Chetniks in the Balkan Wars

The Serbian Chetnik Organization, which had organized a guerilla faction that fought in Ottoman Macedonia between 1903 and 1912, was subsequently put under the supervision of the Serbian Army. During the Balkan Wars (1912–13), there were several Chetnik detachments.

Main article: Serbia in the Balkan Wars
Vojvoda Vuk with his sub-commanders, 1912.

During the First Balkan War, Chetniks were used as a vanguard to soften up the enemy forward of advancing armies, for attacks on communications behind enemy lines, as field gendarmerie and to establish basic administration in occupied areas.[1] They were used in the Second Balkan War as well.[1]

Among notable detachments were:

The Serbian Army used the Chetniks in World War I as they proved valuable in the Balkan Wars.[1]

  • Mirko Đupić's band, 1912
  • Tankosić's band, 1912
  • Stefan Nedić-Ćela's band, 1912–13

First Balkan War

During the Serbian mobilization of the First Balkan War, the Chetnik detachments of the Serbian 3rd Army included: Medveđa, colon headed by captain Dušan Sekulić, Ljubomir Vulović and Nikodim Racić (Lisica-Prapaštice-Priština), and colon headed by Božin Simić (Svirci-Novo Brdo-Kačanik); Kuršumlija, under the command of captain and Chetnik vojvoda Vojislav Tankosić and captain Dragutin Nikolić (Kuršumlija-Merdare-Malo Kosovo-Štimlje-Crnoljeva-Prizren-Ljuma); Lukovo, under the command of captain Pavle Blažarić (Lukovo-Madljika-Drenica); and Kolašin, under the command of prota Vukajlo Božović.[2] Alongside these detachments, were two smaller ones located at the front of the Ibar Army, the first headed by reserve lieutenant Panta Miladinović, the second headed by Chetnik vojvoda Živko Gvozdić.[2] The commander of all these detachments was major Marjanović.[2]

References
  1. Tomasevich 1975, p. 117.
  2. Trifunović 1933, pp. 97-98

Sources
  • Tomasevich, Jozo (1975). The Chetniks. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-0857-9.
  • Trifunović, Ilija (1933). Trnotivim stazama (in Serbian). Belgrade.
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