Armistice Day 2009 marked in Serbia

BELGRADE -- A ceremony for the anniversary of Armistice Day in World War I was held at the New Cemetery in Belgrade.

The anniversary was organized with high state and military honors and the laying of wreaths at a memorial dedicated to the World War I liberators of Belgrade, and the ceremony was attended by Culture Minister Nebojša Bradich.

The minister noted in his address that on this day in 1918 World War I ended, adding that “the curtain fell on the butchering of many people, especially Serbs.”

“91 years ago marked the end of a great bloodshed which threatened to exterminate us from this earth,” he said, adding that the heroics of the Serb army were "bordering on self-destructive" and that only “faith in ourselves and unity with our allies saved us from catastrophe”.

The Kingdom of Serbia fought the war on the side of the Allied Powers, and Bradich mentioned some of the most illustrious military leaders, such as Radomir Putnik, Stepa Stepanovich, Zivojin Misich, and Petar Bojovich.

The ceremony was attended by government and military officials and ambassadors and defense envoys from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Canada, Hungary, Germany, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Was a ceremony for the anniversary of Armistice Day marked in Croatia & Albania? (JohnnySRB, 11 November 2009 19:50)

Or in the narco-terror stillborn entity that nobody wants? (milan, 12 November 2009 07:21)

A great victory of our Serbian army against our eternal enemies,the Germans,Austrians,Croatians and Albanians. Unfortunately our stupid politicians wasted this chance to create a Greater Serbia. But we will achieve it. (CG, 11 November 2009 20:48)

I agree with you. At the end of WWI Serbia should have created its own nation and since it was emerged victorious at WWI it could have Krajina,parts of Bosnia,Macedonia and entire Kosovo,but instead Serbia ended up joining the Kingdom of Croats and Slovenes which later became Yugoslavia, this was catastrophic move for Serbs to this day.Also I believe Constantinople should have been returned to Greece at the end of WWI (brazilskifarmer, 12 November 2009 01:56)

darkside321 said:

so there are still politicians who dream of the creation of “a greater Serbia”? this people are dangerous because last time “they” tried it didn´t end very well for serbia.

Dear Darkside,

The meaning of "Greater Serbia" has been grossly misrepresented throughout the decades (going back as far as the 19th century) as a pejorative for the purposes of deliberately misleading people about the objectives of the Serbs to establish a "Unified" state under which ALL Serbs of the former Yugoslavia are protected.

Because different groups of Serbs found themselves living in various (sometimes very unfriendly) locations in the former Yugoslavia, such as Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Voyvodina and Macedonia, they would often find themselves separated from Serbia proper (their "Piedmont") which was to their detriment.

"Greater Serbia" stands for one thing and one thing only: The unification of all the Serbs in all the Serbian lands under one flag. The best analogy that I can provide for the true motivation and intention and goal behind the desire to form a "Greater Serbia" is "The United States of America".

*Serbs living in different Serbian lands united and protected under one national flag.

*Americans living in different states united and protected under one national flag.

Ravnagora

*****

Cronos said:

the main celebration ought to have been in Sarajevo where WWI started — caused by a Serbian nationalist. What was the Serb experience under Austrian rule? I argue with my Polish wife that the Poles were treated ok under Austrian Rule (as opposed to Prussian and Russian rules) — and I’m not completely sure of that topic, so am interested to hear your point of view on Serb life under the Austrians.

Dear Cronos,

The premise of the first part of your statement is not valid. Here's why:

World War One did not "start" in Sarajevo in Bosnia. And it was not "caused" by a Serbian nationalist, although that's the popular myth that's been propagated since the inception of that war in the summer of 1914.

WWI would have happened regardless of whether or not Gavrilo Princip (the Serbian nationalist credited with "starting" the greatest catastrophe known to mankind up to that point in time) had ever even been born. The assassination in Sarajevo of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 was merely the "excuse" that the Austrians and the Germans (the Germans later hesitating on whether the Austrians should indeed attack the Serbs) used to wage the war they had been planning, and indeed HOPING for, for several decades. The seeds for World War I were planted in the 1800s and there was a slow escalation that made the outcome inevitable. The two Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 were dress rehearsals for the catastrophe that was to take place between 1914-1918. Of course, no one predicted that WWI would escalate to the level that it did. The Austrians and Germans thought they could take care of business and be home "before the leaves fell off the trees" that Autumn of 1914.

They were wrong.

Now, the second part of your question is fair and valid, though I can't speak to the "Polish" issue. I do know someone I can ask about how Poles were treated under Austrian rule and can respond to that after I hear back. Does your Polish wife contend that Poles were not treated okay under Austrian rule and you contend that they were?

As to your question, Cronos, about what "Serb life" was like under the Austrians, there is a long answer and a short answer. I'll provide just the "short" one.

The short answer is that the Austrians used the Serbs as an effective buffer against the encroachment of the Ottoman Empire onto Habsburg territory. That's how so many Serbs ended up in "Croatia". They populated the "Military Frontier" which separated Austrian territory from Serbia proper, at the request of the Austrians, because the Austrians knew they could count on the Serbs as effective warriors.

Bosnia and Hercegovina became a contested area between the Austrians, the Serbs, and the Ottoman Turks. Once the Serbs freed themselves from the Moslem Turks, the Austrians began imposing their oppressive regime on the Serbs which culminated in their "annexing" Bosnia and Hercegovina in 1908. This annexation upset the Serbs, rightfully so. The Serbs, regardless of their many uprisings, regardless of their dreams to unite all their people scattered throughout the Serbian lands in the Balkans, regardless of the fact that they had successfully finally shaken off the Moslem oppressor, were once again finding themselves under the thumb of a foreign power. Gavrilo Princip, a mere teenager at the time, was one of those who was upset by the annexation.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was the oppressor. The life of the Serbs under the Austrians was the life of the oppressed under the oppressor.

The Serbs had two choices:

Rise Up or Submit.

They rose up.

Of course, there is much more to the story, and I appreciate your question, Cronos. That "short answer" is the essence of it from my point of view.

I will get back to you on the Polish issue.

Ravnagora

*****

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