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Why are no Allies paying attention to the Serbian WWI Battle of Tser victory?
www.heroesofserbia.com ^ | August 30, 2013 | “Blogger DTA on the Free Republic forum”

Posted on 08/30/2013 12:22:31 PM PDT by Ravnagora

Monument to the Battle of Tser victory of 1914 in Serbia. Author of photo unknown at this time.

Aleksandra's Note: The following comments were posted on Free Republic by “Blogger DTA on the Free Republic forum”. The points DTA makes are well worth noting as we near the Centennial of the Great War.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

*****

"Austro-Hungarian POWs brought typhus fever to Serbia. By the end of 1914, 200,000 Serbs were dead. The typhus fever tragedy continued into 1915. It was Austro-Hungarian WMD [Weapons of Mass Destruction] of the time.

"The Battle of Tser was the first Allied victory in WW1. It is interesting to note that no Allies are paying any attention to it.

"Perhaps it's because all the allies EXCEPT Serbia declared armistice with Germany and KUK.

"The WW1 victory was a pyrrhic victory for Serbia - 56% of the male population perished, and the industry and land were ravaged by Germany and Austria. Serbia never recovered.

"I could only imagine what kind of garbage and historical revisionism we will have to endure next year. The history of WW1 and its aftermath are reshuffled beyond recognition. It all started around 1976. By then, French books stopped mentioning the role of Serbia among the allies and gradually, the German/Austrian/Nazi view got a foothold. IMHO [In my humble opinion], it is not only an insult to the memory of the Serbs who perished, it is an insult to the memory of all Allied soldiers and seamen who fought in the Great War. The Germans and Austrians, precursors of the Nazis, won WW1 in the historical revisionism rematch."

“Blogger DTA on the Free Republic forum”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3057274/posts

*****


TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: balkans; serbia; war; wwi
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1 posted on 08/30/2013 12:22:31 PM PDT by Ravnagora
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To: joan; Smartass; zagor-te-nej; Lion in Winter; Honorary Serb; jb6; Incorrigible; DTA; vooch; ...

Ping.


2 posted on 08/30/2013 12:23:29 PM PDT by Ravnagora
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To: Ravnagora

The reason for this is that in Western Europe and North America, people focus exclusively on the what happened on the Western Front. They ignore the fighting and the millions casualties on the Southern front, the Balkans, the Austro-Hungarian/Russian border, the middle east, the Caucasus, Asia and East Africa.


3 posted on 08/30/2013 12:35:07 PM PDT by Parmenio
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To: Ravnagora

Austro-Hungarian POWs brought typhus fever to Serbia. By the end of 1914, 200,000 Serbs were dead. The typhus fever tragedy continued into 1915. It was Austro-Hungarian WMD [Weapons of Mass Destruction] of the time.

Seriously? So the the POW’s were infected in advance of their being captured so as to infect and decimate the Serbs? Hyperbole much? And if you want to find the the roots of the Nazis, and despicable they were, you need look no further than Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations.


4 posted on 08/30/2013 12:38:47 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Ravnagora
I've been doing some research on the Serbian Theater of World War One and have been absolutely fascinated by the exploits of Sergeant Milunka Savic, the most highly decorated female combat veteran in world history. I know that she fought at the Battle of Kolubara, but I haven't been able to determine whether or not she was at the Battle of Tser (or Cer).

She was twice awarded the Serbian Order of the Star of Karađorđe with Swords (military version), French Légion d’Honneur (twice), the Russian Cross of St. George, the British medal of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael, and the Serbian Medal of Milos Obilić. In addition, she is the only female recipient of the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Palm Leaf for service during the First World War.

5 posted on 08/30/2013 12:49:18 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: Ravnagora; Parmenio

Aye, my high school AP US History course was focussed on the Western front; and since the teacher was a WWII vet he was (rightly) most concerned with teaching how the flawed Treaty of Paris sowed the seeds that led to [i]his[/i] war.


6 posted on 08/30/2013 12:49:57 PM PDT by lightman (Prosecute the heresies; pity the heretics.)
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To: Ravnagora
"I could only imagine what kind of garbage and historical revisionism we will have to endure next year.

So true, so true. My guess is that the worst and most persistent revisionism will come form the EU - we will hear how evil nationalism caused the Great War, and be told that if all of Europe had been ruled from the centre (Berlin or Brussels) such a catastrophe would not ever have come to be.

Nationalism did of course play a role, but remember that the EU is partly modelled on the Austro-Hungarian empire, who of course started it all.

7 posted on 08/30/2013 1:09:33 PM PDT by ScaniaBoy (Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)
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Only Two Days Until
September.
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We can do this!!

8 posted on 08/30/2013 1:18:43 PM PDT by RedMDer (http://www.dontfundobamacare.com/)
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To: Mastador1
>>>>>>>Seriously? So the the POW’s were infected in advance of their being captured so as to infect and decimate the Serbs? Hyperbole much? And if you want to find the the roots of the Nazis, and despicable they were, you need look no further than Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations.<<<<<<

I did not say what you misconstrued. Austro-Hungarian POWs were the source of typhoid fever, not Austro-Hungarian fighting force. Fighting force was not infected in advance, because they could not fight. Typhoid has short onset. The first week there is mailaise, second week fever and delirium.

Austro-Hugarian agents operating behind enemy lines did spread typhoid, it is known historical fact. Any Army doctor anywhere in the world could confirm it. it is part of military medicine curriculum.

Scottish doctor William Hunter developed autoclave made of fuel containers to control lice and stop the spread.

It is known as Serbian barrel although it is Scottish.

Ridiculing these facts and attempting to turn them upside down is historical revisionism.

9 posted on 08/30/2013 1:33:15 PM PDT by DTA (Hands off Syria !)
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To: Stonewall Jackson
There was also antother awesome lady, Flora Sandes who fought along Serbs in "The Iron Regiment"

Officially, the only British woman - combat soldier in WWI.


10 posted on 08/30/2013 1:39:38 PM PDT by DTA (Hands off Syria !)
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To: Parmenio; Ravnagora
The reason for this is that in Western Europe and North America, people focus exclusively on the what happened on the Western Front.

I agree, plus the US was not in the war when this battle was fought.

I recently learned, however that the US had a small participation in the Second (Naval) Battle of Durazzo in 1918, which took out an Austrian/German naval base. We contributed some sub chasers. The bulk of the fleet was Italian, with some British ships.

11 posted on 08/30/2013 1:42:15 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: DTA

You are confused. Typhus and typhoid are very different diseases.

Typhus is spread by lice, the results of unclean living conditions, which are of course very difficult to maintain in wartime. The logistics of using it as a weapon of war are obvious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhus

Typhoid is a water/food borne disease, spread by these things contaminated with the feces of an infected person. It would also be difficult to use as a weapon of war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_fever

Bitter enemies are often accused of spreading such diseases via spies or agents, but doing so isn’t particularly practical.


12 posted on 08/30/2013 1:46:00 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: DTA

http://entomology.montana.edu/historybug/wwi/tef.htm

In reading this it appears that the typhoid epidemic, something that was not a new occurrence in Serbia had more to do with a lack of Doctors, medicine and facilities to deal with the masses of Serbian refugees and prisoners of war than a deliberate act of germ warfare. And I still argue that the prisoners of war being infected not the fighting force makes no sense. So someone had the Typhoid virus ready and just waiting to infect the soldiers just as they were to be taken as prisoner?


13 posted on 08/30/2013 2:00:05 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: DTA

Just an FYI - “Typhoid fever” and “Typhus”, though they have some similar qualities, are “distinct diseases and are caused by different species of bacteria”.

*****


14 posted on 08/30/2013 2:02:27 PM PDT by Ravnagora
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To: Sherman Logan
Thanks for correction, it was an error in translation on my side.

The fact that bitter enemies accuse each other does not mean that it is not true, nor that both accusations are accurate.

Take for example recent Sarin attack in Syria. Perpetrated by the British mercs and AQ against Syrian civilians.

UKUSA blame Syrian goverment, although they have the hard facts, like the rest of the world. Syria blames AQ terrorists affiliated with UKUSA but has no 00 to blame UKUSA.

One could say they are blaming each other, which is not true, one side is making false accusation to protect it's actions, another is pointing in the right direction.

Ditto for Halabja when Iran was accused although having nothing to do with it.

15 posted on 08/30/2013 2:04:26 PM PDT by DTA (Hands off Syria !)
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To: Mastador1
"...And I still argue that the prisoners of war being infected not the fighting force makes no sense."

The Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war WERE part of the Austro-Hungarian fighting force. They weren't two separate entities.

*****

16 posted on 08/30/2013 2:11:26 PM PDT by Ravnagora
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To: DTA
Take for example recent Sarin attack in Syria. Perpetrated by the British mercs and AQ against Syrian civilians.

This is an allegation, not a fact. Unless you've seen evidence I haven't.

I wouldn't be surprised if AQ were involved, but I hope the Brits wouldn't do this.

17 posted on 08/30/2013 2:14:04 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Mastador1

Typhus, not typhoid. Bacteria, not virus.

The only way to spread typhus is by lice, so possibly one could put together a “lice bomb” and drop it on the refugees. Seems pretty advanced for 1914.


18 posted on 08/30/2013 2:15:41 PM PDT by Sherman Logan
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To: Ravnagora

“Austro-Hungarian POWs were the source of typhoid fever, not Austro-Hungarian fighting force. Fighting force was not infected in advance, because they could not fight. Typhoid has short onset. The first week there is mailaise, second week fever and delirium.”

Quote from DTA, can’t have it both ways. Either they were infected while still an “effective” fighting force or they were infected after loss of battle prior to being taken as POW’s. Either way does not make sense.


19 posted on 08/30/2013 2:17:20 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: DTA
Thank you for the info. Sadly there are hardly any books available on this "forgotten" theater of the Great War.

I can find more books on the East African Campaign than I can the Balkans, and it was merely a sideshow in comparison.

20 posted on 08/30/2013 6:13:31 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson (I aim to misbehave.)
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