First Serbian Volunteer Division
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The First Serbian Volunteer Division () or First Serbian Division, was a military formation of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, created by Serbian Prime Minister
Nikola Pašić Nikola Pašić ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Пашић, ; 18 December 1845 – 10 December 1926) was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat. During his political career, which spanned almost five decades, he served five times as prime minis ...
, and organised in the city of
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
in early 1916. This independent volunteer unit was primarily made up of South Slav
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
prisoners of war, detained in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, who had requested to fight alongside the
Serbian Army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...
. It also included men from South Slav diaspora communities, especially the
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. Even though the Serbian volunteers greatly outnumbered all the other ethnic group, a large number of the division's officer corps was made of former Habsburg reserve officers of
Croat The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...
and Slovene descent. In April 1917 the name of the division was changed to the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Volunteer Corps. The force holds a particularly significant place in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
history due both to its intermingling of different
Slavic ethnic groups Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Sl ...
as well as its role in the final military operations of the Salonika front.


History

At the request of Serbian prisoners of war captured from the Austro-Hungarian army, Serbian consul in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
Marko Cemović seized the opportunity to present a proposal for a Serbian volunteer corps directly to
Tsar Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...
during a military parade in Odessa. On 7 November 1915, the Tsar approved the formation of Serbian volunteer units in Russia. The following year, a Serbian military mission arrived in Russia to organise captured Serbian prisoners of war into a fighting unit. The division's composition reflected both the broader aspirations of Slavic unity and the complexities of enlisting former Austro-Hungarian soldiers into the Serbian cause. Among the early volunteers were Croats from
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
, Bosnians, and
Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...
, many of whom joined with the goal of fostering Yugoslav unity. The division was officially established on 16 April 1916, with Colonel
Stevan Hadžić Stevan Hadžić (19 February 1868 – 23 April 1931) was a General officer, general of the Royal Serbian Army and an Army general (Kingdom of Yugoslavia), army general of the Royal Yugoslav Army. In the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, he served four times ...
assuming command. The unit was overwhelmingly Serbian, with estimates indicating that between 96% and 98% of its ranks consisted of Serbs, primarily from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Vojvodina, with a smaller contingent from Croatia. While Serbian soldiers formed the bulk of the enlisted ranks, the officer corps had a more diverse composition, with Croats and Slovenes holding a significant number of positions. Serbs made up only 45% of the officers. Under the banner of pan-Slavic unity, the division initially comprised approximately 10,000 men. As recruitment continued, its numbers grew to nearly 18,000 by mid-August 1916. Serbian cavalry colonel Vojin Čolak-Antić was transferred from
Salonika Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
to take on a leadership role within the division. Initially, Tsar Nicholas II hesitated to establish the unit, as recruiting
prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
to fight against their former state was considered a
war crime A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...
under the Hague Conventions. However, as historian Alfred Rieber notes, wartime pressures soon led to a shift in policy. A number of
Czechs The Czechs (, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common Bohemia ...
and
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also joined the division, serving as junior officers. When news emerged that a
Czechoslovak Legion The Czechoslovak Legion ( Czech: ''Československé legie''; Slovak: ''Československé légie'') were volunteer armed forces consisting predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting on the side of the Entente powers during World War I and the ...
would be formed, most Czech rank-and-file soldiers departed to join their national contingent, which would later play a key role in the struggle for Czechoslovak independence. However, seventy-five Czech officers chose to remain in Odessa alongside the Serbian volunteers, a decision that earned them the deep respect of their men.


Battles

As part of the Russian 47th Corps under the command of General Zayonchkovsky, the First Serb Division, 23,500 men strong, was sent to the
Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...
front in
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to assist the Romanian army fighting Bulgarian forces reinforced by Turkish and German units. The Division showed high combat morale but was restrained by inadequate equipment and the campaign ended terribly with 1,939 dead and 8,000 wounded. In April 1917 the Pašić cabinet, under pressure from former POW officers, and by the
revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...
changes happening in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
at the time, created a second division, the two divisions became part of a new force called the "Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Volunteer Corps" it was 42,000 men strong and included the presence of
soldiers' councils A workers' council, also called labour council, is a type of council in a workplace or a locality made up of workers or of temporary and instantly revocable delegates elected by the workers in a locality's workplaces. In such a system of polit ...
. On 29 July 1917, General Mihajlo Zivković became Corps Commander. The decision to not name the corps "Yugoslav" as the POW officers had requested but "Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes" as well as what they perceived as the Serb officers treating the unit as a part of the Serbian army, led to the massive resignations of Croat and Slovene officers who chose to join Russian units instead. After the start of the
February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...
in 1917 as many as 12 735 soldiers left the Corps with some ending on opposing sides of the Russian Revolution. In 1917, it was decided to send the Corps to the
Macedonian front The Macedonian front, also known as the Salonica front (after Thessaloniki), was a military theatre of World War I formed as a result of an attempt by the Allied Powers to aid Serbia, in the autumn of 1915, against the combined attack of Germa ...
. The first division, 10,000 strong was able to leave Russia travelling west reaching
Salonika Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
at the end of the year. In the meantime, the
Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
had seized power in Russia and decided to put every possible obstacle in the journey of the remaining 6,000 men, denying them the route to the West, forcing them to go via the Trans-Siberian to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to Japanese held Port Arthur. From there, they were sent on a ship to
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
then to
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, and on to Salonika. The first company arrived on 29 March 1918 at the Serbian camp at Mikra after travelling 14,000 miles in eleven weeks. The two divisions were restored and rearmed by the Allied Army of the Orient under French command, a new Yugoslav unit was created on 14 January 1918 within the Serbian army, the 1st Yugoslav Division.


Legacy

According to Rieber, while definitely playing a role in crucial fighting on the Eastern Front, the exploits of both Serbian divisions became magnified for
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
purposes by nationalists. In retrospect, tensions both on and off the battlefield that existed not just in terms of ethnic heritage but also related to
economic class A social class or social stratum is a grouping of people into a set of hierarchical social categories, the most common being the working class and the capitalist class. Membership of a social class can for example be dependent on education, wea ...
and
political ideology An ideology is a set of beliefs or values attributed to a person or group of persons, especially those held for reasons that are not purely about belief in certain knowledge, in which "practical elements are as prominent as theoretical ones". Form ...
, even while fighters faced a common enemy in the Central Powers, foreshadowed conflicts in the future nation of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. According to Stevan Hadžić the battle of Dobruja was: "where all three brothers, Serb, Croat and Slovene, fought for the first time shoulder to shoulder for liberation and unification".


Monument

A white pyramid
memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...
known as the Monument to the Heroes of the First Serbian Volunteer Division ( sr-Cyrl, Споменик јунацима Прве српске добровољачке дивизије) is located as a part of a cemetery complex in Medgidia, a city in southeastern
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
near the Black Sea. The monument was dedicated in 1926 as a token of gratitude for the heroic struggle of all units of the First Serbian Volunteer Division. The area itself contains the remains of thousands who died in defense of Dobruja. In a 2013 ceremony, local mayor Marian Iordache remarked, "we can never forget their achievement... so it shall remain until the end of time."


See also

* Balkan Theatre of World War I * Modern history of Serbia *
Pan-Slavism Pan-Slavism, a movement that took shape in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with promoting integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had ruled the South ...
* Serbian Volunteers


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{cite book, author=Vojnoistorijski institut, title=Jugoslovenski dobrovoljački korpus u Rusiji: prilog istoriji dobrovoljačkog pokreta, 1914–1918, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t8YBAAAAMAAJ, year=1954, publisher=Vojnoizdavački zavod "Vojno delo,", language=Serbian


External links


Volunteer Corps of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Croatian National Archives)

Interview with Jovo Vladisavljević, an Austro-Hungarian soldier of Croatian origin, who was a prisoner of War in Russia on his experiences being drafted to the Serbian volunteer unit

Interview with Mihajlo Uglješić, an Austro-Hungarian soldier of Croatian origin, who was a Russian POW that volunteered in the Serbian volunteer unit
Military units and formations of Serbia in World War I Military units and formations established in 1916 1916 establishments in Ukraine Pan-Slavism