The Serbian Free Corps (), known simply as ''frajkori'' ( sr-cyr, фрајкори), was a volunteer

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

composed of ethnic

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

, established by the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

, to fight the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

during the

Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791) The term Austro-Turkish War may refer to: * Austro-Turkish War (1593–1606) * Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) * Austro-Turkish War (1683–1699) * Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) * Austro-Turkish War (1737–1739) * Austro-Turkish War (178 ...

. The rebellion in the

Sanjak of Smederevo The Sanjak of Smederevo (, ), also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade (, ), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman administrative unit (sanjak) centered on Smederevo, that existed between the 15th and the outset of the 19th centuries. It ...

and militia's operations resulted in the period of Habsburg-occupied Serbia, which took place from 1788 to 1791. Ultimately, the Serbian volunteer corps had the legacy of promoting the creation of future paramilitaries, such as during the

First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...

History

A Serbian ''

freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...

'' of 5,000 soldiers had been established in

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

( Banat Military Frontier), composed of refugees that had fled earlier conflicts in the Ottoman Empire. The Corps would fight for liberation of Serbia and unification under Habsburg rule. The main commander was the Austrian major Mihailo Mihaljević. There were several freikorps along the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier. Mihaljević's Free Corps, the most notable, was active from

Šumadija Šumadija ( sr-Cyrl, Шумадија, ) is a geographical region in the central part of Serbia. The area used to be heavily covered with forests, hence the name (from ''šuma'' 'forest'). The city of Kragujevac is the administrative center of t ...

Podrinje Podrinje ( sr-Cyrl, Подриње) is the Slavic name of the Drina river basin, known in English as the Drina Valley. The Drina basin is shared between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with majority of its territory being located in Eastern ...

, and across the Morava there was the Braničevo Free Corps; in Croatia the St. George Free Corps; in Bosnia they were called '' Seressaner''. Other Serb militias were the Kozara Militia and Prosar Militia, established in Bosnia in 1788, composed of 1,000 soldiers each. Among volunteers were Aleksa Nenadović and

Karađorđe Petrović Đorđe Petrović (; ; – ), known by the sobriquet Karađorđe (; ), was a Serbian revolutionary leader who led a struggle against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising. He held the title of Grand Vožd of Serbia from 14 ...

, Stanko Arambašić and the prominent Radič Petrović and most distinguished of all, Koča Anđelković. The Orthodox clergy in Serbia supported the rebellion. Koča's militia quickly took over Palanka and

Batočina Batočina (, ) is a town and municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. According to 2022 census, the population of the town is 5,105, while population of the municipality is 10,162. Settlements Aside from the town of Bato� ...

, attacked

Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...

, and reached the Constantinople road, cutting off the Ottoman army from

Sanjak of Niš The Sanjak of Niš ( Turkish: Niş Sancağı; Serbian: Нишки санџак, romanized: ''Niški Sandžak''; Albanian: Sanxhaku i Nishit; Bulgarian: Нишки санджак, romanized: ''Nishki sandzhak'') was one of the sanjaks of the O ...

and Sanjak of Vidin. The Austrians used the Corps in two failed attempts to seize Belgrade, in late 1787 and early 1788.

Organization

According to a document from 6 November 1789, the Free Corps included: * 1 squadron of

hussars A hussar, ; ; ; ; . was a member of a class of light cavalry, originally from the Kingdom of Hungary during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely adopted by light cavalry ...

, * 18 companies of

fusilier ''Fusilier'' is a name given to various kinds of soldiers; its meaning depends on the historical context. While ''fusilier'' is derived from the 17th-century French word – meaning a type of flintlock musket – the term has been used in cont ...

s, * and 4 companies of

musketeer A musketeer ( ) was a type of soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern warfare, particularly in Europe, as they normally comprised the majority of their infantry. The musketeer was a precursor to the rifl ...

s, with a total of 5,049 soldiers.

Dress

Their uniforms were similar to that of the frontiersmen, with some changes.

Aftermath

In 1793, the Austrians established the new free corps on the border, for Serbians and Bosnians.

Legacy

On the eve of the

, the

Užice Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2022 census, the city proper has a popu ...

and Sokol nahije established volunteer detachments, called ''frajkori'', that had the task of sabotage against Ottoman military plans, and their concentration in this region of Serbia.

Notable people

* Koča Anđelković, captain 1789 * Aleksa Nenadović, commander 1804 * Vuča Žikić, captain 1808 * Petar Novaković Čardaklija, captain 1808 * Radič Petrović, captain 1816 *

, sergeant 1817

References

Sources

* * {{Authority control 18th-century Freikorps Military history of Austria Military history of Serbia 18th century in Serbia 18th-century establishments in Serbia Serbia under Habsburg rule Vojvodina under Habsburg rule History of Banat Cavalry units and formations Infantry units and formations Habsburg Serbs Military units and formations of the early modern period Military Frontier Serbian mercenaries 1787 establishments in the Habsburg monarchy 1792 disestablishments in the Habsburg monarchy Military units and formations established in 1787 Military units and formations disestablished in 1792 Volunteer military units and formations Army of the Habsburg monarchy