Kosta Vojinović
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Kosta Vojinović ( sr-cyr, Коста Војиновић, 13 May 1891 – 23 December 1917), known by his nickname ''Kosovac'' (Косовац), was a Serbian soldier who fought in the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
and
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 ...
, most notably as a leader of the
Toplica Uprising The Toplica Uprising () was a mass uprising by Serbian rebels against the Bulgarian occupation forces that took place in Bulgarian-occupied Serbia during the First World War. The rebels were motivated by grievances against the Bulgarian author ...
.


Life

Vojinović was born in
Smederevo Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, ...
,
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 ...
, to parents who had fled from the
Vučitrn Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria; sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн, ''Vučitrn'') is a city and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. According to the 2024 census, the town of Vushtrri has 28,150 inhabitants, while the municipality ...
area in
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
, due to Albanian '' zulum'' (exploitation, oppression, wrongdoing), the region at the time being part of the Ottoman Empire. He came from a respected family, his father Jovan having finished military school in Russia and upon returning to Serbia he worked as a state clerk of the general tax administration, and later was the president of a municipality in
Kosovska Mitrovica Mitrovica (Albanian language, Albanian Definiteness, indefinite Albanian morphology#Nouns (declension), form: ''Mitrovicë''; sr-Cyrl, Митровица, Mitrovica), also referred to as Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-Cyrl, Косовска Митр ...
up until World War I. His mother Sofija died while he was young, and he never accepted his step-mother, he thus mostly lived with his mother's family, mostly at his uncle Panta Grujić, a high-ranking Serbian army officer (who was a commander of the Morava Division in World War I, given many awards and rank of general). He had heard stories of Serbian history and wars from his father and uncle while growing up. He began primary school in Smederevo, continuing in Belgrade until the sixth grade of the gymnasium when his father's employment at an Austrian firm in Belgrade made it possible for Kosta to continue his education in the Vienna University of Business. With an economics degree and flawless German, he returned to Serbia, to Vranje, where his father worked at the time. Kosta established a commercial business with his brother-in-law Dušan Kalčić. In Vranje, he befriended numerous Serb guerillas who had their base in the town. From there, the guerillas crossed the Serbian-Ottoman border into Macedonia where they fought for the liberation of the Serb people. The Central Board of the
Serbian Chetnik Organization The Serbian Revolutionary Organization () or Serbian Chetnik Organization (Српска четничка организација / Srpska četnička organizacija) was a paramilitary revolutionary organization with the aim of liberation of Old Se ...
in Vranje was active at that time, which led to affairs regarding Macedonia, and thereby Chetnik armed action. Some of the most notable fighters active at the time included
Jovan Babunski Jovan Stojković ( sr-Cyrl, Јован Стојковић; 25 December 1878 – 17 February 1920), known as Jovan Babunski (), was a Serbian Chetnik commander (Serbian: ''vojvoda'' / ) during the Macedonian Struggle, Balkan Wars and World W ...
, Jovan Dovezenski,
Vasilije Trbić Vasilije Trbić ( sr-Cyrl, Василије Трбић; 1881 – 1962) was a Serbian Chetnik commander in Macedonia who became a politician in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, first representing the People's Radical Party (NRS) in ...
, Pavle Mladenović,
Vojislav Tankosić Vojislav Tankosić ( sr-cyr, Војислав Танкосић, 20 September 1880 – 2 November 1915) was a Serbian military officer, ''vojvoda'' of the Serbian Chetnik Organization, major of the Serbian Army, and member of the Black Hand (Serbi ...
, Savatije Milošević,
Doksim Mihailović Doksim Mihailović (; 20 February 1883 – 24 October 1912) was a Macedonian Serb ''voivode'' (military commander), originally a teacher, who joined the Serbian Chetnik Organization to fight in Ottoman Macedonia, and then the Balkan Wars (in the a ...
,
Đorđe Skopljanče Đorđe Ristić ( sr-cyr, Ђорђе Ристић; 6 August 1881 — 1911), known as Đorđe Skopljanče (Ђорђе Скопљанче), was a Serbian Chetnik Organization, Serbian Chetnik commander who fought in Old Serbia and Macedonia (region ...
,
Vojin Popović Vojin Popović, known as Vojvoda Vuk (; 9 December 1881 – 29 November 1916) was a Serbian ''voivode'' (military commander), who fought for the Macedonian Serb Chetniks (i.e. Komitadji, komiti) in the Struggle for Macedonia, and then the Serbia ...
, and others. His day-to-day traveling work gave him time to undetectably enter Serb villages and contact Chetniks from whom he received information on battles and successes. His career ended in 1911 when he was called for military training. The
First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
broke out in October 1912, in which he participated as an ordinary soldier, passing from Kumanovo to Bitola. After the end of the war and liberation of Serb territories, he returned to his business, but was stopped by Austro-Hungarian threats and
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 ...
. He immediately volunteered and joined the Jadar Detachment, commanded by veteran
Vojin Popović Vojin Popović, known as Vojvoda Vuk (; 9 December 1881 – 29 November 1916) was a Serbian ''voivode'' (military commander), who fought for the Macedonian Serb Chetniks (i.e. Komitadji, komiti) in the Struggle for Macedonia, and then the Serbia ...
(known as "Vojvoda Vuk"). He participated at the great victory at Kolubara, and for his bravery and able military conduct he was elevated to reserve sublieutenant of the Serbian Army. In September 1915, when the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
with full force broke down Serbia, wearied by previous battles and epidemic typhus fever, Kosta Vojinović found himself in the renewed detachment of Vojvoda Vuk which was forwarded to the Čemernik mountain towards Bulgaria, to provide security for the Serbian Armies. While fighting battles there, he was wounded but did not leave the battlefield, the detachment retreated to villages around Vučitrn. There, he was taken in and promised ('' besa'') by Albanian Ali Šalja, who illegally transferred him to his father, who had up until the occupation worked as a president of the municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica.


Toplica Uprising

Toplica Uprising The Toplica Uprising () was a mass uprising by Serbian rebels against the Bulgarian occupation forces that took place in Bulgarian-occupied Serbia during the First World War. The rebels were motivated by grievances against the Bulgarian author ...
is the only national uprising against the occupying forces in World War I, led by the Chetniks under the leadership of Kosta Vojinović and Kosta Pećanac. The rebellion started in 1917 against the Bulgarians who imposed terror on the Serbian population. The Serbian General Headquarters sent help, but the Bulgarians were faster and engaged large forces to break the uprising. Twenty thousand people were killed and 100.000 were taken prisoners to the Bulgarian camps. Despite that, the uprising was not suppressed.


References


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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vojinovic, Kosta 20th-century Serbian people Serbian military leaders Serbian military personnel of the Balkan Wars Serbian military personnel of World War I Royal Serbian Army soldiers People from Smederevo Vienna University of Economics and Business alumni 1891 births 1917 deaths