The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo precipitated the road to war in 1914 but the very first shots of the Great War were fired in Belgrade. From 1914 to 1918 the city where the war began viscerally experienced the chaotic build-up of hostilities, the full brunt of the war itself and the hardships of occupation.
This book provides a highly detailed account of the war as experienced by the ordinary people of this aspiring European capital. It explores how various aspects of these calamitous times were felt on the city's streets, in its saloons and markets, as well as how it was reported by local newspapers of the day. The social and cultural history of Serbia during this period has largely been bypassed by both local and international authors, forming a gap in the understanding of a period of history that is otherwise studied in great detail, both by academics and a broader public.
Milos Brun has compiled a treasure trove of detailed information that deserves to take its rightful place in the mosaic of knowledge about the Great War and the role played in it by the Serbian capital.
Brun could not have compiled such a detail-rich account without much previously unseen or under-utilised material, including newspaper accounts, diaries and letters. The wealth of material and the subject matter itself combine to form a unique account of the Great War in an area neglected by English language authors and a true gem for scholars and history enthusiasts looking to complete their understanding of the war and its impact on ordinary lives.
