НАЈМЛАЂИ УЧЕСНИК БАЛКАНСКИХ РАТОВА – ПОДВИЗИ ДОБРОВОЉЦА И ЧЕТНИКА ГАВРИЛА КИЋЕВИЋА
THE YOUNGEST PARTAKER IN THE BALKAN WARS – FEATS OF THE VOLUNTEER IN WAR AND CHETNIK GAVRILO KICEVIC

Summary/Abstract: The generation of Serbs that led and participated in the liberation Balkan Wars was preliminary formed in the spirit of patriotism, national liberation, and unification. Shortly before the outbreak of the First Balkan War and in the course of it, the Serbian youth, pupils, and students have largely been imbued with the legacy of Kosovo, impatiently awaiting the clash with the age­old enemy who kept their compatriots in captivity, fervently supported revenging Kosovo, and actively acted with the goal of spreading nationalistic ideologies – of Greater Serbia and that of Yugoslavhood. The historically important moment of the outbreak of the war against the Ottoman Empire in 1912 was an ideal chance for many of them to confirm the readiness and selfcontribution in the liberationprocess. The eruptionof enthusiasmthat seizedSerbs was materialized in the form of multiple forms of assistance and support to the Serbian state, people, and military. Individuals from the Serbian lands and the diaspora, as well as associations of nationally conscious individuals offered their resources day and night to the Serbian belligerent without delays, and in a selfless manner. Their engagement was significant in all fields, therefore also welcomed and useful for achieving war aims. A large number of Serbs, but also members of other South Slavic nations heated to Yugoslavhood voluntarily joined the Serbian army, medical teams, charitable missions, and organizations, so as not to remain excluded from crucial events. In this manner, they themselves became actors of the events that were a turning point in the course of Serbian history, becoming certainly a milestone in the Serbian nation’s being. The work of many Serbian war volunteers, out of which some individuals were distinguished, public figures, is mostly known. Some of them remained unknown to the domestic historiography for longer than a century, which is the case of the 9­year­old Gavrilo Kicevic from Kragujevac, who would come to play a major role in his unit. Lined among the oldest, third­line soldiers by the military, the war path led him to Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, and the surrounding mountainous villages, where the unit was ordered to find places where weapons were hidden by local Albanians. After futile, fruitless, and long­term attempts of the unit to carry out the order, the child­warrior managed to outwit his Albanian peers and find out the location of the ammunition depot. For his great military success and war feats, the youngest participant of the Balkan Wars was awarded promotion to the rank of Corporal.

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