October 1915: The Central Powers invaded Serbia, German & Austro-Hungarian forces from the north (7 October)—capturing Belgrade on 9 October—& Bulgarian forces from the east (14 October), with the aim of establishing a direct rail link all the way from Berlin to Constantinople.
Commentary: The war had started well enough for Serbia, which repelled Austria-Hungary's 1914 invasion with startling ease, but the triple invasion of 1915 brought annihilation. By the end of the war, twenty-six per cent (26%) of Serbian men-at-arms would perish, while through war, starvation, & disease fully fifteen per cent (15%) of the entire Serbian population would perish. Whatever evils the Serbians & the Bosnian Serbs committed in the Yugoslav Wars in our lifetimes, no people deserves what befell the Serbs in 1914-1918.
Lest we forget.
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