August 15, 1914

One hundred years ago today Serbia and Austria-Hungary began their first major battle around Cer Mountain. The Austro-Hungarian army was undisciplined and intent on punishing the Serbian people, who in their perception, had started the war. Before battle began murder and rape of Serbian civilians living in the border villages was wide spread as the Austro-Hungarian army advanced.

The Serbian army had prepared a defensive position around Cer Mountain, about ten miles into Serbian territory from the Austro-Hungarian border. The clash lasted for nine days, and ended with the Austro-Hungarian army withdrawing from Serbia in defeat. The exact losses on both sides is unknown but it is estimated that Austria-Hungary suffered about 40,000 casualties (troops killed, wounded, missing or taken prisoner). The Serbian army losses were about half their Austro-Hungarian opponents, being around 20,000.            

The loss shocked the Austro-Hungarian army which was expecting an easy victory and though the battle was a victory for the Serbian army it was not a sustainable one. Serbia lost far fewer soldiers than Austria-Hungary, but Serbia's losses were still much greater than the small nation of Serbia could afford. Also the Serbian army was short on weapons and supplies before the war even began. Some Serbian soldiers were not only issued no rifles, but no boots either, and fought barefoot with scavenged weapons.  Though the battle of Cer Mountain was a success  for Serbia it depleted much of the already limited stores of the supplies and ammunition of Serbian army.    

This battle also was the start of a major shift in modern warfare. Military aircraft had been used by many nations for years prior to World War One. They were primarily used for scouting and spotting targets for artillery. Planes had been used by all nations involved in war up to this point. Until this point when two enemy aircraft passed near each other it was customary for the pilots to wave to one another and move along. At the battle of Cer Mountain an Austro-Hungarian pilot fired his revolver at a Serbian pilot as he pasted near. He proceeded to chase the Serbian pilot as he tried to escape, firing all the shots from his revolver before turning away. This was the first example of air to air combat in human history. Both sides would react to this event, and within a few weeks all Serbian and Austro-Hungarian planes would be mounted with machine guns. World War One aviators ceased to just be observers of the war, the era of the dogfight had begun.