Утицај научних дисциплина војне историје и војне географије на израду ратних планова у Краљевини Србији
The Influence of Scientific Disciplines of Military History and Military Geography on the Development of War Plans in the Kingdom of Serbia

Author(s): Ivan B. Mijatović
Subject(s): Historical Geography, Applied Geography, Maps / Cartography, Military history
Published by: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije
Keywords: Military History; Military Geography; art of war; Serbia; army; Serbian Army; war doctrine; military doctrine; war plan;
Summary/Abstract: War and warfare are related to human existence and actions. All have been during the course of time set into an actual frame subjected to multiple natural and social influences and laws. It is exactly the laws that can be precisely analyzed in leading warfare and other military actions, from training armed forces to preparation and selection of battlefield, application of military techniques and decisions on the level of tactics represented in actions, ways and means for achieving clearly oriented results on the level of smaller military units and strategy, as well as system of military knowledge and skills on preparation and leading war on the level of larger military units. Therefore achievements of history and geography are necessary for actions of military system, because with their achievements they indirectly support leading, decision making and organizing military activities during peace and war time. Military history and military geography have had, from the beginnings of institutional studying of military sciences, a significant position in Art of war as disciplines (branches) even though their point of origin is in their parent sciences – history and geography. In its core it is not just using the results of these sciences, since through theory and practice of warfare these sciences (history and geography) have been formed and transformed as special scientific disciplines that have been integrated into military theory and practice. During the sixty years work of School of Artillery and Military Academy, significant subjects with their place in the processes of educating of military personnel were the studying of history and geography in several forms. That studying had a principal goal, to acquaint cadets by learning history with events from the past, and by learning war practices to get them to make observations on certain experiences and lessons from the previous wars that would enable them easier understanding and give them ideas for resolving future war situations. From the perspective of geography, main goal was to enable cadets by learning and applying what they`ve learned to study those geographic features that have influence on leading, organizing and planning military actions and using armed forces in particular military situation. Learning national history and history of liberation wars of Serbia was supposed to nurture freedom traditions of Serbian people and by that influence developing patriotic feelings and strengthening morale of the future officers, and in the classes on Military Geography cadets were studying farther and nearer geographic regions, foremost on the level of strategy and tactics. Typical example of symbiosis of Military History and Military Geography in the Serbian Army, and their influence on creating war plan is represented by the preparations for the liberation of Old Serbia and Macedonia in the First Balkan War.

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