#serbian history

[uniquekindoftrash]

golden ring of queen Teodora found in 1915. in Banjska Monastery

today it is kept in collection of National Museum in Belgrade

[the-lost-lamb]

Marija Karadjordjevic, Queen of Yugoslavia, driving a car, 1920s

[encyclopedia-amazonica]

Milunka Savić - World War I’s most decorated woman 

Milunka Savić (c.1890-1973) was born in Serbia. She took her brother’s place and enlisted in the army under the name Milun Savić during the Second Balkan War. During the Battle of Bregalnica, Milunka was leading her tenth charge at the head of a squad of men when she was wounded when an enemy grenade blew up at her feet. 

Her real identity was discovered and Milunka was brought to her commanding officer who offered her to join the nursing corps. Milunka refused. She told him that she wouldn’t accept a position that didn’t allow her to bear arms to defend her country. Her superior thus promoted her to junior sergeant and allowed her to stay in the infantry.

Milunka was thus openly fighting as a woman when the First World War began. She was part of a prestigious unit nicknamed “The Iron Regiment”. During the Battle of the Kolubara river (3-9 December 1914), she single-handedly assaulted an Austrian trench, hurling grenades, and subsequently captured 20 Austrian soldiers. Milunka excelled at throwing grenades at used them to destroy the enemy machine guns. Her performance was so impressive that she was later nicknamed “The Bomber of Kolubara”. Milunka later told the press that during her childhood in the countryside, she spent a lot of time herding sheep. She and her young comrades played at hitting different targets by throwing stones. This was how she acquired her skills. 

She went on to participate in several battles and fought alongside the French soldiers on the Macedonian front. In 1916, she single-handedly captured 23 Bulgarian soldiers. She was hospitalized at least 3 times and earned many awards for her performance in combat. Among the decorations Milunka received were the French Légion d’honneur, the Croix de guerre, the Cross of St. George, the Most Distinguished order of Saint Michael and Saint George and the Serbian Medal for Bravery.

(Milunka in uniform in 1917)

Milunka’s case wasn’t unique. A young woman from Belgrade named Sofija Jovanović served like her in the Second Balkan War and the First World War. Remarkably cultivated, Sofija attracted the attention of the foreign press and earned the nickname of “Serbian Joan of Arc”. She too received a number of Serbian medals for her merits.

(Sofija Jovanović)

Two school teachers named Jelena Šaulić and Ljubica Cakarevic also fought among the Serbian troops. A Slovenian woman, Antonija Javornik, was also part of the Serbian army, as was the British woman Flora Sandes .

(Jelena Šaulić)

(Antonija Javornik)

Milunka married after the war and gave birth to a daughter, but the union didn’t last long. She afterward adopted three other girls. Since she had never been to school, Milunka had to work as a cleaning lady, but faced the situation with courage and dignity. She managed to send all her daughters to school and helped thirty children, many of them from her natal village, to get a proper education as well. 

During the Second World War, Milunka still found a way to help her country. She notably hid antifascists in her home and nursed them, creating a kind of secret hospital. She died in Belgrade in 1973 and was buried with military honors. A street in Belgrade is named after her.

(Milunka in 1966)

References:

Breverton Terry, Breverton's First World War Curiosities

��La Serbie s'invite : entretien avec Slađana Zarić : Milunka Savić et les femmes de l'armée serbe pendant la Grande Guerre”

Larson Carmichael Jacqueline, Heard Amid the Guns, True Stories from the Western Front, 1914-1918

Toler Pamela D., Women warriors: an unexpected history 

[sixteenseveredhands]

I recently came across the story of Milunka Savić and I decided to investigate it a bit further...and, to my surprise, it actually seems legit. So this one is definitely worth sharing.

Milunka Savić, pictured during the Balkan Wars (c. 1913)

Milunka Savić was the most decorated female combatant in history; she served as a Serbian soldier during the Balkan Wars and WWI, was wounded 9 times on the battlefield, and received medals from Serbia, France, Russia, and Britain.

Her military career began in 1912, after her younger brother was called up to serve in the Serbian army and she decided to covertly take his place instead. She quickly devised a plan to hide her identity, then cut her hair, dressed herself in men's clothing, and effectively disguised herself as her brother.

Milunka was initially able to hide her true identity, and her skill and persistence as a soldier quickly became evident as the war progressed. She earned her first medal (and her first promotion) during the Battle of Bregalnica in 1913. Unfortunately, she was wounded in the chest during her tenth deployment, when she was hit by a Bulgarian grenade, and her injuries (and subsequent medical treatment) ultimately resulted in her superiors discovering the truth about her identity. In appreciation of her valor on the battlefield, however, her commanding officer decided not to punish her for the initial deception. As the story goes:

Savić was called before her commanding officer. They didn't want to punish her, because she had proven a valuable and highly competent soldier. The military deployment that had resulted in her [sex] being revealed had been her tenth. But neither was it suitable for a young woman to be in combat. She was offered a transfer to the Nursing division. Savić stood at attention and insisted she only wanted to fight for her country as a combatant. The officer said he'd think it over and give her his answer the next day. Still standing at attention, Savić responded, "I will wait." It is said he only made her stand an hour before agreeing to send her back to the infantry.

Milunka spent the remainder of the war serving in a combat role. Then, when World War I later erupted (just a year after the end of the Balkan Wars) she once again took to the battlefield, serving in the elite "Iron Regiment" of the Serbian military.

She was awarded the Karađorđe Star with Swords medal on two separate occasions during WWI -- the second medal was given to her after the Battle of Crna Bend in 1916, where she single-handedly captured 23 Bulgarian soldiers. Over the course of the war, she would go on to receive several other medals, including the French Legion of Honor (twice), the French Croix de Guerre, the Russian Cross of St. George, the British Medal of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael, and the Serbian Miloš Obilić.

She was once again badly injured while fighting along the Macedonian front in 1916, suffering a serious head injury in the process; still gravely injured in the immediate aftermath of their defeat in Macedonia, Milunka and her fellow soldiers, along with thousands of local civilians, had no choice but to embark on a grueling trek across the mountains of Montenegro and Albania during the dead of winter in an effort to reach Allied support along the Adriatic Coast -- a journey that would later be known as the Serbian Great Retreat. It is estimated that roughly 400,000 people initially embarked on this journey, but most would perish along the way, with only 180,000 survivors left by the time the group had finally reached the Adriatic Coast. In spite of her injuries, Milunka Savić was among the survivors.

She was ultimately given medical treatment after reaching Allied forces, but was deeply dismayed to learn that she would have to spend several months recovering in an infirmary before she was permitted to return to combat. She was eventually released a few months later, after her condition had finally improved enough to satisfy the physicians...at which point she immediately headed back to rejoin the Serbian/Allied forces along the Macedonian front.

At the end of the war, the French government offered to provide Milunka with a full pension and living accommodations in France (in recognition of her service to the French forces during WWI) but she ultimately declined the offer, wanting simply to retire back in Serbia, where she and her husband settled down to raise their daughter along with three other children that Milunka had adopted. The marriage did not last, unfortunately; she and her husband later separated, and Milunka was left to raise her children as a single mother, working at a local bank to make ends meet.

And then the Nazis arrived.

In 1941, Serbia (which was then part of Yugoslavia) was invaded and occupied by German forces. During this period, Milunka was involved in providing medical support to local partisans who had resisted the Nazi occupation, but she was later arrested by German officers; there are differing accounts as to the primary cause of her arrest, with some suggesting that she was arrested due to her involvement with local partisans and other anti-fascist elements, while others claim that she was arrested after she offended several Nazi officials by openly refusing to attend a formal banquet that was being held in honor of the German military campaign. In any case, she was then imprisoned at the infamous Baljinca Concentration Camp, where she would remain for ten months before eventually being released.

Sadly, Milunka faced further hardship in the aftermath of WWII; she struggled to support herself and her children (including several other foster children she was helping to support) and worked a series of menial jobs over the years while living in a dilapidated, decaying house in Belgrade. She had largely faded into obscurity by this time.

It wasn't until the early 1970s that her accomplishments finally began to receive more widespread attention in Serbia and abroad. Following the 1972 publication of an article discussing her many accomplishments in the military, her local community quickly rallied to provide her with more suitable living arrangements. Unfortunately, she passed away within just a year of the article's publication.

Milunka Savić in 1970, displaying the many medals/honors she had received on the battlefield during the Balkan Wars and World War I.

This woman had such an incredible life, and it just seems strange that her name is not more widely known. In addition to her military service, Milunka Savić also adopted several orphaned/abandoned children, helped to educate and care for many additional children within her community, and helped to organize a local infirmary during WWII.

In 2013, Milunka Savić's remains were relocated from the small mausoleum where they had been interred since 1973 and were finally reburied in Belgrade's "Alley of the Greats," where some of the most notable and honorable Serbians are laid to rest.

[wildfieldz]

I had no idea that this particular ball would determine my fate. Football is my life! From that day until now, it has been the center of everything for me.

Blagoje Marjanović “Moša��

[nonsenseforeveryday]

Medieval royal Serbian wear

[movie--posters]

[osusenebozvezdama]

косовски бој // the battle of kosovo (1989)

this film tells the story of what is thought to be one of the most significant events in the entire history of serbs. the battle of kosovo took place on the 28th of june 1389, on saint vitus' day, between an army led by an serbian prince lazar hrebeljanović and an invading army of the ottoman empire under the command of murat I hüdavendigâr. both the former and the latter lost their lives in this battle. the loss was heavy for both sides.

there are innumerable serbian folk songs and epics about this event. some of the lines that appear in the film are verses taken from these folk songs.

(x)

[gorskivijenac]

Podkaljaja, Serbian quarter of Prizren, 1969. Otto Lehmann-Brockhaus

[nebiverovao]

Jovan Stanisavljević 'Čaruga' in chains, moments before his execution. (1925)

Famous Serbian outlaw who wreaked havoc in Slavonia (today's Croatia) by robbing rich land owners and killing policemen.

„Ја сам Јован Станисављевић Чаруга. Мој наклон, господине крвниче. Збогом, народе, Чаруга путује. То није тако страшно. Идем весело“.

[uniquekindoftrash]

you can suck our dicks Clinton

I love the signs that say "put NATO in the mud" and "Clinton the only thing you can get is our dick"

also I can't imagine what the report to the White House must have been like at the time

Clinton: "Have we broken their spirit yet? Are they ready to capitulate?"

Some of his staff: "Umm... Sir... How can I say this??... They are gathering in the main squares all over... they are telling you... I am very sorry... but they are telling you you can only orally pleasure them..."

[lightdancer1]

Hey, I found your takes on Russia quite interesting so I wondered if you have any opinions on Serbia, its history and politics, especially it's alliance with Russia.

Also I remember what you said about modern leftists needing to ditch Marx. I keep hearing how he needs to be read and implemented and then remembered how science advances. Modern psychologists don't focus on Freud and I don't think modern physicists read Aristotle. Would that be a fair comparison?

1) That's a very big question but the simple version is that Serbia and the Balkans in general fit into a niche of European, Ottoman, and modern history that is outside a lot of conventional narratives. Up to the time of the two Battles of Kosovo the Serbian state was, like the other Balkan states, aspiring to standard European statehood and caught in the ebbing and flowing of the European system of power politics.

Then in two battles the Osmanli Devleti obliterated that for centuries and treated Balkans Europe as its main financial and military stomping ground. Modern Serbia is in many ways more like, along with the rest of the Balkans, the post-colonial Global South more than the standard view of the global North. Its friendship with Russia is a part of that reality, is much more recent than people realize (the Russia of the 1480s was in no position to influence the Balkans even if it wanted to and it didn't at that point in time). Its more murderous and despotic elements are an unfortunate outcome of the general trend in Eastern Christian/Orthodox Europe to take the Byzantine legacy of autocracy and to stick rigidly to it unless given a solid shake by outside forces.

2) In many ways yes. There is much of Aristotle that was junked for good reason, not least his 'some cultures are naturally meant to be enslaved' idea that was so influential on his good pupil Alexander the Great. Much of Marx has been junked even by his followers, you almost never see people adhering to historical determinism and materialism as he defined them, though the cultish idea of false consciousness unfortunately still has uncritical adherents.

[247reader]

Day 16: Milunka Savić!

(Very bad day, very simple drawing)

In 1912, Serbia mobilized for what would become known as the First Balkan War. Among the soldiers called up was the son of the Savíc family in Koprivnica - and, indeed, the young man reported for duty… or, at least, someone did. Milunka Savíc refused to send her consumptive brother to his death, and so she cut her hair, borrowed his clothes, and quickly became a model soldier. She won a medal, was promoted to corporal - and was eventually wounded. 

Milunka’s secret was out, but her commanding officer was unwilling to punish her. Instead, he suggested she become an army nurse - but she’d have none of it.  She stood at attention for an hour while her commander weighed the decision and eventually agreed to send her back to the infantry - this time, openly as a woman. 

She stayed in the army through WWI, rising to the rank of sergeant. She earned  two Karađorđe Stars (Serbia’s highest military award), and was decorated by Serbia’s French, Russian, and British allies as well. 

After the war, Milunka returned to civilian life. She married and had a child; her marriage fell apart, but, living on her own, she adopted three orphans while working as a cleaner and living on the edge of poverty. During the Nazi occupation of Serbia, she was sent to a concentration camp; though she was released, the ensuing years remained difficult. In the sixties, her fellow veterans spread her story and rallied support for her; she was given a government-funded apartment in Belgrade, where she lived until her death in 1973. 

[michellelebelle]

On This Day In History...

On the 29th of June in 2017, Ana Brnabić became the first female prime minister of Serbia and the first open LGBTQ+ prime minister of Serbia.

Like all other historic events, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this decision as Brnabić’s appointment was subject to much criticism on both ends of the political spectrum.  However, the criticism did not end there.  That same year, Brnabić caused much outrage during Serbian Pride when she announced that she would not be focusing on LGBTQ+ issues but instead on more important concerns such as inflation and standard of living.  This incident was a reason as to why Brnabić was not welcomed to 2018 Pride by many members of the LGBTQ+ community in Serbia.  

These controversies have not, however, prevented Prime Minister Ana Brnabić from being appointed for a second term.

Learn More About Ana Brnabić:  New York Times, Deutsche Welle, BBC

Learn More About LGBTQ+ Issues In Serbia: EuroNews, Pink News,  Culture Trip

[hothistoryconfessions]

[4eternal-life]

Dve sedmice nakon izbora za predsednika Saverzne Republike Jugoslavije koji su održani 24. septembra 2000. i nakon odbijanja tadašnje vlasti u Srbiji da prizna pobedu opozicionog kandidata Vojislava Koštunuce, Demokratska opozicija Srbije (DOS) pozvala je građane na protest.

Prvi cilj je bio STOP izbornoj krađi koju je Savezna izborna komisija sprovela po nalogu Slobodana Miloševića.

Naime, za nedelju 8. oktobra SIK je pripremao drugi krug predsedničkih izbora, ali je DOS, koji je činilo 18 stranaka opozicije, ultimativno zahtevao da Milošević do četvrtka, 5. oktobra, u 15 časova, prizna izbornu volju građana...

„Mi ni u kakav drugi krug ne možemo da idemo, jer bismo time postali saučesnici u krađi biračkih glasova. Prevara iz prvog kruga ne može se poništiti drugim, petim ili ko zna kojim krugom“, poručio je Koštunica Miloševiću, ukazujući na masovne proteste i opasnost izbijanja otvorenih sukoba u Srbiji.

Drugi zahtev udružene opozicije bio je smenjivanje generalnog direktora, glavnog urednika i uređivačkog kolegijuma državne televizije i promena uređivačke politiku kako bi se omogućilo objektivno informisanje građana o zbivanjima u Srbiji.

Takođe. DOS je zahtevao i puštanje svih građana uhapšenih zbog protivljenja režimu Slobodana Miloševića i izborne krađe.

Već tokom pre podneva 5. oktobra su se slile stotine hiljada građana na beogradske ulice. Stižali su sa svih strana Srbije, uprkos blokadama i upornosti Miloševića da istraje na“drugom krugu.

Priznanje poraza

Po isticanju vremena zakazanog za priznavanje izborne krađe, oko 15:30 velika grupa nezadovoljnih građana kroz prozor je ušla u zgradu Skupštine, dok je policija suzavcem rasterivala ljude okupljene na platou ispred zgrade.

Neuspešno, jer je oko 16:00 još jedna grupa građana ušla u parlament, ovog puta stepenicima, pa na glavni ulaz odakle su se povukli policajci koji su branili prolaz.

Usledili su sukobi u okolnim ulicama, demonstranti su demolirali nekoliko policijskih vozila u Kosovskoj ulici iza parlamenta, a i zgrada je devastirana.

Prema imformacija koje su kasnije postale javne, komandir beogradske policije oko 17 časova zatražio je razgovor sa predstavnicima DOS-a, a sat kasnije i pripadnici policijske stanice u obližnjoj ulici Majke Jevrosime položili su oružje i deo se priključio demonstrantima.

Najžešći sukobi su bili u Takovskoj ispred zgrade Radio-televizije Beograd (sada RTS). I ta zgrada je kasno posle podne zapaljena, a generalni direktor Dragoljub Milanivuć samo je zahvaljujći prisebnosti nekih demnstranata izbegao linč.

Novoizabrani predsednik SRJ Vojislav Koštunica obratio se predveče građanima sa terase Skupštine grada Beograda, a potom i preko RTB-a.

DOS je formirao Krizni štab za ključne funkcije u zemlji u koordinaciji sa novim predsednikom, a predstavnici DOS-a razgovarali su tokom noći sa čelnicima državne i javne bezbednosti.

Sutradan 6. oktobra Milošević se obratio javnosti i zvanično priznao poraz na predsedničkim izborima, pa je već 7. oktobra Vojislav Koštunica položio predsedničku zakletvu.

Ključni moment za uspeh protrsta, ali pre svega izbegavanje većeg sukoba bio je prelazak specijalnih policijskih snaga na stranu demonstranata.

Taj prelazak je i danas obavijen velom tajne, jedino što se pouzdano zna jeste da su su dan ranije susreli Zoran Đinđić i jedan od kasnijih atentatora na njega Milorad Ulemek Legija i da je postignut dogovor da specijalci ne dejstvuju.

U demontracijama je stradala Jasmina Jovanović (39) iz Velike Plane, koja je pala pod točkove kamiona. a Momčilo Stakić iz Krupnja preminuo je od posledica srčanog udara.

U neredima je povređeno je 65 ljudi.

Mantra 6. oktobar

Ubrzo posle gubitka savezne vlasti, Socijalistička partija Srbije izgubila je i na republičkim izborima 23. decembra iste godine, a Zoran Đinđić je nakon njih postao, kako se to kaže, prvi demokratski izabran premijer.

U međuvremenu od 25. oktobra 2000. do 25. januara 20001. Srbijom je rukovodila Privremena vlada na čijem čelu je bio Milomir Minić (SPS), a činili su je SPS-DOS i SPO.

Do tada najveća opoziciona partija Srpski pokret obnove Vuka Draškovića na septembarskim izborima nije bila deo DOS-a, iako je DOS i nastao nekoliko meseci ranije upravo na inicijativu Draškovića i Đinđića.

Prva velika pukotina u DOS-u posle dolaska na vlast nastala je krajem decembra povodom neslaganja DSS sa novim Zakonom o radu, a rezultirala je izlaskom Koštunučinih demokrata iz vladajuće koalicije.

Zoran Đinđić je 12. marta 2003. ubijen i prema mišljenju mnogih od aktivnih učesnika 5. oktobra, tada su zaustavljene reforme.

Pitanje koje je već 6. oktobra 2000. počelo prvo tiho, a kasnije sve glasnije da se postavlja, jeste upravo to „gde je 6. oktobar“, jer kritičari tvrde da su petooktobarci izdali 5. oktobar i njegove tekovine. Često se, međutim, zaboravlja kakvu je Srbiju DOS preuzeo od tzv. crveno-crne koalicije SPS-SRS, potpuno devastiranu, prazne državne kase, prezaduženu, isključenu iz svih međunarodnih instuticija, zavađenu sa gotovo čitavim svetom, a posebno sa regionom koji je još vidao ratne rane.

Pod Đinđićevim vođstvom Srbija je započela političke i ekonomske reforme i izgradnju institucija.

Sa manje i više uspeha i neuspeha to je nastavljeno i kasnije, sve do velike smene vlasti maja 2012.

Iako se 12. mart 2012. može smatrati danom konačnog raspada DOS-a, neke od političkih stranaka i lidera i u narednim godinama su bili deo vladajuće koalicije koju je predvodio DS.

Tvrdi petooktobarci poraz 5. oktobra vide u koaliciji napravljenoj posle izbora 2008. kada se Demokratskoj stranci priključio SPS kao deo vladajuće koalicije.

Potrebno je mnogo vremena, prostora i dobre volje da se na pitanje “gde je 6. oktobar” odgovori racionalno i tačno i nesumnjivo to će se jednom uraditi i tek onda će se moći pravilo da valorizuju dometi 5. oktobra.

DOS su činile: Demokratska stranka, Demokratska stranka Srbije, Demokratska alternativa, Nova Srbija, Građanski savez Srbije, Demohrišćanska stranka Srbije, Liga socijaldemokrata Vojvodine, Socijaldemokratska unija, Savez vojvođanskih Mađara, Reformisti Vojvodine, Sandžačka demokratska partija, Koalicija Vojvodina, Socijaldemokratija, Pokret za demokratsku Srbiju, Liga za Šumadiju, Nova demokratija i Demokratski centar. Uz DOS su tada bili G-17+, Otpor i Asocijacija nezavinsih sindikata Srbije.

Dvadeset i jednu godinu kasnije u vlasti su, kao deo vladajuće koalicije i od 2012. godine SVM i SDPS na republičkom nivou, kao i SPO (deo prvobitnog DOS-a), dok se na lokalnom nivou javlja i LSV. I Nova Srbija je jedno vreme bila deo vlasti Aleksandra Vučića. Većina stranaka DOS-a se ugasila, neke poput DS su se delile. Većina lidera DOS-a odavno nije u politici, a uz ubijenog Đinđića preminuli su Vladan Batić i Vuk Obradović.