The Armistice of 11 November 1918 is, it might be said, a convenient way for historians to draw a line under the events of the Great War. However, the fighting barely halted in some places. One reminder is this Montenegrin Order of Freedom, founded near to Orthodox Christmas Day, which itself was on 7 January 1919, according to the new-style Gregorian calendar, when it began, and which was established by the exiled Montenegrin King Nikola, with the decoration to be awarded to those who fought to restore Montenegro to its pre-war, independent state, along with the monarchy. His supporters and Italian sponsors didn't want Montenegro to be absorbed into the new, post-war Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which would later become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Over the next decade, thousands were killed, though the intensity of the actions eventually petered out over this period. The Italians, who would later give money, training, weapons, and other material support to the IMRO (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation) and Ustashi terror movements, had an interest, virtually an international policy, albeit low profile, in destabilising the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to weaken it and sow disunity, and gave their backing to this Montenegrin movement, also known as the Greens, and, underlining this, the decoration was manufactured in Italy. King Nikola initially supported the Christmas Uprising, as it was also known, but later asked for his supporters to cease fighting, a request which was only partially successful. Montenegro's position was weakened in early 1916 by the attempt by King Nikola to achieve a secret peace deal with Austro-Hungary separate to the strategic interests of the other Allies, and also the dissolution of the Montenegrin Army, and what would eventually turn out to be the permanent exile of the King. This all combined to reduce Montenegrin influence with the Allies. The Order of Freedom itself has the Montenegrin coat of arms, featuring an eagle, on both sides, surrounded by a wreath. On one side, there is the Cyrillic text 'ЗА ПРАВО ЧАСТ И СЛОБОДУ ЦРНЕ ГОРЕ', which transliterates to 'Za Pravo Cast I Slobodu Crne Gore', and which translates to 'For the Right, Honour, and Freedom of Montenegro'. On the other side, there is the date '21 XII 1918', which is the old style, Julian calendar date, and which is the same as 3 January 1919 on the new style, Gregorian calendar, and whose proximity to Christmas Day gives it the name, the Christmas Uprising. This decoration acts as a marker that shows, despite the official end to hostilities less than a couple of months before, and even ahead of the start of the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, dissatisfaction with a new situation brought about by the end of the Great War could manifest itself as violence and killing, even if it this in itself wasn't considered a war. || Montenegro Order of Freedom

Nach Montenegro

Godina je 1914. Počinje Veliki Rat. Nedugo nakon početka rata pristigli su pozivi za regrutaciju u malo selo Donji Statovac, ispod planine Radan u Srbiji, gde živi poodica Milošević. Iz ove porodice su regrutovani rođena braća Nikola, Spasa i Sava Milošević kao treće-pozivci, Nikolin najstariji sin Danilo i Spasin najstariji sin Milić. Svi oni već bili učesnici Balkanskih ratova protiv Turaka i Bugara 1912-1913 godine. Milisav, Nikolin mlađi sin, iako je učestvovao kao dečak u Balkanskim ratovima, kao najmlađi komordžija, nije bio regrutovan jer je još uvek bio mlad. Nikola, Spasa, Sava, Danilo i Milić su pozvani da se priključe svom 2. pešadijskom puku Knjaz Mihailo u sastavu Moravske divizije Druge Srpske armije. Ovaj puk je zbog legendarne hrabrosti tokom Balkanskih i Prvog Svetskog rata, kao najbolji puk srpske vojske dobio počasni naziv Gvozdeni puk. Kao vojnici učestvuju u pobedama srpske vojske na Ceru i Kolubari. Tokom ovih bitaka na mestima gde nisu mogli da se probiju neprijateljske pozicije, kako su kasnije govorili, dolazilo je do zamene vojske. Vojnici Gvozdenog puka su menjali vojnike drugih jedinica. Oni bi se u najvećoj tišini, tokom noći, izuveni u vunene čarape, prikradali neprijateljskim pozicijama. Kada su se primakli dovoljno blizu, grupa izvežbanih bombaša bi najpre sa izuzetnom preciznošću bacali bombe na neprijateljska utvrđenja, a onda bi usledio strahoviti juriš i razbijanje neprijatelja. Na ovaj način je Gvozdeni puk stekao svoju slavu. Nakon prvih pobeda srpske vojske 1914, u rat na Balkanu se uključuju Bugarska i Nemačka. Zajedničkim snagama ove tri države tokom 1915. vrše invaziju na Srbiju, a srpska vojska se povlači na jug, jedinim mogućim pravcem ka Albaniji. Jedinice u kojima su Nikola i njegov sin Danilo opet brane ostupnicu srpske vojske. Nikola je u borbama sa nemačkom vojskom poginuo kod Čačka oktobra 1915. godine. Danilo je i dalje u sastavu Gvozdenog puka, koji brani otstupnicu srpske vojske od Bugara. Bugarska vojska 23.10.1915. zauzima Niš i Aleksinac i izbija na desnu obalu Južne Morave. Borbe su u reonu Leskovca sa namerom Bugara da se osvoji komunikacija Leskovac-Lebane-Priština i opkoli srpska vojska u reonu Zapadne i Južne Morave. Danilo učestvuje u borbama sa Bugarima na frontu kod Puste Reke. Bugari su kod Tulara presekli srpskoj vojsci put ka Prištini, a vrhovna komanda šalje na front u Pustu Reku moravsku diviziju 2. poziva i konjičku diviziju, koja ubrzanim maršem 27.10.1915. stupa u borrbu i donekle sređuje front, da bi 29.10. jedinice 2. armije prešle u protivnapad na celom frontu duž obale Puste Reke. Borbe se vode po strašnoj kiši i nabujaloj Pustoj Reci. Bugari su odbačeni preko reke i gonjeni do Lebana i Leskovca. Od Leskovca se Bugari pregrupišu i ponovo nadire, a 2. srpska armija se povlači ka Lebanu i Prištini i priprema se za prelazak preko Albanije. Tu se povlače i jedinice 2. Gvozdenog puka moravske divizije 1. poziva u kojima je i Danilo. Danilo gine u borbi sa Bugarima u Velesu u Makedoniji na železničkoj stanici. U momentu pogibije Danilo je imao 21 godinu, a već se borio i tri rata i u mnogo krvavih bitaka. Ovo je jedna od mnogih priča o mladom srpskom vojniku, koji nije uspeo da ostavi potomstvo. Bio je jedan od većine poginulih mladića u srpskoj vosci u najproduktivnijem dobu. Položio je život zajedno sa svojim ocem a pri tome nije imao priliku da uživa u svojoj mladosti. || The story about Nikola and Danilo Milošević - father and son, who participated in battles in Serbia during the Great War. Danilo was part of the famous Iron Squad, the most elite unit in the Serbian army and at the point of his death, he had only 21 years, 3 wars and many battle behind him. || || Danilo and Nikola Milošević || Drawing || Français || Home Front || Front