20 2014, 10:59 PM Post #59 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Judging from the list of events that occurred today, April 20 seems to be a particularly nasty day. |
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| Petar | Apr 20 2014, 11:01 PM Post #60 |
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Indeed. Quite a bloody day. |
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| Petar | May 1 2014, 06:46 PM Post #61 |
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Death of Ayrton Senna (20 years) |
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| Basil Fawlty | May 7 2014, 08:00 PM Post #62 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Torpedoing of the RMS Lusitania (99 years) |
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| Basil Fawlty | May 20 2014, 07:18 PM Post #63 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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The Triple Alliance signed (1882) |
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| Petar | Jun 4 2014, 04:52 PM Post #64 |
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![]() 25 years. Also, 94 since the Treaty of Trianon. Edited by Petar, Jun 4 2014, 04:57 PM.
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| Petar | Jun 6 2014, 03:18 PM Post #65 |
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D-Day +25,567 days/70 years. Have some music appropriate for the occasion. Edited by Petar, Jun 6 2014, 08:09 PM.
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| Jacapo | Jun 6 2014, 03:54 PM Post #66 |
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Saving Private Ryan is good, but The Longest Day still takes the cake for me for best Normandy movie. |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 19 2014, 08:01 PM Post #67 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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USS Kearsarge vs. CSS Alabama, 150 years |
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| Petar | Jun 22 2014, 07:43 PM Post #68 |
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Barbarossa (73 years) Formation of the First Sisak Partisan Detachment,the first armed anti-fascist resistance unit formed by a resistance movement in occupied Europe (73 years) |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 24 2014, 07:40 PM Post #69 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Bannockburn, 700 years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bannockburn |
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| Doctor_Strangelove | Jun 28 2014, 07:32 AM Post #70 |
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Lord of the Seven Kingdoms
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Edited by Doctor_Strangelove, Nov 11 2016, 09:46 AM.
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| Petar | Jun 28 2014, 01:08 PM Post #71 |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 28 2014, 01:11 PM Post #72 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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One hundred years ago today... the great whirlwind was set in motion. |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 28 2014, 01:13 PM Post #73 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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| Petar | Jun 28 2014, 01:42 PM Post #74 |
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*sadly hums "Gott erhalte, Gott beschutze"* Where's the nearest recruitment station? Edited by Petar, Jun 28 2014, 01:42 PM.
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 28 2014, 06:34 PM Post #75 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-27978407 The BBC had an interesting exercise of recounting the events in live fashion, as if it had occurred today. Curiously they seem to be celebrating the anniversary positively in Serbia. |
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| Jacapo | Jun 28 2014, 06:40 PM Post #76 |
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I cant think of any reason why they wouldnt want to celebrate it in serbia. The action ultimately gave serbia much more power in the balkans after Yugoslavia formed. |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 28 2014, 06:43 PM Post #77 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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I would think after 100 years and all the destruction the war brought, they would at least want to have a more subdued occasion. Honor the man and recognize the evil of the act even if it brought national unification. It would be like a group of southerners gathering on April 14 to celebrate the assassination of Lincoln. |
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| Petar | Jun 29 2014, 03:44 AM Post #78 |
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There are, along with the assassination, other reasons why Serbs are celebrating. June 28 is one of the biggest feasts in Serbian Orthodox Church, the Saint Vitus Day. On June 28, 1389 medieval Serbian state was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in the battle of Kosovo Field. However, the battle is more remembered today due to its cultural significance which it imposed upon the Serbian people. Finally, something they do not celebrate, but is important to note - on June 28,1989, the break-up of Yugoslavia became completely apparent and a fait accompli. During the celebrations of the 600th anniversary of the aforementioned battle, Slobodan Milošević held one of his most controversial speeches on Gazimestan, Kosovo, where he claimed that "... the Serbian people are again in battles and before battles. They may not necessarily be armed battles, but such a development must not be ruled out." And yeah, Serbs still consider the assassination to be one of their positive contributions to the world. Edited by Petar, Jun 29 2014, 03:45 AM.
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| Jacapo | Jun 29 2014, 07:49 PM Post #79 |
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Serbs in Bosnia unveil statue of Gavrilo Princep |
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| Basil Fawlty | Jun 29 2014, 08:02 PM Post #80 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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I wonder how many other assassins in modern history have been given such an honor. Possibly Charlotte Corday, but I can't think of any more. It seems rather grotesque. |
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| Petar | Jun 30 2014, 12:37 AM Post #81 |
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We're talking Bosnian Serbs. Among these are the people who claim that Srebrenica and Markale were both staged. Grotesque is quite an understatement when describing such people, or their actions. Edited by Petar, Jun 30 2014, 12:38 AM.
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| Jacapo | Jul 1 2014, 08:43 PM Post #82 |
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One hundred years ago the US navy ended alcohol at sea. http://news.usni.org/2014/07/01/hundred-years-dry-u-s-navys-end-alcohol-sea |
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| Petar | Jul 5 2014, 03:09 PM Post #83 |
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A bit late, and I think it is well known that this didn't actually happen on July 4, but... still, I'd say quite appropriate. Edited by Petar, Jul 5 2014, 03:14 PM.
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| Basil Fawlty | Jul 9 2014, 04:20 AM Post #84 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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1896 - "You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_Gold_speech |
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| Doctor_Strangelove | Jul 15 2014, 02:33 AM Post #85 |
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Lord of the Seven Kingdoms
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Edited by Doctor_Strangelove, Nov 11 2016, 10:01 AM.
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| Basil Fawlty | Jul 17 2014, 05:41 AM Post #86 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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| Basil Fawlty | Jul 21 2014, 04:01 AM Post #87 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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The Moon Landing - 45 Years |
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| Petar | Jul 21 2014, 03:32 PM Post #88 |
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It's a small step for man...
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| Basil Fawlty | Jul 23 2014, 11:33 PM Post #89 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Austria-Hungary presents its ultimatum to Serbia, 1914. |
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| Petar | Jul 27 2014, 10:02 PM Post #90 |
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It's July 28, 2014 in Zagreb. Something tells me the church bells won't go silent here, though.
Edited by Petar, Jul 27 2014, 10:05 PM.
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| Basil Fawlty | Jul 29 2014, 12:10 AM Post #91 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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July 28 - Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia July 29 - Russia begins partial mobilization |
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| Basil Fawlty | Aug 1 2014, 12:51 AM Post #92 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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July 31 - Russia begins general mobilization against Austria-Hungary. In response Kaiser Wilhelm observes, "Then I must mobilize, too." |
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| Basil Fawlty | Aug 3 2014, 04:50 AM Post #93 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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August 1 - German mobilization - French mobilization - Germany declares war on Russia August 2 - Germany invades Luxembourg - Germany issues an ultimatum to Belgium to permit its troops free passage |
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| Basil Fawlty | Aug 5 2014, 06:30 AM Post #94 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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August 3 - Belgium rejects the German ultimatum - Germany declares war on France August 4 - Germany invades Belgium - Great Britain declares war on Germany August 5 - Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary - The Ottoman Empire closes the straits |
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| John | Aug 8 2014, 02:20 PM Post #95 |
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^ FAIL! |
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| John | Aug 8 2014, 02:21 PM Post #96 |
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...small step for a man... |
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| Petar | Aug 15 2014, 04:52 PM Post #97 |
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I know what I said.
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| Petar | Aug 15 2014, 07:25 PM Post #98 |
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The First Allied Victory of the Great War; August 16, 1914 - August 19, 1914 A detailed analysis of the Battle of Cer ![]() The Serbian Front, August 1914 with indicated movements of the major formations Recommended Music: March to the Drina by Stanislav Binički Basic information: Combatants:
Notable commanders:
Forces involved in combat:
Battle Outcome: Decisive Serbian victory; Austro-Hungarian troops forced to abandon Serbia; failure of the first Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia Casualties:
Prelude to the Battle Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on June 28, 1914, a series of events was launched which proved to be highly destabilising to the region and the world as a whole. The most decisive of these events were the ultimatum of July 25, which the Serbian Government (under Prime Minister Nikola Pašić) had to refuse, and the declaration of war upon Serbia by Austria-Hungary on July 28, 1914. The Serbian Government, knowing the results of the refusal of the ultimatum, ordered the mobilisation of the Army and the evacuation of Belgrade on July 26. The Serbian Government moved to Niš, while the General Staff and other military brass moved to the strategically vital city of Kragujevac, the center of Serbian arms industry. On July 28, Serbian Army destroyed all bridges on the Sava and the Danube, thus robbing the Austro-Hungarian forces of the possibility of a quick and easy invasion of northern Serbia. A day later, July 29, Austro-Hungarian artillery started shelling Belgrade, initiating combat operations on the Serbian front. Pre-war Austro-Hungarian plans called for a force of 308,000 men for an invasion of Serbia. However, the Russian operations against Austro-Hungarian forces in Galicia forced the Chief of Staff of Austria-Hungary, General Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, to divert some of the troops of the Second Army to Galicia. Still, the Austro-Hungarian maintained three armies on the Serbian front, under overall command of Feldzeugmeiser/Lieutenant General Oskar Potiorek. These forces were well equipped and well supplied; however, they had no previous combat experience. In addition, 40% of the men came from the South Slavic regions of the Empire - with a lack of any major political reforms, many were not loyal to the Empire and had no will to fight for the Kaiser. Oskar Potiorek was the pre-war Governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and was the original target of the Black Hand assassins. Having witnessed first-hand the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, General Potiorek vowed to avenge the death of the Archduke and his wife. Entering the command with a great zeal, he stated that he would easily defeat the Serbs whom he considered to be nothing more than pig farmers. He was not alone in this opinion; despite having to reduce the amount of troops present on the Serbian front, General Hötzendorf was convinced that Austria-Hungary would defeat Serbia in three months. This denigration of Serbian troops was to prove fatal. On the other hand, the Royal Serbian Army mobilised some 450,000 men to defend the country. Serbia was in a very difficult military position, having suffered large losses, both in materials and personnel, in the Balkan Wars. It was estimated by the Serbian High Command that around 50,000 men would have no equipment at all; some would have only their weapons, the standard issue great coat and/or the traditional Serbian headgear, the šajkača. In addition, due to monetary and time constraints, not many troops from the newly acquired territories could be recruited or organised into fighting formations. However, the Serbian troops were better trained and led than their Austro-Hungarian counterparts, and had perhaps the strongest morale of all nations going to war in 1914. Despite General Hötzendorf's plans to fight a defensive war initially, General Potiorek asked for and was granted permission to prepare the ground for a military assault on Serbia. Initial Combat Operations The Austro-Hungarian armies on the Serbian border were placed in two positions - the 2nd Army was placed in the plains of Slavonia and Vojvodina, with the task of demonstrating against the Serbian forces. Meanwhile, the 5th and 6th Army were were to attack across the Drina, with the 5th Army striking at north Serbia and the 6th Army striking south Serbia. This was to prove disastrous - the main assault was to be carried out by the 5th Army which had to cross the Drina and advance through hilly and mountainous terrain where the Serbian forces would have a great terrain advantage. At the same time, the Serbian High Command placed their armies to face the Austro-Hungarians and monitor their movements, but the majority of the troops were in the Šumadija region, from where they could easily join the combat on any section of the front the Austro-Hungarians would attack. In addition, a strong detachment of troops, the Užice Army, was stationed at Užice in south Serbia to observe and check the movements of the Austrian 6th Army. Up until August 11, combat consisted mostly of Austro-Hungarian artillery bombardments and some unsuccessful attempts to cross the Sava and the Danube near the town of Šabac. However, on August 12, Austro-Hungarian forces launched successful attacks and managed to cross the Drina near Ljubovija and the Sava north of Šabac, which fell the same day. By August 14, the majority of Austrian 2nd and 5th Armies landed into Serbian territory, forming a 100 km long front line. At that moment, the converged armies launched an attack towards Belgrade. Despite the fact that Austria-Hungary had crossed into Serbia, their maneuvers were to prove disastrous - the main assault was to be carried out by the 5th Army which had to cross the Drina and advance through hilly and mountainous terrain where the Serbian forces would have a great advantage. In fact, the Serbian General Staff initially refused to believe that the main Austro-Hungarian assault was to go over the Drina - however, having realised that it was indeed so, Marshal Putnik realised the potential for a counterattack, which was ordered on August 15. The Serbian 1st, 2nd and 3rd Armies moved westwards to the Drina - the opposing forces would meet at the mountain of Cer in the early hours of August 16. The Battle of Cer
Around 23:00 on August 15, the troops of the Serbian Combined Division encountered the forward positions of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army on the slopes of Mount Cer. As the fighting progressed, Serbian troops smashed through the lightly held positions and by early hours of August 16 were in control of the Divača range and Borino Selo, and later during the day routed the 21st Austrian Infantry Division, retaking Cer. On August 17, Serbian Army achieved successes near the villages of Trajan and Parlog before initiating attacks on the town of Kosanin Grad. At the same time, Austrian forces successfully defended Šabac from Serbian attacks and forced the Serbian General Staff to move one division to guard the approach to Valjevo, which was threatened by the 42nd Austrian Mountain Infantry Division. August 18 saw another Austro-Hungarian attack launched against the First Line Šumadija Division, conducted in order to allow safe passage of the elements of the 5th Austrian Army off the Šabac bridgehead. However, the Serbs defeated the Austrians in the encounter at river Dobrava, forcing the Austro-Hungarian command to stop its attack on that sector. Meanwhile, the Serbian Combined Division launched an attack on the village of Rašulijača despite being under severe pressure at Kosanin Grad. Despite initially failing to dislodge Austrian forces from their positions, the Combined Division broke the Austrian lines and retook Rašulijača in the early hours of August 19. Following that success, the fresh First Line Morava Division conducted strong attacks against the Austrian positions, routing the 9th Austrian Infantry Division. The 4th Austrian Corps attempted to retake command of the battlefield, but was driven back by Serbian troops, thus isolating that corps and forcing it out of combat for the time being. The Serbs took advantage of that break by advancing towards Lešnica and Iverak. As the Serbian forces began retaking more and more of tactically important positions, the Austro-Hungarian will and cohesion shattered, and their forces began to retreat at an increasing rate. By August 20, the Austro-Hungarian forces were completely shattered, and the 5th Austrian Army was forced to move in disorder across the Drina, back into Bosnia. During that maneuver, many Austrian soldiers drowned. At that time, Marshal Putnik reported to King Peter of Serbia that the Austrian forces were defeated at Jadar and Mount Cer and that the Serbian troops were in hot pursuit. While the Battle of Cer was officially over on August 19, combat operations continued until August 24. On August 21, Serbian troops renewed their attacks on Šabac, and encircled the city on August 23. By 16:00 on August 24, Serbian troops recaptured Šabac and reached the banks of the Sava, thus ending the first Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia. Consequences and Importance of the Battle Although the Serbs managed to force the Austro-Hungarian forces out of Serbia, the feat was accomplished at a great cost of lives and ammunition. The Serbian forces spent approximately 6.5 million rounds and 35,000 artillery shells during the battle. Despite this, however, the battle was without a doubt a decisive victory of the Kingdom of Serbia and the first victory of the Entente of the Great War. The victory had a great moral and propaganda value. The success of Serbian arms brought worldwide attention to the small Balkan state, winning them sympathies from neutral and Allied countries. General Stepa Stepanović, commander of the 2nd Serbian Army, was promoted to the rank of Vojvoda/Field Marshal for his successes in the battle, while Austro-Hungarian Oskar Potiorek was humiliated. He was given permission for another invasion in September 1914, but would fail again. The battle of Cer had vital strategic importance, which reached far beyond the Serbian front. The successful defense of Serbia tied up an ever increasing number of Austro-Hungarian troops to the Serbian front, thus contributing to the disastrous course of the Galician campaign in its later stages. In addition, the occupied parts of the Kingdom of Montenegro were abandoned by the Austrian troops in an attempt to stabilise their positions in Bosnia. Finally, the battle saw the first dogfight of the war when an Austro-Hungarian pilot fired his revolver on a Serbian aviator named Tomić who was conducting a reconnaissance mission for the Serbian General Staff. Edited by Petar, Aug 15 2014, 07:27 PM.
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| Basil Fawlty | Aug 19 2014, 08:44 AM Post #99 |
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Post Tenebras Lux
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Death of Augustus (2000 years) |
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| Petar | Aug 21 2014, 10:15 AM Post #100 |
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Prague Spring (46 years)
Edited by Petar, Aug 23 2014, 01:49 PM.
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2:40 PM Jul 11