Živojin Mišić

Živojin Mišić (; 19 July 1855 – 20 January 1921) was a field marshal who participated in all of Serbia's wars from 1876 to 1918. He directly commanded the First Serbian army in the Battle of Kolubara and in breach of the Thessaloniki Front was the Chief of the Supreme Command. He is the most decorated Serbian military officer in history.

Early years Mišić was born in Struganik near Mionica. His parents Radovan and Anđelija had thirteen children. Živojin was the youngest child, and when he was born, only eight of his brothers and sisters were still alive.

When he turned six, he became a shepherd.

He participated with distinction in the Serbo-Turkish wars of 1876 and 1878 with the rank of lieutenant JG of the infantry and in the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885 as a full lieutenant - a company commander in the 5th infantry regiment of Drinska division.

Sometime after the assassination of King Aleksandar Obrenović (see May Overthrow), he was forced to retire, supposedly through the influence of the "Black Hand" as he was considered too close to the Obrenović dynasty, but was reactivated on the personal insistence of the Chief of Staff of the High command of the Serbian Army, General Radomir Putnik who made him his aide.

Having suffered badly from exposure during the epic retreat, Mišić recovered. At the Thessaloniki front in 1916, Mišić commanded the First Army, which stopped and forced the withdrawal of the Bulgarian army at the Battle of Gornicevo. Towards the end of the war in June 1918 Mišić was appointed Chief of the Supreme Command and commanded the Serbian army during the breakthrough of the Salonika front in September 1918.

Death and legacy

Mišić died in a Belgrade hospital of lung cancer in 1921.

During his hospitalization in France prior to his death Mišić began writing his memoirs, titled Moje uspomene ("My memories" in English). He managed to cover his entire life up to the start of the Second Balkan War but died before he could cover it and the First World War.

He is included in The 100 most prominent Serbs.

Decorations