Major Dragutin Gavrilovic and defenders of Belgrade
During the first year of the Great
War, Belgrade was bombarded from across the Sava and Danube rivers day and
night without stop. The city was in ruins, civilian casualties were immense,
while the survivors were trying to hide in shelters. The city resisted the
attacks despite the enormous efforts of the enemy to cross the rivers and finally
conquer the Serbian capital. In September of 1915, the enemy started to
intensify its attacks which culminated on the 5th of October. Belgrade was under
artillery fire that can only be described as hell released on earth. According
to some estimates, 30,000 artillery shells were fired on Belgrade that day. Despite
the situation defenders didn’t even think to move from their trenches, they
stayed protecting their city until their last, dying breath. The first line of
defense consisted of the members of the 10th and 7th Regiment, and the remnants
of the Srem and Gendarmerie Regiments. They had only one objective: to fight
for Belgrade at all cost.
On the day of
the Austrian main attack, Serbian soldiers received the Communion in the Ružica
church (Little Rose church) in the Kalemegdan Fortress, and returned to their
positions around Dorćol and the Danube
quay, readily waiting for the enemy. They sang songs to show the enemy they are
ready and waiting eagerly to start the final fight. Defenders of the Belgrade were
led by Major Dragutin Gavrilović. The speech of Major Gavrilović to the
defenders of the Serbian capital on October 7, 1915 is forever written in
history.
Major Dragutin Gavrilovic |
"Exactly at three o'clock, the enemy is
to be crushed by your fierce charge, destroyed by your grenades and bayonets.
The honor of Belgrade, our capital, must not be stained. Soldiers! Heroes! The
supreme command has erased our regiment from its records. Our regiment has been
sacrificed for the honor of Belgrade and the Fatherland. Therefore, you no
longer need to worry about your lives: they no longer exist. So, forward to
glory! For the King and the Fatherland! Long live the King! Long live
Belgrade!" German and Austro-Hungarian troops started crossing the Danube
on the 7th October. Defenders met them on the Danube quay with strong infantry
and artillery fire. Alongside the soldiers, civilians, women, children and
elders also participated in the defense. Shouting for the glory of the
fatherland and singing the songs, Serbian soldiers and voluntaries charged
through the streets towards the enemy bridgehead. Under a hail of machinegun,
rifle, and field gun fire, the heroic soldiers and volunteers of Belgrade held
the attack. The rush of the decimated, yet unbroken, remnants of the defenders
of the Serbian capital was incredible in the eyes of the Austrians and Germans.
Nevertheless, they opened fire into the charging men. The charge had failed to
break the Austrian lines, and almost all Serbian soldiers were killed and those
who were not dead lay wounded in the street Dragutin Gavrilovic was also wounded.
Though the Serbians failed to hold the city, the German Commanding Officer,
August von Mackensen, was so impressed with their bravery and heroism that he
ordered the construction of a monument to commemorate their sacrifice. Standing
to this day, the monument reads “Here Rest Serbian Heroes” in both Serbian and
German. Belgrade’s defenders stand as an extraordinary example of bravery, a
handful of farmers stood up to hundreds of times stronger enemy and held him
for days. Only Spartans had similar battle, but Spartans were professional
soldiers, Serbian soldiers were farmers, students, teachers… ordinary who
became heroes equal to Leonidas and his men when situation demanded. They painted streets of their capital whot
their own blood, they lost their lives and lost the battle but they were never
defeated.
Power Metal band Sabaton made a song "Last Dying Breath" in honor of Major Dragutin Gavrilovic and defenders of Belgrade
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