Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vui and Serb Republic (RS) President Milorad Dodik laid wreaths at a memorial on August 19th 2014, honoring fallen soldiers in the Battle of Cer.
The ceremony commemorated the Serb victory over the Austro-Hungarians, which marked the first Allied victory over the Central Powers in the First World War.
The battle, part of the first Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia, began on the night of August 15th 1914 when elements of the Serbian 1st Combined Division encountered Austro-Hungarian outposts that had been established on the slopes of Cer Mountain earlier in the invasion.
The clashes that followed escalated into a battle for control over several towns and villages near the mountain, especially Šabac. On August 19th, the morale of the Austro-Hungarians collapsed and thousands of soldiers retreated back into Austria-Hungary. On August 24th the Serbs re-entered Šabac, marking the end of the battle.
The unexpected victory of the Serbian army in the Battle of Cer shocked Vienna and Berlin and boosted morale among Serbia and its allies.
At the memorial service in Tekeriš, crowds watched Serbian officials lay wreaths to honor the fallen soldiers and casualties of the battle. On behalf of the Serbian allies in the Great War, wreaths were also laid by Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Chepurin and the military envoy of France, as well as the representatives of the diplomatic corps in Belgrade.
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vui spoke at the memorial, highlighting modern Serbia and its duty to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors in fighting to secure a stronger future.
For more information about the memorial, click here
Posted by: Hannah Schneider, Centenary News