The Serbian Army in the Wars for Independence against Turkey, 1876-1878

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The Wars for Independence, also called the First and the Second Serbo-Turkish Wars 1876-1878, were the first military conflicts in the modern history of the Serbian state, after which the Principality of Serbia gained full independence at the Berlin Congress., There are many written sources concerning the wars of 1876-78. Some of them date from between 1877 to the lull between two world wars, and some many years later. Nevertheless, the fact is that today this bright period of Serbian history is almost forgotten.

This book offers to a very thorough analysis of the Serbian Army of the period, its organization, participation in military operations, weapons, equipment, uniforms, and the system of orders and medals that had just been introduced. It is a synthesis of all available literature, published for the first time in the English language, and contains extensive visual material and photographs, including color uniform plates, contemporary paintings, portraits and photographs and many color photographs of preserved artifacts and documents. A special emphasis is placed on the colorful aspects of Serbian uniforms from the epoch.

After the Crimean War, when photographers were reporting from the field of military conflict for the first time, coverage of the American Civil War and Franco-Prussian War followed, as did the Balkan wars of 1876-78. This book offers remarkable photographs of the time, showing all manner of aspects of the Serbian campaigns, including uniforms, military formations, artillery, telegraphs, liberated towns, and wounded soldiers. It is up to readers to open the book, and enter into this unknown and unexpected territory.

The book is the result of two decades of research and will enable readers to gain a clearer picture on this fascinating subject.

Reviews

This is a beautiful book, lavishly illustrated with prints and photographs. It covers everything you could need to understand the Serbian army of the period. Organisation, weapons and most importantly, uniforms are comprehensively covered. * Balkan Wargamer *
"A key feature of this book is its numerous illustrations, including contemporary newspaper engravings, woodcuts, and cartoons; photographs of individual military and civilian leaders, and groups of solders; Serbian Army units preparing for war, in camp, and on the battlefield; and foreign volunteers. The chapters dedicated to Serbian Army weapons, equipment, uniforms, standards, and medals are equally worthwhile. They contain numerous images, many in color, of the officers and soldiers uniforms and equipment, worn by Prince Milan IV; general, field, and company grade officers; and branch specialists (such as medical corps personnel), down to infantryman, cavalrymen, engineers, and standard bearers. Babacs The Serbian Army in the Wars for Independence against Turkey, 1876-1878, containing hundreds of descriptive, enthralling, and fully-captioned images, and providing a Serbian perspective of events in a well-written English-language narrative, makes a major contribution to the history of the Serbian Army and its wars of independence." * Serbian Journal of Military History *