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Belgrade Surrenders to the Central Powers
In 1914 the Serbian army was a force of 400,000 soldiers. Despite strong morale and experience from recent fighting, the army was ill-equipped and lacked heavy ammunition, rifles, and artillery. Its main backer, Russia, was unable to provide supplies to Serbia (and itself was under-supplied and crippled by corruption).
Austro-Hungary at the start of the war saw Serbia as the cause of the conflict (a not unreasonable assumption considering it was the Serbian murder of an Austro-Hungarian noble and heir to the empire's throne that touched the war off) and established the taking of Belgrade as a major goal for their forces. Imperials had in fact actually taken Belgrade in November of 1914, but were unable to hold it, and lost the city with huge casualties (including nearly 40,000 captured soldiers) a few weeks later.
The weakness of Austro-Hungay and the loss of Belgrade had caused the Germans to move forces into the Balkans, and by 1915 a combined Imperial and German force, spearheaded by the German XXII corps, had significantly weakened the Serbian army.
The Allies, realizing that a Serbian collapse would free up Central Powers forces to reinforce the Western and Eastern Front, landed units in Greece (a neutral county) with the hopes of establishing supply routes into Serbia, but hesitated for fear that a general collapse would leave them surrounded in unfriendly territory, especially since much of the Balkan countryside did not support Serbia. On October 6th the combined Austro-Hungarian and German forces, spearheaded by the German XXII corps and supported by river monitors were able attack the city, capturing it on October the 8th.
Serbian forces, pushed away from their bases and popular support, and blocked from a retreat to Greece, would retreat into the Albanian mountains where they would be of limited value for the rest of the war. Serbia though would become known for its sacrifices, with the highest casualty rate of any military force.
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