„Za Boga i cara“: Bjelovarčani i stanovnici Bjelovarsko-križevačke županije u Varaždinskoj 16. pješačkoj pukovniji na Balkanskom bojištu 1914. godine
„For God and Emperor”: Inhabitants of Bjelovar and the Bjelovar-Križevci County in the 16th Varaždin Infantry Regiment on the Balkan Front in 1914

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a study of archival material regarding the participation of inhabitants of Bjelovar and the Bjelovar-Križevci County in the Varaždin 16th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Army on the Balkan front in 1914. Though the recruitment area of this regiment covered the town of Bjelovar and the Bjelovar-Križevci County, the name had been kept for traditional reasons, owing to the regiments’ long history dating back to 1538, while the regiment itself was founded in 1703. The regiment was initially deployed within the 5th Austro-Hungarian army, it was the main strike force in the attack on Serbia in 1914, and remained within formation during the entire campaign. Further on, the paper analyzes the course of the main operations and the conduct of operations by the 16th Infantry Regiment in the battles of Cer, Kolubara and Ljig. The 5th army, as well as the entire Austro-Hungarian army forces, suffered enormous losses in the Balkans, while the 16th Regiment lost 122 officers and 4,133 men. The regiment’s diary reveals the number of reinforcement the Regiment received during 1914; the records show that 32 officers and 2,841 soldiers joined the ranks. However, the military records kept at the Bjelovar State Archive for the year 1914 have revealed insurmountable losses to the town of Bjelovar and the county. Only 59 recruits were listed, out of which only 32 declared fit for service. Amid these numbers, 24 were eligible for regular army, and 8 for Domobranstvo (Austrian Landwehr, Hungarian Honvéd, second line territorial defence units). In conclusion, the complete losses of 4,762 men in their prime affected the town of Bjelovar and the county considerably. For 289 of them, the records hold information about their status in the combat forces on the Balkan front in 1914. This list is presented in the attachment below.

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