Branislav R. Milosavljević (
Serbian Cyrillic
The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet (, ), also known as the Serbian script, (, ), is a standardized variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language. It originated in medieval Serbia and was significantly reformed in the 19th cen ...
: Бранислав Р. Милосављевић; 2 August 1879 – 17 April 1944) was a poet and a colonel of the Army of the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...
, the first
mayor of Durrës within
Drač County
Drač County (/Drački okrug) was one of the counties of the Kingdom of Serbia established on 29 November 1912 on the part of the territory of Albania (toponym), Albania taken from the Ottoman Empire during the First Balkan War. Drač County had ...
and author of numerous patriotic poems, most notably the famous war poem ''Izgnanici'', better known as ''
Kreće se lađa francuska'' (The French Ship is Sailing).
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, his patriotism inspired him to write stirring war songs, one of which, ''Kreće se lađa francuska'', was printed by the order of
King Peter I of Serbia and distributed in the thousands. It was immediately transcribed into music.
In 1940, Milosavljević retired to his property in Belgrade, where he, by his vast library of books, devoted himself to literature for the rest of his life. Milosavljević's dramatic talent was characteristically Serbian, his poems were well constructed and effective, arousing emotions.
After returning from Nazi captivity, he was killed on 17 April 1944 as a result of the
Allied bombing of Belgrade.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milosavljevic, Branislav
1879 births
1944 deaths
Military personnel from Požarevac
People from the Kingdom of Serbia
Serbian male poets
Royal Serbian Army soldiers
Mayors of Durrës
Serbian military personnel of the Balkan Wars
Serbian military personnel of World War I
Royal Yugoslav Army personnel of World War II
World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
Yugoslav prisoners of war
Serbian civilians killed in World War II
Deaths by American airstrikes during World War II
Deaths by British airstrikes during World War II
Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery