Battle of Cer

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Battle of Cer

Part of the Serbian Campaign of the Balkans Theatre (World War I)

Date	August 16 to August 19, 1914
Location	Near Cer
Result	Serbian Victory

Combatants

Image:Flag of Austria-Hungary.svg Austria-Hungary

Image:Flaf of Serbia (1882-1918).png Serbia

Commanders

Oskar Potiorek

Stepa Stepanović
Pavle Jurišić Šturm

Strength

200,000

180,000

Casualties

25,000 killed or wounded
4,500 captured

4,785 killed or missing
11,215 wounded

The Battle of Cer was one of the first battles of the World War I. The battle is also known as Battle of Jadar, because the main operations were held near the estuary of the river Jadar. The battle was fought between the Austro-Hungarian Army and Serbian forces; it marked the first Allied victory in the war. The battle improved Allied-Serbian relations because western faith in the competence of the Serbian Army was much improved. Austro-Hungarian troops fought under the command of General Oskar Potiorek and Serbian troops under the command of General Stepa Stepanović.

[edit] Battle Summary

Image:Serbia-WW1-1.jpg

When the First World War started the Austro-Hungarian Army under the command of General Oskar Potiorek pushed into Serbia across the Sava and the Drina. Šabac fell. The Serbian Second Army under the command of General Stepa Stepanović advanced towards Cer, the Šumadija Division towards Šabac and the Cavalry Division towards Mačva. On the left flank the Third Army under the command of General Pavle Jurišić Šturm entered the battle. The Austro-Hungarian Army walked right into the area where Serbia's artillery trained many of their gunners and thus Serbians could use their artillery with great accuracy and effectiveness, while in the same time Austro-Hungarian Army had no bearing or coordiantes for the general area where the battle was fought, thus they couldn't bring to bear their advantage in artillery pieces.

During August 1914 a battle was waged in the area of Mt. Cer, in which around 200,000 Austro-Hungarians fought against 180,000 Serbs. The main battle at Cer lasted from August 16 to 19. The Serbian Army won the victory, pushed the Austro-Hungarian Army back across the Drina, and completely thwarted their war plan.

[edit] Outcome

Around 25,000 Austro-Hungarian officers and soldiers were killed and wounded, and around 4,500 were captured. The Serbian Army lost around 16,000 and 250 officers. As a result of the battle Austria-Hungary withdrew from Sandzak, delaying their offensive into Serbia. Austria-Hungary continued offensives into Serbia for the rest of the autumn of 1914 without much success. Cer also gave the Entente their first victory of the war against the Central Powers.