Zweibund — the Dual Alliance — Germany and Austria-Hungary united, were the core of the Central Powers, and here join hands. The bars of Germany's flag border the top left, and those of the Habsburg Austrian Empire and ruling house the bottom right.
Schulter an SchulterUntrennbar vereintin Freud und in Leid!'Shoulder to shoulderInseparably united in joy and in sorrow!
"The Serbians in Macedonia were still holding tenaciously to the Babuna and Katshanik Passes, their only remaining avenues of retreat. The Babuna Pass was defended by Col. Vassitch with a force of only 5,000 men.Here, within 10 miles of the French Army, was fought one of the most desperate battles of the Balkan War. Twenty thousand Bulgarians with heavy artillery, hurled themselves daily against the Pass during the first week in November, but were driven back at the point of the bayonet."
The French troops under General Maurice Sarrail that had landed at Salonika, Greece at the beginning of October, 1915 were not able to break through Bulgarian forces barring their route to Serbia. The Serbian army's only route of retreat was westward, out of the country through Albania.
King's Complete History of the World War by W.C. King, page 190, copyright © 1922, by W.C. King, publisher: The History Associates, publication date: 1922
1915-11-08, 1915, November, map, Serbia
