Figure 1.-- After the Allied victiory, American food relief shipments could begin to reach the Serbs. Here Amrican Red Cross (ARC) supplies arriving at Pirot, Serbia by ox-cart. In order to reach some of the badly devastated area of Serbia, the ARC had to transport it's shipments from Salonica by way of Dedeagatch (Bulgaria) Adrianople (Turkey) Sophia Czaribred, across the Serbian Bulgarian border -- a distance of over 900 miles, involving seven days travel. Pirot was on the Bulgarin birder bd surrounded by mountains. This photograph was taken during the Winter of 1918-10, perhaps January or Februry 1919. Click on the image to see the ARC officer accompanyin the ox convoy. The ARC was bringing in trucks, but Serbia's poorly developed road system meant that the trucks could not move everywhere.

World War I was sparked by Serbia with assasinatiion of the Austrian Archhduke Franz Ferdinand (June 28, 1914). Austria was intent on punishing Serbia, but was heeitant because Russia backed Serbia. The German Gernman General Staff incouraged the Austrians and Kaiser Wilhelm wrote the Austrians a blank check. Austria with German backing declared war on Serbia and invaded (July 28). This set in motion the German invasion of Belgium and the outbreak of the War (August 4). In the Balkans, the Austrian invasion of Serbia did not go well. The Serbs with a smaller, but battle-tested force held their ground and the Austrian invasion bogged down. The Serbian position was undermined when the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria (former enenies) entered the War. The Germans bolstered the Austrias and organized a coordinated offensuive with Bulgaria in the south (October 1915). The Serbian Army was decisively defeated, but did not surrender. They retreated over the mountains during a brutal winter to Adriatic ports. The surviors were evacuated by the Allies (January-February 1916). Losses were, however, huge both during the Central Powers offensive and what came to be called the Great Retreat. A brutal nearly 3-year occupation of Serbia followed (1916-18). Food became a major issue. Serbia was a largely agricultural country. The fact that so many young men were in the military and killed or left Serbia as part of the Army retreat. The Central Powers had full control of serbia by 1916. We suspect that many Serb families experienced difficult conditions and that food production declined. What this meant in the availability of food we do not know. We do know know that Austrians and Bulgars used Serbia as a source of food as food shortages developed throughout the Central Powers. There were also German troops in Serbia. The Austrian and Bulgar military government officials seized food stocks creating a humanitarian disaster. This was what the Germans did in Belgium. We are not sure about the extent of the seizures. The Serbian huge casualties and losses in the Great Retreat affected the rural work force and farm production. Another factor here was that Serbia was not as urbanized as Belgium, but unlike Belgium, America was unable to arrange food deliveries to civilians until the allies entered Serbia (1918) . Serbia officials charged that the Austrian food seizures that the resulting food shortages caused deaths from starvation and disease (typhus) despite the favt that Setbia was an Agricultural food producing country. The Serbs believe thst some 365,000 Serbian civilians died as a result of the food seizures. [Bell, p. 576.] The Allies planned a new offensive. The Allies forces at Salonika were reinforced by the Serb Army transported from Corfu and more British and French troops as well as some Russians. What followed was a sea-saw battle with the Bulgars in Macedonia. The Allies were eventually reinforced by the Greek Army when Greece entered the War (June 1917). Greek and Serbian troops eventually proved decisive in breaking the Bulgar lines. This then opened up the defeat of Bulgaria and the liberation of Serbia. The Allied Vardar Offensive led to the collapse of the Bulgarian Army (September 1918) and the Liberation of Serbia. This meant that American food relief could reach the Serbs, although without a port, this was no easy undertaking.

Defeat of the Serbian Army (1915)

World War I was sparked by Serbia with the Black Hand's assasinatiion of the Austrian Archhduke Franz Ferdinand (June 28, 1914). Austria was intent on punishing Serbia, but was heeitant because Russia backed Serbia. The German Gernman General Staff incouraged the Austrians and Kaiser Wilhelm wrote the Austrians a blank check. Austria with German backing declared war on Serbia and invaded (July 28). This set in motion the German invasion of Belgium and the outbreak of the War (August 4). In the Balkans, the Austrian invasion of Serbia did not go well. The Serbs with a smaller, but battle-tested force held their ground and the Austrian invasion bogged down. The Serbian position was undermined when the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria (former enenies) entered the War. The Germans bolstered the Austrias and organized a coordinated offensuive with Bulgaria in the south (October 1915). The Serbian Army was decisively defeated, but did not surrender. They retreated over the mountains during a brutal winter to Adriatic ports. The surviors were evacuated by the Allies (January-February 1916). Losses were, however, huge both during the Central Powers offensive and what came to be called the Great Retreat.

Occupation (1916-18)

A brutal nearly 3-year occupation of Serbia followed (1916-18). Food became a major issue. Serbia was a largely agricultural country. The fact that so many young men were in the military and killed or left Serbia as part of the Army retreat. The Central Powers had full control of Sserbia by 1916. We suspect that many Serb families experienced difficult conditions and that food production declined. What this meant in the availability of food we do not know. We do know know that Austrians and Bulgars used Serbia as a source of food as food shortages developed throughout the Central Powers. There were also German troops in Serbia. The Austrian and Bulgar military government officials seized food stocks creating a humanitarian disaster. This was what the Germans did in Belgium. We are not sure about the extent of the seizures. The Serbian huge casualties and losses in the Great Retreat affected the rural work force and farm production. Another factor here was that Serbia was not as urbanized as Belgium nd thus bfire the War self-suffient in food opriduction. Serbian officials charged that the Austrian food seizures that the resulting food shortages caused deaths from starvation and disease (typhus) despite the favt that Setbia was an Agricultural food producing country. The Serbs believe thst some 365,000 Serbian civilians died as a result of the food seizures. [Bell, p. 576.]

Liberatiion (1918)

America was unable to arrange food deliveries to civilians until the allies entered Serbia (1918) . The Allies planned a new offensive. The Allies forces at Salonika were reinforced by the Serb Army transported from Corfu and more British and French troops as well as some Russians. What followed was a sea-saw battle with the Bulgars in Macedonia. The Allies were eventually reinforced by the Greek Army when Greece entered the War (June 1917). Greek and Serbian troops eventually proved decisive in breaking the Bulgar lines. This then opened up the defeat of Bulgaria and the liberation of Serbia. The Allied Vardar Offensive led to the collapse of the Bulgarian Army (September 1918) and the Liberation of Serbia. This meant that American food relief could reach the Serbs, although without a port, this was no easy undertaking.

Sources

Bell, A.C. The Blockade of the Central Empires Restricted use, 1937. Published after World War II (HMSO: London, 1987). Here Bell relied on Serbian data.

Created: 5:02 PM 11/8/2022
Last updated: 5:02 PM 11/8/2022