Stevan Nedić ( sr-cyr, Стеван Недић; 1875–1923), nicknamed Ćela (Ћела), was a Serbian Chetnik commander in

Old Serbia Old Serbia () is a Serbian historiographical term that is used to describe the territory that according to the dominant school of Serbian historiography in the late 19th century formed the core of the Serbian Empire in 1346–71. The term does ...

and

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

Life

Nedić was born in 1875, in the village of Strugovo near

Bitola Bitola (; ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki border crossing ...

, in the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

(now R. Macedonia). He received his nickname ''Ćela'' (slang for "head"), due to his

Typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

that left marks on his head. He joined the Bulgarian-organized

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; ; ), was a secret revolutionary society founded in the Ottoman territories in Europe, that operated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1893 in Salonica, it initia ...

(IMRO) as a fighter in the bands of Georgi Sugarev and

Gligor Sokolović Gligor Sokolović ( sr-cyr, Глигор Соколовић; 17 or 5 January 1870 or 1872 – 30 July 1910]) was one of the supreme commanders (''Great Voivode'') of the Serbian Chetnik Organization, Serbian Chetnik Movement, that fought the Ot ...

. In 1902 he befriended

Milorad Gođevac Milorad Gođevac ( sr-cyr, Милорад Гођевац, 1 March 1860 – 21 September 1933) was the organizer of the Serbian Chetnik Organization, a medical doctor by profession. Life Born in Valjevo, Principality of Serbia, he finished t ...

, the founder 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 ...

. He participated in the

Ilinden Uprising Ilinden ( Bulgarian/ Macedonian: Илинден) or Ilindan ( Serbian Cyrillic: Илиндан), meaning " Saint Elijah's Day", may refer to: Events * Republic Day (North Macedonia) Republic Day () or Ilinden () is a national holiday in North ...

. He joined the Serbian Chetniks in 1903, and in 1905 he and

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 ...

cross the

Vardar The Vardar (; , , ) or Axios (, ) is the longest river in North Macedonia and a major river in Greece, where it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of ...

for the Veles region. He participated in the battles of Fight on Čelopek (1905), ''Oreških Livada'' and ''Borba na Kurtovom kamenu'' near Krapa (1906). He was an active fighter 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 the

First World War 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 ...

(1912–18), then after the Serbian liberation he became a municipality president in his home village, a post he held until his murder. He was murdered in 1923 by a Bulgarian nationalist agent. Srpske Vojvode u Staroj Srbiji i Makedoniji.jpg, Top Chetniks during Young Turk Revolution. Војвода Вук са својим четницима.jpg, Vojvoda Vuk's band during the Balkan Wars. Stefan Nedic Cela.JPG, Ćela with his first band (year unknown).

References

Sources

* *Народна енциклопедија српско-хрватско словеначка, Београд 1929, књига 4, 655. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nedic, Stefan 1875 births 1923 deaths 19th-century Serbian people 20th-century Serbian people Serbian military leaders People from Bitola Assassinated Serbian people Chetniks of the Macedonian Struggle Serbian military personnel of the Balkan Wars Serbian military personnel of World War I Royal Serbian Army soldiers Serbs of North Macedonia

Life

See also

References

Sources