Petar Bojović facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vojvoda Petar Bojović GCLH, KCMG
Deputy Commander in Chief of the Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces
In office 3 April 1941 – 17 April 1941
Monarch	Peter II
Preceded by	Prince Paul
Succeeded by	Dušan Simović
Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Armed Forces
In office 21 January 1921 – 8 December 1921
Monarch	Peter I Alexander I
Preceded by	Živojin Mišić
Succeeded by	Petar Pešić
Chief of Staff of the Supreme Command of the Serbian Army
In office 8 December 1915 – 1 July 1918
Monarch	Peter I
Preceded by	Radomir Putnik
Succeeded by	Živojin Mišić
Chief of the Serbian General Staff
In office 1906–1908
Monarch	Peter I
Preceded by	Aleksandar Mašin
Succeeded by	Radomir Putnik
Personal details
Born	(1858-06-16)16 June 1858 Miševići, Nova Varoš, Ottoman Empire
Died	19 January 1945(1945-01-19) (aged 86) Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Resting place	Belgrade New Cemetery
Spouse	Mileva Bojović (1893–1945; his death)
Children	Božidar Bojović Vojislav Bojović Jelica Bojović Dobrosav Bojović Rada Bojović Radoslav Bojović
Alma mater	Military Academy Serbia
Profession	Army officer
Awards	Order of the Star of Karageorge Order of the Star of Karageorge with Swords Order of the Yugoslav Crown Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Order of Saint Michael and Saint George
Military service
Allegiance	Principality of Serbia  Kingdom of Serbia  Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Branch/service	Serbian Army
Years of service	1876–1921 1941
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands	Serbian 1st Army
Battles/wars	Serbo-Turkish War Serbo-Bulgarian War First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I World War II

Petar Bojović (born July 16, 1858 – died January 19, 1945) was a very important Serbian military leader. He fought in many wars, including the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First and Second Balkan Wars, and both World War I and World War II. After a major victory on the Thessaloniki Front, he became a Field Marshal. This was the highest military rank in Serbia.

Life of a Military Leader

Early Years and First Roles

Petar Bojović was born on July 16, 1858, in a place called Miševići. This area was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time. He came from a family with old roots in the Vasojevići region.

He started his military career early. He fought in the Serbian-Ottoman Wars from 1876 to 1878. Back then, he was still a cadet, which is like a student officer. Later, he also fought in other wars Serbia had in the early 1900s. He first became the Chief of the General Staff, a very high military position, from 1905 to 1908.

Leading in the Balkan Wars

During the Balkan Wars, Bojović was the Chief of Staff for the 1st Army. This army achieved great success in important battles. These included the Battle of Kumanovo and the Battle of Bitola in the First Balkan War. They also won the Battle of Bregalnica in the Second Balkan War.

The commander of the army was Crown Prince Alexander. He was much less experienced than Bojović. This meant that Bojović, as Chief of Staff, was really in charge of the army's actions. He also helped with peace talks with Turkey in London in 1913. He was a military expert for the Serbian government.

Heroism in World War I

When World War I began, Petar Bojović was given command of the 1st Army. His army faced tough challenges. They suffered many losses during the Battle of Drina in 1914. However, they successfully stopped the Austro-Hungarian army's attack.

Bojović was injured in this battle. Another great general, Živojin Mišić, took over his command. In 1916, Bojović became Chief of General Staff again. He replaced the sick Radomir Putnik. He stayed in this role until June 1918. He then stepped down because he disagreed with other allied generals. They had different ideas about expanding the Thessaloniki Front.

After resigning, he returned to command the 1st Army. His army then broke through enemy lines. They advanced deep into the land that was occupied by the enemy. For his amazing work during the war, he earned the title of Field Marshal on September 26, 1918.

After the Great War

In 1921, Bojović was made Chief of the General Staff of the Yugoslav Army. This was a new army for the newly formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1922, he retired from active military service.

At the very start of World War II, young King Petar II Karađorđević called him back. Bojović was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslavian Armed Forces. However, because of his old age, he could not actively take part in the war events that followed.

His Final Days

Petar Bojović died on January 19, 1945. He passed away from pneumonia. There is a story that he was harmed by the new communist authorities after Belgrade was freed. However, close family friends said he was questioned for three days but not hurt. He died two months after this questioning.

Later, two members of the Yugoslav Partisans broke into his home. They insulted him and stole his sword. His son, Dobrica, pushed one of them down the stairs. The Partisans then ran away. This incident upset Bojović, but he was not physically harmed during it.

He was not buried with military honors. This was because he was a commander of an army that had surrendered. Also, the state he served no longer existed. Two officials from the new government were present at his private funeral.