Serbian campaign (1915)

Serbian campaign (1915)
Part of the Serbian campaign of World War I

Map showing the timeline of the Campaign
Date7 October 1915 – 24 November 1915
(1 month, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Serbia, Montenegro, Albania
Result
  • Central Powers victory
Territorial
changes		 Austro-Hungarian & Bulgarian occupation of Serbia
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Units involved

Army Group Mackensen

German Empire Eleventh Army
Austria-Hungary Third Army
Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946) First Army
Tsardom of Bulgaria (1908–1946) Second Army

Royal Serbian Army

Kingdom of Serbia First Army
Kingdom of Serbia Second Army
Kingdom of Serbia Third Army
Strength

600,000:
100,000 Germans[5] 200,000 Austro-Hungarians[5]
566 battalions and 273 guns (108 heavy)[6]

300,000 Bulgarians[7]

~300,000:
~260,000 Serbians[8]
275 battalions and 654 cannons[6]

48,300 Montenegrins
45 Italian transport vessels[2]
25 French transport vessels[2]
Casualties and losses
67,000:
  • 12,000 Germans[9]
  • 18,000 Austro-Hungarians[10]
  • 37,000 Bulgarians[9]
  • 218,000 Serbians
  • 94,000 killed or wounded[8]
  • 174,000 captured, of which 50,000 wounded[8]
  • 23,000 Montenegrins[a]
  • 13,325 killed/missing[11]
  • ~10,000 wounded[12]

The Serbian campaign of 1915 (German: Der serbische Feldzug 1915) refers to a military campaign carried out by the Central Powers, primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria, against the Kingdom of Serbia during World War I. The campaign took place from October to November 1915.

After Serbia successfully resisted Austria-Hungary's advances during the Serbian campaign of 1914, the Central Powers launched a joint offensive against Serbia with a combined force of over 600,000 soldiers. They enjoyed numerical and technological superiority over the Serbian army, which was heavily outnumbered and lacked adequate supplies and equipment.

The campaign began with a series of coordinated offensives aimed at breaking through Serbian defensive lines. The Serbian army, led by King Peter I and Field Marshal Radomir Putnik, fought valiantly but was ultimately overwhelmed by the Central Powers' forces. The Serbian army, along with a significant number of civilians, embarked on a retreat across the Albanian mountains, suffering heavy casualties from combat, disease, and harsh weather, the retreat became known as the Great Retreat or the "Albanian Golgotha."

By the end of the Serbian campaign of 1915, the Central Powers had effectively eliminated Serbia as a threat, secured their position in the region and opened up a land route to provide supplies to the embattled Ottoman Empire. Serbia was then divided between the Austro-Hungarian occupied zone and the Bulgarian occupied zone. The Serbian government, along with the remnants of its army, evacuated to the Greek island of Corfu, where they regrouped and later played a crucial role in the ultimate Allied victory in the war.[13]

  1. ^ Pavlović, Vojislav G. (2019). Serbia and Italy in the Great War. Institut for Balkan Studies. ISBN 978-86-7179-103-8.
  2. ^ a b c d Ramoino, Pier Paolo. "Il salvataggio dell'Esercito Serbo" (PDF). cssii.unifi.it (in Italian).
  3. ^ Pearson 2004, p. 95
  4. ^ Thomas, Babac 2012, p. 95
  5. ^ a b Josephus Nelson Larned 1924, p. 9991
  6. ^ a b Command and General Staff School (U.S.) (1939). Professional Journal of the United States Army. PB (United States. Army). Command and General Staff School. p. 1-PA43.
  7. ^ Prit Buttar 2015, p. 594.
  8. ^ a b c DiNardo 2015, p. 122.
  9. ^ a b Зафиров, Димитър; Александров, Емил, eds. (2009). История на българите. TRUD Publishers. p. 463. ISBN 9789545287527.
  10. ^ Tucker 2005, p. 1077
  11. ^ International Labour Office 1923, p. 29.
  12. ^ Publishing & Hosch 2009, p. 219.
  13. ^ Misha Glenny 2012, p. 355.


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