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Germany and King Ferdinand of Bulgaria squeeze pincers on Serbia at the city of Nisch. Germany and Austria-Hungary began their joint invasion across Serbia's norther border on October 6, 1915. Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers on October 14, and invaded Serbia from the east. Nisch fell to the invaders on November 5. The Serbia capital of Belgrade on the Danube and the city of Monastir on the Greek border are marked with initials. Handmade postcard map dated November 12, 1915. Text: Serbien Kopot, Kapot, Kaput (?) Peter bankraft, bankratt (?) Marked are the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, neutral Rumania, Hungary. Deliblat. (?) Reverse: Unsern tapferen Truppen im Felde gewidmet von der Tintenfabrik Eduard Beyer, Chemnitz i/s - Teplitz i/s. Dedicated to our courageous forces in the field from the ink factory Edward Beyer, Chemnitz i/s - Teplitz i/s

Germany and King Ferdinand of Bulgaria squeeze pincers on Serbia at the city of Nisch. Germany and Austria-Hungary began their joint invasion across Serbia's norther border on October 6, 1915. Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers on October 14, and invaded Serbia from the east. Nisch fell to the invaders on November 5.
The Serbia capital of Belgrade on the Danube and the city of Monastir on the Greek border are marked with initials.
Handmade postcard map dated November 12, 1915.

Image text

Serbien Kopot, Kapot, Kaput (?)

[Serbian King] Peter bankraft, bankratt (?)

Marked are the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary.

Deliblat (?)



Reverse:

Unsern tapferen Truppen im Felde gewidmet von der Tintenfabrik Eduard Beyer, Chemnitz i/s - Teplitz i/s.

Dedicated to our courageous forces in the field from the ink factory Edward Beyer, Chemnitz i/s - Teplitz i/s

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Monday, October 25, 1915

"Monday, October 25, 1915

The Serbian disaster is developing apace.

A swift Bulgarian raid on Vrania, on the upper Morava, and Uskub, on the Vardar, has cut the Nish-Salonica railway. Henceforth the Royal Government and the diplomatic corps cannot flee to Monastir. They intend to try and reach Scutari and the shores of the Adriatic via Mitrovitza, Pritzend and Diakovo, i.e., crossing the mountain tangle of Albania, where all the passes are already blocked by snow!

Every day Pastchich is sending a desperate—and vain—appeal to the Allies."

Quotation Context

Attacked from the north and northwest by German and Austro-Hungarian forces, and from the east by two Bulgarian armies, Serbia's sole hope was the Franco-British forces that had landed in Salonika, Greece. In cutting the rail line from Greece, the Bulgarians had insured the Serbs could neither retreat to the south nor expect relief from that direction. The only direction possible was west, into mountainous Albania to reach the Adriatic Sea whence Allied ships could transport them to safety. Monastir was a Serbian city on the Greek border. Pastchich, or Pashitch, was the Serbian Premier.

Source

An Ambassador's Memoirs Vol. II by Maurice Paléologue, page 96, publisher: George H. Doran Company

Tags

1915-10-25, 1915, October, Serbia, Pashitch, Monastir, hand-drawn Serbia pincer map