2. Serbia Leads the Fighting.— Serbia was the incidental cause of the war which Germanic and Slavic rivalries brought on. The Austrian ultimatum of 23 July 1914, if accepted, itnplied • the subordination of Serbia to the plans of the Teutonic empires. It also meant the defeat of Russian prestige, already badly damaged when Austria established definite sovereignty over Bosnia in 1908. Serbia chastised and humili ated, the idea that Russia was the protector of the Slavic Balkans would vanish into air. Russia was thus bound by her best inter ests to help Serbia; and Serbia, if she did not mean to live the rest of her days as a crouch ing figure at the feet of Austna, awaiting the fate of Bosnia-Herzegovina, must now stiffen her back before the big bully. She showed her self willing to stiffen it; for bravery was one of the cardinal virtues of her people, who in other respects had many shortcomings. Through her borders was seen the spirit of grim deter mination to meet the crisis of her history in the manliest way. The suppressed Slays of Austria, whose resentment of Hapsburg rule had brought on the dark deed at Sarejevo, thrilled, also, at the thought of helping Serbia against the tyrant who had wronged them.
It was 28 July when Austria-Hungary de clared war on Serbia. She probably had plans for a quick invasion of the country; but the rapid mobilization of Russia on the Austrian border made it unwise to attempt to put them into operation at the moment She .contented herself with establishing a protecting force along the border, waiting for a good oppor tunity to humble the Serbians. But her gal lant foes were not disposed to allow her to talce her own time. They forced the fighting at once, being too wise to allow the opportunity to pas.s unused when their enemy was fully engaged in other quarters.
The kingdom of Serbia was divided from Austria-Hung.ary by three rivers: the Danube on the north from the Rtunanian border to Belgrade, the Save on the north also, from the northwestern corner of the kingdom to Bel grade, where the Save unites with the Danube, and the Drina on the west from near the boundary of Montenegro to its junction with the Save at Racha. The capital, Belgrade, WU so exposed to the enemy that it was not de fended seriously. the government being moved to Nisch soon after war was declared. The Serbian High Command had determined that the first thing to be done was to drive back the Austrian forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina and give the Slavic inhabitants an oPportun ity to join the armies fighting against their oppressors. Serbia's poli was to hold the northern frontier, protected by the Danube and Save rivers, with as few soldiersas were needed there and to concentrate the remainder of her armies on the Drina, crossiag it, if possible, in order to liberate the Bosnians. Size had no fear of trouble on her western front, where Montenegro, Slavic in spirit, was ready to de clare war against Austria. and did declare it
on 7 August On the east was her old enemy, Bulgaria, built up in recent years as a Teutonic friend and soon to be tin open ally. If Bul garia kept out of the war, Serbia, with the support of gallant little Montenegro and the friendly neutrality of Greece, would probably be able to defend hes couinry, so full of mountain passes, from general invasion. The weakness of her situation was found in two circum stances: (1) A campaign in Bosnia, if suc cessful, could hardly be maintained. by so weak a state as Serbia. The Slays there might well hesitate, therefore, to rise against Austria until it was evident that Russia had weakened her very materially in operations in other fields; (2) Bulg-aria was a menace. Filied with hatred for the conduct of Se.rbia in the Balkan wars, emboldened by the idea that she was to become the Germany of the Balkans, she was ready to swoop on her ancient enemy when the time of crisis left that enemy in no state of security.
In the first days of the war Austria as sembled two armies near Belgrade, one to the east and one to the wen. 'both tried to cross the rivers into Serbian territory but were driven back by the Serbs with severe losses. Then the scene of combat shifted to the Drina at a point opposite the Bosnian capital, Sera jevo, where the Serbs hoped to initiate their campaign in Bosnia. Here a combined Serbian and Montenegrin force crossed the border and won initial successea; but it was impossible to continue the campaign on account of a counter movement which the Austrians made on the Save, 40 miles west of /3elgrade. Protected by a severe bombardment they threw a heavy col umn across the river at Shabatz and occupied the town on 16 August The Serbs concen trated quickly and beat the enemy in a severe battle on the 17th.
The plans of the Austrians had been cleverly made. The northwestern corner of Serbia, between the Drina and the Save, is a peninsula whose neck is 25 miles wide. Op posite Shabatz is the little river Jadar, and on the 17th its banks ware occupied by 80,000 Austrian troops that had crossed from the Bosnian side of the Drina. This force was slightly behind the Serbs concentrated at Sha batz and stood in a position to close in and surround them. The plan was defeated by the courage and alertness of the Serbian crown prince and the able staff that assisted him. Turning from the battlefield of Shabatz im mediately after his victoty over the first body of Austrians, he moved, on the army that was lying on each side of the Jadar on the 18th. In a four days' battle he completely routed it, driving it back across the Drina and taking a large number of prisoners and guns. By these two brilliant victories the crown prince freed his country of her invaders and gave them such a smarting blow that they could not resume the offensive at once.