Marshal Radomir Putnik

Radomir Putnik, also known as Vojvoda Putnik, (Радомир Путник - Војвода Путник) (born January 24, 1847 in Kragujevac, died May 17, 1917) was a Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of General Staff in the Balkan Wars and the First World War, and took part in all wars that Serbia waged from 1876 to 1917. Field Marshal Radomir Putnik This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 50 years. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Location in Serbia General Information Mayor Veroljub Stevanović Party SDPO Land area 865 km² Population (2002 census) 211. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Anthem: Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... The chief of staff is the chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units. ... Combatants Ottoman Empire Balkan League Bulgaria Commanders Nizam Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Esat Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Bulgaria: Vladimir Vazov, Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev Serbia: Radomir Putnik, Petar Bojović, Stepa Stepanović Greece:Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis Nikola Ivanov, Vasil Kutinchev, Radko Dimitriev The outcome... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Biography

In the mid-19th century, Putnik's family returned from exile in Austria-Hungary to liberated Serbia. Putnik's father, Dimitrije, was a teacher in Kragujevac, and Radomir completed his basic schooling there. He attended the Artillery School (the precursor to the later Military Academy) in Belgrade, where he graduated in 1863, placing eighth in his class. In 1879, he married Ljubica Bojović, daughter of a colonel, with whom he had seven children (three daughters and four sons). Contemporaries describe him as an ascetic, introverted man, and a heavy smoker; however, he was also thought tough on professional issues. He proved himself in the battlefield during the wars against the Turks in 1876 and 1877. On several occasions, he was severely reprimanded and even briefly put in custody for using "inappropriate language" to senior officers. Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Belgrade (Serbian: Београд or Beograd  ) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. ...

He became a professor in the Military Academy, holding that position from 1886 to 1895. His post was only interrupted by the war against the Bulgarians in 1889, after which he was appointed Deputy Chief of General Staff. However, he soon came into conflict with King Milan I, partly for not allowing a King's protegé to pass an examination. Political intrigue and latent conflict with Kings Milan and his successor, King Alexander I, would follow him throughout this part of his career. In 1895, he was forced to retire and, after an unsuccessful assassination attempt at King Milan in 1899, he left the country for fear of further retaliation. King Milan Obrenovic Milan Obrenović IV, (August 22, 1854–February 11, 1901), was King Milan I of Serbia from 1882 to 1889. ... Alexander of Serbia was the King of Serbia between 1842 and 1858. ...

After the military coup d'etat (executed by the Black Hand organisation) against Alexander I in 1903, Putnik was rehabilitated, promoted to the rank of General and appointed Chief of General Staff. He proceeded to completely reorganise the army, to retire old and promote new officers, and to update war plans. He appointed General Živojin Mišić as his deputy. Despite occasional personality clashes, the two men had deep respect for each other. Putnik was the first officer to be appointed to the highest rank of vojvoda (Field Marshal). In 1912, he led the Serbian Army into victories in the First and Second Balkan War. During that period, he was also Serbian Minister of War on several occasions. A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... Members of the Black Hand Black Hand (Serbian: Црна рука / Crna Ruka), officially Unification or Death (Serbian: Уједињење или смрт / Ujedinjenje ili smrt) was a secret society founded in Serbia in May 1911[1][2] as part of the Pan-Slavism nationalist movement, with the intention of uniting all of the territories containing Serb populations... Field Marshal Zivojin Misic (portrait by Uros Predic) Živojin MiÅ¡ić (Живојин Мишић) (1855-1921) was a Vojvoda (Field Marshal) and the most successful Serbian commander who participated in all Serbias wars from 1876 to 1918. ... For the heavy metal music band see Voivod (band). ... // Combatants Ottoman Empire Balkan League: Bulgaria Montenegro Greece Serbia Commanders Nizam Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Esat Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Bulgaria: Vladimir Vazov, Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev Serbia: Radomir Putnik, Petar Bojović, Stepa Stepanović Greece:Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis Strength 350,000 men Bulgaria... Combatants Bulgaria Greece Serbia Montenegro Romania Ottoman Empire Commanders Mihail Savov Nikola Ivanov, Vasil Kutinchev, Radko Dimitriev Serbia: Radomir Putnik, Greece:King Constantine, Romania: Crown Prince Ferdinand, Alexandru Averescu Strength 500,000 men Serbia 220,000 men, Romania 200,000 men, Greece 150,000 men, Montenegro 12,000 men The... A defence minister ( Commonwealth English) or defense minister ( American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ...

World War I

However, his health was severely damaged, partly because of his military life and partly because of his heavy smoking. The outbreak of World War I on July 28, 1914 found him at a treatment spa in Bad Gleichenberg, Austria. On his attempted return to Serbia, he was arrested in Budapest by Austro-Hungarian authorities, but released by personal intervention of the Austrian Chief of General Staff Konrad von Hetzendorf, partly as an act of chivalry, and partly as a calculation that the old and ill general would be an easy opponent; the latter proved to be an important miscalculation. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Woman under the Safeguard of Knighthood, allegorical Scene. ...

After a troublesome trip, Putnik returned to Serbia and offered his resignation to King Peter I of Serbia on the grounds of ill health. It was rejected, the King insisting that Putnik take command over the army, if only in strategic sense, while younger generals would take over operational duties. Putnik had to spend most of his time in a well-heated room. However, his impaired health did not prevent him from successfully organising the campaign. The Austrian Army's offensives in August and September 1914 were defeated, driving it out of Serbia by December. Peter I of Serbia Peter (Petar) Karađorđević (June 29, 1844 – August 16, 1921) became Serbias first constitutional monarch in the aftermath of the 1903 military coup that resulted in the overthrow of the Obrenović dynasty, returning from exile to take his place as King. ... Combatants Central Powers, Bulgaria Serbia, Triple Entente The Serbian Campaign was fought from August 1914 until then end of the war in 1918 with a nearly two year break in the middle as Serbia was conquered. ...

The Serbian front remained relatively quiet until Autumn 1915, when Austro-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian forces, led by Field Marshal August von Mackensen, began a large offensive against Serbia with more than 300,000 soldiers. With Bulgarians attacking from the rear, the Serbs found themselves in a hopeless position. On 25 November, Putnik made his last and most painful order — full retreat, southwards and westwards through Montenegro and into Albania, trying to reach allied ships that would, he hoped, transport the core of the army to the safety of the Ionian islands. The retreat was one of the most tragic events in Serbian history during which the Serbian army lost more than 10,000 soldiers^{[verification needed]} to desertion, starvation, illness, and attacks from enemy forces. Some 125,000 Serbian soldiers reached the Adriatic coast and embarked on French transport ships that carried them to the Greek islands, chiefly Corfu. In worsening health, Putnik had to be carried during the retreat, exhausted by the effort and episodes of bronchitis, influenza and pneumonia. He was taken over by allied forces in Skadar and transported to Brindisi, and then to Corfu along with the core of the army. Field Marshal August von Mackensen August von Mackensen (December 6, 1849–November 8, 1945), was a German Field Marshal, born August Mackensen in Haus Leipnitz, in the Prussian province of Saxony, to Louis and Marie Louise Mackensen. ... The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: Ionioi Nisoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι; Ancient Greek: Ionioi Nesoi, Ιόνιοι Νήσοι) are a group of islands in Greece. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... Shkodër (Albanian: Shkodër or Shkodra, Serbian Skadar, Latin Scutari, German Skutari) is a city located in North West Albania, in the District of Shkodër and it is the capital of the County of Shkodër. ... Brindisi is an ancient city in the Italian region of Puglia, the capital of the province of Brindisi. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ...

In the atmosphere of recrimination that followed between the government and the High Command, the entire General Staff was dismissed in January 1916, including Putnik. He felt embittered, having learned of his dismissal from a cashier who gave him his salary without a Chief of General Staff's supplement. He traveled to Nice, where French authorities welcomed him with honors and gave him a villa. He was overcome by lung emphysema and died on 17 May 1917, without seeing his homeland again. His remains were transferred to Serbia in 1926 and buried with honors in a chapel at Belgrade's New Cemetery. The grave carries the epitaph "Grateful Homeland to Radomir Putnik". This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An epitaph ( literally: on the gravestone in ancient Greek) is text honoring the deceased, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. ...

Quotes

Troops can be concentrated quickly and easily, but only on paper.

ironic remark in a letter to Andra Knićanin on the movements of the Serbian army across very difficult terrain at the beginning of the Serbo-Turkish war of 1878.

Those were only skirmishes with Turkish rearguards

upon first hearing of the Battle of Kumanovo - The Serbian High Command expected that a decisive battle with the Ottoman forces has yet to take place - most likely on Ovče Polje plateau just north of Skopje. Also, due to communication problems, it first heard of the battle when it had already been won.

Epic battle of the First Balkan War of 1912 during which the Serbian forces of Field Marchal Radomir Putnik crushed the Ottoman army of General Zekki north of Uskub, known today as Skopje, the modern capital of Macedonia. ... Skopje (Macedonian: ) is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Macedonia, with more than a quarter of the population of the country, as well as the political, cultural, economical and academic centre of the country. ...

Mount Putnik

Mount Putnik in Canada, located north of Three Isle Creek and west of the Kananaskis River in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, is named after the Serbian field marshal. Mount Putnik, 2941 m (null) (9649 ft) is located north of Three Isle Creek and west of the Kananaskis River in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Alberta, Canada, is named after the Serbian Field Marshall Radomir Putnik. ... Kananaskis River is a mountain river in western Alberta, Canada. ... Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Towering mountains, pristine lakes, evergreen valleys, and glacial streams . ...

References

• (Serbian) Serbian Unity Congress, Portreti iz novije srpske istorije, by Dimitrije Đorđević
• WWI Biographical Dictionary, Brigham Young University
• First World War.com, Who's Who: Radomir Putnik