Originally Posted by kNikS

…The Serbian army, coming up from the south of the country, met the Austrian army at the Battle of Cer on 12 August.
The Serbians occupied defensive positions against the Austrians. The first attack came on August 16, between parts of the 21st Austro–Hungarian division and parts of the Serbian Combined division. In harsh night-time fighting, the battle ebbed and flowed, until Stepa Stepanovic rallied the Serbian line. Three days later the Austrians retreated across the Danube, having suffered 21,000 casualties as against 16,000 Serbian. This marked the first major Allied victory of the war. The Austrians had not achieved their main goal of eliminating Serbia, and it became increasingly likely that Germany would have to maintain forces on two fronts…

The Battle of Cer (August 12-24. 1914) was one of the most glorious in the military history of Serbian people. Victory achieved by the Serbian Army in this battle was the first allied victory in the First World War (1914-1918). In the crucial part of the operation, on the Mt. Cer, Austro-Hungarian Fifth Army was defeated and pushed back across River Drina.

The Battle of Drina (September 6. - November 11. 1914) was the most difficult battle waged by the Serbian Army in WWI, particularly battles around middle flow of River Drina, battles of Gucevo and Mackov Kamen. It also stopped the second offensive of Austro-Hungarian Army on Serbia.

The Battle of Kolubara (November 16. - December 15. 1914) and the victory of the Serbian Army contributed to Serbian respect among the allies. In the final phase of the battle, in only 13 days, the Serbian Army managed to expel the enemy from the country and re-establish the fronts on Drina and Sava rivers.

The Battle near Mojkovac (January 6-7. 1916), in which Montenegrin Sandzak Army successfully defended itself against Austro-Hungarin offensive, significantly alleviated the operations of the Serbian Army, enabling it to withdraw its troops trough Montenegro towards Albania.

Albanian Golgotha - Retreat of the Serbian Army (November 1915 - January 1916), also known as "Serbian Golgotha through Albanian gorges" was carried out in the conditions of strong frost, hunger, fatigue, illness and almost every day battles against Bulgarians, Austria-Hungary and Albanians. Some 100,000 soldiers and refugees lost their lives during this legendary march-maneuver of the Serbian Army, which was compared by various historians with Napoleon's and Suvorov’s crossing the Alps.

Thessaloniki front (1916-1918) encompasses battles waged by the Entente forces against Central forces on the territory from the Orfan Bay, across Greece and Albania, to the Ionian Sea. In September 1916, the Serbian Army took part in the allied offensive, occupying Kajmakcalan after fierce struggle against Bulgarian forces.

Breakthrough of the Thessaloniki front and allied offensive in autumn 1918, in which the Serbian Army played a crucial role, belong to the most successful operations of the WW I.

Its participation in the WW I Serbia paid with more than million people (some 22% of the population, 58% of male population) and Montenegro lost around 50,000 people (1/8 of the entire population). From 707.000 mobilized men during the war, only less than 130.000 returned home at the end of the war.

The Battle of Kolubara was one of the greatest battles in Balkans during World War I. It was fought between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, and the Serbian army was victorious.

After the Battle of Drina, the Serbian army retreated on the right bank of the Kolubara river. The Serbian Army had 250,000 poorly equipped soldiers and the Austro-Hungarians had a well-equipped force of 280,000 men. On 16 November 1914, Austro-Hungarian Balkan Army group (5th and 6th Army), commanded by Field Marshal Potiorek, launched an attack over the river. Potiorek's goal was to take over the railroad that led from Obrenovac to Valjevo and to use it for supplying his troops instead of using muddy roads in Macva. The 5th Army, which held the northern part of the front, captured the town of Lazarevac which was held by the Serbian 2nd Army. In the south, parts of the 6th Army (15th and 16th Corps) attacked the 1st Serbian Army, captured Mount Maljen on 24 November, and put the Serbian left wing in a difficult situation. On the 25th November, 5th Army pushed back 2nd and 3rd Army, crossed the Ljig river and flanked the 1st Army.
Because the Serbian First Army was in difficult situation, its commander, General Zivojin Misic, wanted to abandon his current positions and retreat to the new position in front of Gornji Milanovac. His plan was to delay combat, rest his troops, and then launch the counteroffensive. Howewer, Field Marshal Putnik didn't approve that plan. He warned Misic that in that case other armies will also have to retreat, and Belgrade will have to be abandoned. But Misic firmly believed that his plan was the right one, and said to Putnik that the orders are already given, and that he will not change them while he is in command. In the end, Putnik accepted his plan.
When Belgrade was abandoned, Potiorek made a new plan. He wanted to amass the entire 5th Army in the Belgrade region and annihilate the 2nd army which was on the right wing of the Serbian front. Then the 5th Army would turn to the south, get behind the enemy and force him to capitulate. But Potiorek underestimated the offensive capabilities of the 1st Army in south. He thought that this army was too tired and weakened, and that it will stand and do nothing while his forces are maneuvering.
Austo-Hungarian soldiers were very tired even before this maneuver began. While they were marching, Serbian troops were resting in their new positions. On the 2 December, Misic finished all preparations for an attack. Putnik ordered the attack of the entire Serbian army on 3 December. That was the right moment, because the largest Austro-Hungarian formation, the Combined Corps, was out of combat, marching north.
On the 3 December, the 1st Army launched an attack against the surprised 16th Corps. The attack was supported by the Uzice army from the left wing. 16th Corps suffered heavy casualties and was pushed back. On the 4 December, 17th Corps tried to hold the advance of the 1st Army, but failed. Potiorek ordered an attack of the 5th Army so that he could complete his operation before the 6th army is defeated. Howewer, the Combined Corps was still on its march. On the 5 December, 1st Army captured Mount Suvobor, the main defensive position of the 6th Army. Meanwhile, the 3rd Serbian army didn't manage to push the 15th Corps off of Mount Rudnik, and Uzice army suffered heavy casualties. Howewer, these formations pressured the Austro-Hungarian forces and helped the 1st Army to achieve a breakthrough. In the evening, Combined Corps arrived on its positions, but it's soldiers were very tired.
On 6 December, Potiorek ordered the retreat of the 6th Army on the left bank of Kolubara. Combined Corps finally attacked the 2nd Army, but the attack was easily stopped. Its soldiers were so tired that they had to wait until 8 December to launch some serious attack. Howewer, 2nd Army managed to hold its positions. Other units of the 5th Army were more successful, but it was too late. The 1st Army already captured Valjevo and was pushing north. Putnik reinforced the 2nd Army with fresh troops and ordered an attack before the Austro-Hungarians fortify their positions. On the 12th December, Field Marshal Stepanovic's 2nd Army attacked and defeated the 8th Corps. 5th Army had to leave Belgrade and cross the Sava River on 15 December. The battle was over.
The Serbian Army captured 43,000 enemy soldiers, and the number of Austro-Hungarian casualties was even greater. General Misic was promoted to Vojvoda (Field Marshal), while Potiorek was retired.
In 1914, Austro-Hungarian Balkan Army Group lost around 270,000 men, while the Serbian army lost around 160,000 men.

The Thessaloniki Front

During World War I, in order to alleviate the situation on the eastern and western front, the strategists from the Allied armed forces formed a south - Thessaloniki front handing over the Serbian army to guard, strategically speaking, and the most important direction. The Serbian Army forces were deployed between Vardar and Pelagonia. The French, British, Italian and Russian forces were also deployed throughout the Thessaloniki front. Their enemies were the Austro-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian forces. Serbia had 125.000 soldiers on the front assigned to six infantry and one cavalry unit.
The offensive of the Allied armed forces at Thessaloniki front started on September 11th 1916, with the Serbian forces assigned on the course of the main attack: Gornicevo-Bitolj. The Serbian and Bulgarian armies waged a hand-to-hand battle on Mt Kajmakcalan. After seizing Mt Kajmakcalan, the Serbian troops took Bitolj on September 19th making the Bulgarian forces to retreat. The Serbian army had already then lost 30.000 soldiers in battle.
After that the ceasefire followed at the Thessaloniki front until 1918 when more than 12,000 volunteers from the eastern front, as well as the volunteers from all parts of the world reached the front. The French Commander Franchet D'Esperey led all the allied forces troops at the front. On September 15th the offensive started under his command.
The Serbian Second Army units, under the leadership of commander in chief Stepa Stepanovic and the First Army units under the command of General Petar Bojovic, made a breakthrough of the Bulgarian front. The Bulgarian army was retreating before Serbian Second Army that reached Vardar valley on September 21st causing the final collapse of the Bulgarian front. While the French eastern forces were taking Prilep (September 23rd) and Skopje (September 29th), the Second Army units reached the Bulgarian border near Dzumrl and Custendil. Faced with defeat, the Bulgarians signed the peace treaty in Thessaloniki (September 29th 1918) which had a major influence on the future events.
The First Serbian Army also made a successful breach by defeating the 11th German Army near Nis on October 12th and liberating Belgrade on November 1st 1918. This army under the command of General Petar Bojovic fighting heavy battles crossed about 500 km in 90 days. Meanwhile, the Second Army units reached the Drina River liberating western Serbia. The French army liberated Pirot, Zajecar and Bor and its eastern wing Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica and Novi Pazar. Parts of the Serbian army liberated Tirana, and the Italian cavalry Drac. The Yugoslav Division Adriatic troops together with the Montenegrin army liberated Skadar, Podgorica, Niksic and Kotor.
Three days after the liberation of the capital, the Supreme Command of Serbia made a decision that the Serbian Army should cross the rivers of Sava, Danube and Drina and continue pursuing the German and Austro-Hungarian forces. The remaining parts of the country were soon liberated from the Austro-Hungarian rule. Serbia and Montenegro suffered terrible casualties at the Thessaloniki front - almost every third man in Serbia died and around 20,000 Montenegrins.

Originally Posted by Big Bob

Serbia SUCKS. It's a third world toilet in the middle of a bunch of little third world shitholes. It's like Canada (totally unimportant and in no way worthy of note) but without the situation of being a humanly habitable place to live. There's nothing important about Serbia at all. It's just like Slumgolia, Ignoramia and the Democratic Republic of Bongo Bongo.

Originally Posted by Big Bob

Man, I'm just annoyed because you're all acting like Serbia is some sort of holy land...but it's just a totally unimportant imitation of a country in the middle of nowhere. And yet you act like it's where the Great JESUS the Amazing was born. So gimme a break.

Originally Posted by glyn

Originally Posted by parihaka

Hey, I'm learning from this thread!