Vojvoda ( sr-Cyrl, Војвода ) from old
Serbian was the highest rank in the army of the
Kingdom of Serbia and
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
from 1901 until end of
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1945. It has roots from the medieval term
Voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
used during medieval Kingdom, Empire and Principality of Serbia. Vojvoda in medieval and later principality of Serbia had similar meaning as
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
title in other feudal states as it was military and noble title. In modern military terms the rank of Vojvoda is comparable with
Field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
and
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
but since it can be an
honorable
''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...
title it is not always a military rank of a commissioned military officer.
It was first created with the passing of the law on the ''Organization of the Army'' of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1901 and later confirmed in Kingdom of Yugoslavia laws on the ''Organization of the Army and Navy'' from 1923 and 1929
[http://digitalizovanaizdanja.sluzbenenovine.rs/DigitalizovanaIzdanja/viewdoc;jsessionid=0CC411C8A4447E422279AB1ADE07B610?uuid=ac8db81d-7155-4acf-94e5-eb997b6ebf57] Law from 1901 was passed on the suggestion of
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
(later
Divisional General)
Miloš Vasić
Miloš Vasić ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Васић, born 10 January 1991) is a Serbian rower. He represented Serbia at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the men's coxless pair together with Martin Mačko ...
who was
Minister of the Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
at the time. The rank was awarded only during the war for ''Particular military contributions of top generals.''
In the
Balkan Wars and
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
this title was used to designate the highest military rank in Serbian Army. The first Vojvoda was promoted by the ''Great military decree'' of the Kingdom of Serbia on October 20, 1912. Only four people ever officially held that rank:
Radomir Putnik
Radomir Putnik ( sr, Радомир Путник; ; 24 January 1847 – 17 May 1917) was the first Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian army in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War. He served in every war ...
(in 1912),
Stepa Stepanović
Stepan "Stepa" Stepanović ( sr-cyr, Степан Степа Степановић, ; – 29 April 1929) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balk ...
(middle 1914),
Živojin Mišić
Field Marshal Živojin Mišić ( sr-cyrl, Живојин Мишић; 19 July 1855 in Struganik – 20 January 1921 in Belgrade) was a Field Marshal who participated in all of Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918. He directly commanded the First ...
(late 1914) and
Petar Bojović
Petar Bojović (, ; 16 July 1858 – 19 January 1945) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balkan War, World War I and World War II. Following the bre ...
(1918).
Before this rank was introduced, the highest rank in the Kingdom of Serbia was
Army general
Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.
In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...
. After Second World War, the newly formed
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...
stopped using Royal ranking system, so this rank ceased to exist.
Insignia of rank
The rank insignia of a Vojvoda was an epaulet consisting of braids and in the middle was added a two-headed white eagle, the
national emblem
A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag
A national flag is a flag that represents ...
of the
Kingdom of Serbia. In 1923 the design of epaulets remained the same with one amendment, the national emblem of the Kingdom of Serbia was replaced by the state
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
.
Introduction of rank
In late 1897 and early 1898 took place the fracture stages in the development of the army.
King Milan returned to Serbia and initiated the process of military reform. The most important date in the history of the
Kingdom of Serbia was December 25, 1897. On that day,
King Alexander I of Serbia signed two decrees. The first re-established active Army Command, which was supposed to start work on
Saint Sava
Saint Sava ( sr, Свети Сава, Sveti Sava, ; Old Church Slavonic: ; gr, Άγιος Σάββας; 1169 or 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as the Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the autocephalou ...
next year, while the other was the appointment of King Milan as the new commander. On the same day, an active Army Command is a military regulation that was subordinate to the Ministry of the military. In practice, this was not so, because practically active military commanders commanded all commands, units and military institutions, while a Minister of Defense has no right to use military force, and he turned into a military administrator. At that time, the First Minister of War was
Dragomir Vučković
Dragomir Vučković (; 1844 – 10 December 1899) was a Serbian colonel who participated in the Serbian-Turkish Wars and the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885. As Minister of the Army, he was heavily involved in the modernisation of the Serbian Army.
...
who had the rank of
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
. He formally subordinate to the commander of the active army held the rank of general. When the post of Minister of War set up
Jovan Atanacković
Jovan Atanacković ( sr-cyr, Јован Атанацковић, 24 March 1848 – 9 August 1921) was a Serbian general and Minister of Defence.
Life
Born in Negotin, he finished gymnasium in his home town, after which he entered the Serbi ...
who had the rank of general, there is a need for the introduction of a new military rank for the active military commander.
Former rank
![OF-10 Bojni Vojvoda 1923-1941 (Kings Insignia)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/OF-10_Bojni_Vojvoda_1923-1941_%28Kings_Insignia%29.png)
The change in the structure of the army from 1897 to 1900 year was a time when new military ranks were introduced. The then existing Law on Organization of the Army from 1886 included eight military ranks.
Sub-lieutenant, Lieutenant,
Captain II class,
Captain I class and they were lower officer ranks, while
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
,
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
,
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
where were higher officer ranks. At this time new ranks were introduced
warrant officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
and
army general
Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.
In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...
that was honorary rank. In December 1898, King Alexander I had signed a decree and authorized the then minister of defence to submit it for approval to the assembly. The new command is related to the increase in salaries of lower-ranking officers and generals grading rank within:
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
,
Divisional and
Corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
. This command is not passed with the amendments in the national assembly, but for a little more than a year in a modified form, this project is finally realized.
At the XXVI regular session of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
, following the report of the Military Committee, adopted new amendments to the Law on the organization of the army. Minister
Ilija Stojanović during the parliamentary debate, before the adoption of the law, emphasized the need for introducing a higher rank than the current staff, the act of army general. According to him, the victim would not be large because the
Serbian Army
The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.
History
Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
had one, and then in the future two or three. It was clear that the new act is intended for an active army commander to King Milan. The opposite opinion was
Živan Živanović, who pointed out that the allocation of this act, in this case, had more political than military significance. This is supported by the aforementioned fact that King Milan, before returning, it is not intended that their military rank, raised by this, but by their desire other military action, which was the title of the
Supreme Commander. Therefore, in the summer of 1897 addressed to
Stojan Novaković
Stojan Novaković ( sr-Cyrl, Стојан Новаковић; 1 November 1842 – 18 February 1915) was a Serbian politician, historian, diplomat, writer, bibliographer, literary critic, literary historian, and translator. He held the post ...
opinion, if anyone other than
Karađorđe
Đorđe Petrović ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Петровић, ), better known by the sobriquet Karađorđe ( sr-Cyrl, Карађорђе, lit=Black George, ; – ), was a Serbian revolutionary who led the struggle for his country's independ ...
, was the holder. How Novaković did not know that the founder of the
house Obrenović,
Prince Miloš was in the
Second Serbian uprising
The Second Serbian Uprising ( sr, Други српски устанак / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', tr, İkinci Sırp Ayaklanması) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re ...
, also holds the title of Supreme Leader, King Milan knowing only then that the founder of another dynasty holder of this title, he refused to accept the proposal of this title.
And without this title, the former king has become the holder of the highest military rank in the state, and not only in relation to all the other generals, but also in relation to his son, the then supreme commander
King Alexander I. Decision Assembly, and adopted the draft Law on amendments to the Law on the organization of the army, confirmed King Alexander January 12, 1900. Two days later (January 14), the new act is due to the merit of the two-year work on reforming the Army awarded the King's father. The act was introduced due to the rise of the military rank of King Milan. According to the legislation on the organization of the Army (Article 27), ''the rank of an army general was granted to only by the monarch any general regardless of the time spent in a general's rank''. The departure of the King of the Kingdom of Serbia, Milan, gone is the main reason for the existence of this act. General
Mihailo Srećković successor as commander of the active army, wasn't promoted to this rank. The new law on the organization of the army from 1901 (Article 7), contrary to earlier, it is not anticipated that the Minister of War in command only performs the tasks laid down in-laws and was administrator of the army.
Vojvoda rank
The new law on the Organization of the army of January 27, 1901, whose creator was then Minister of War,
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
(later
Divisional general)
Miloš Vasić
Miloš Vasić ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Васић, born 10 January 1991) is a Serbian rower. He represented Serbia at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the men's coxless pair together with Martin Mačko ...
, has introduced a new highest military rank in the Serbian army.
Vojvoda rank brought changes in the general officer ranks. Instead of the previously divided into the upper and lower system, it was introduced a new category for generals, made up of the two highest ranks – General and Vojvoda. The introduction of this act repealed the act of Army General a mark on the epaulets, which previously belonged to the previous act, have been taken as a mark of the rank of Vojvoda. According to the law (Article 17), the ''rank of Vojvoda could only get during the war and it had allocated monarch at its discretion''. The new amendments to the Law on Organization of the Army of March 31, 1904, ''the rank of Vojvoda could get only in war and in him only improve the general who was awarded for successful work''. On the first promotion to the rank, the
Serbian army
The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces.
History
Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
waited eleven years.
The first promoted general was
Radomir Putnik
Radomir Putnik ( sr, Радомир Путник; ; 24 January 1847 – 17 May 1917) was the first Serbian Field Marshal and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian army in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War. He served in every war ...
in 1912, and he alone was wearing Vojvoda rank for two years.
Stepa Stepanović
Stepan "Stepa" Stepanović ( sr-cyr, Степан Степа Степановић, ; – 29 April 1929) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balk ...
and
Živojin Mišić
Field Marshal Živojin Mišić ( sr-cyrl, Живојин Мишић; 19 July 1855 in Struganik – 20 January 1921 in Belgrade) was a Field Marshal who participated in all of Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918. He directly commanded the First ...
were acquired this rank in the space of five months in 1914.
Petar Bojović
Petar Bojović (, ; 16 July 1858 – 19 January 1945) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balkan War, World War I and World War II. Following the bre ...
earned rank in 1918 and he was the last Serbian general promoted.
The newly formed
army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia continued the system of military ranks of the army of the
Kingdom of Serbia, with small changes. In 1919, former
Austria-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
Svetozar Borojević Svetozar (Cyrillic script: Светозар) is a Slavic names, Slavic origin given name and may refer to:
*Svetozar Boroević (1856–1920), Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal
*Svetozar Čiplić (born 1965), Serbian politician
*Svetozar Đanić (1917 ...
filed a petition over the command in
Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
, to be accepted into a new army of the
Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom commonly refers to:
* A monarchy ruled by a king or queen
* Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy
Kingdom may also refer to:
Arts and media Television
* ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...
. This request had been rejected as Vojvoda Mišić said that one of the Ministers from the
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
protested. On 19 July 1923, a new law on the organization of the army and navy was introduced graduation generals act modelled on the French system of grading:
Brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
,
Divisional general and
Army general
Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.
In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...
. According to the law from the regular structure of general promotion, Vojvoda was singled out and could only be obtained in a war, by exceptional merit.
According to the constitutions of the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the supreme commanders wore uniforms with the special Vojvoda insignia. Among them are Kings:
Milan I
Milan Obrenović ( sr-cyr, Милан Обреновић, Milan Obrenović; 22 August 1854 – 11 February 1901) reigned as the prince of Serbia from 1868 to 1882 and subsequently as king from 1882 to 1889. Milan I unexpectedly abdicated in ...
,
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
(Obrenović),
Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...
,
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
(Karađorđević) and
Peter II. The Constitution permitted that in case of war, in the case of underage the king, deputy Supreme Commander would be Vojvoda active or in reserve.
After the end of World War II, the proclamation of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
on 29 November 1945, and the establishment of the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...
on April 24, 1946, adopted the military hierarchy modelled on the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
with
Marshal
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
as the highest rank. This decree abolished all ranks which had previously been in force, and the Vojvoda that existed for a full forty-four years ceased to exist.
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
The Serbian Field MarshalsThe Serbian Field Marshals of World War I
{{Highest Military Ranks
Military ranks of Serbia
Royal Yugoslav Army
Five-star officers