His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander attended a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Mojkovac (1916 – 2016), at Belgrade Sava Centre tonight. Accompanying His Royal Highness were the members of the Crown Council Mr. Dragomir Acovic and Mr. Matija Beckovic. The ceremony was also attended by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Irinej and His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and Littoral, Their Graces Bishop Joanikije of Budimlje and Niksic and Bishop Arsenije of Toplica, Chief of Staff of the Army of Serbia General Ljubisa Dikovic, Mrs Jasmina Mitrović Maric, advisor to the President of Serbia and Mr Radoslav Pavlovic, advisor to the President of Serbia, Dr MIleta Radojevic, Chief of the office for cooperation with churches and religious organizations, Mr Janko Vukotic, grandson of Serdar Janko, in front of the huge audience.
In December 1915, Regent Alexander, Nikola Pasic and Radomir Putnik sought help from King Nikola of Montenegro to stop the Austro-Hungarians and allow the retreat of the Serbian army, which was already approaching Shkoder. The Montenegrins remained positioned in Mojkovac, even though they may have started to withdraw to Shkoder, but they did not. They gave the word. For them, it was worth more than gold, more than life. Victory was won, Bojina Field was defended. It did not help the Austrians that General Rainer himself led last sorties of his army with his sword drawn. He could not pass through the Montenegrin line. Only the Serbian army could. King Nikola subsequently left the country and then the Montenegrin government decided to stop fighting. Serdar Janko was ordered to lay down arms.
Later on, decorating Serdar Janko and his soldiers with the Order of the Karadjordje Star with Swords, King Alexander said: “Voivode, you more than indebted the Serbian nation, that is why I am glad to have the opportunity to personally hand you over this little recognition. We Serbs are obliged to proudly remember those Montenegrin heroes who willingly sacrificed themselves in the Mojkovac positions for the salvation of the Serbian army and the Serbian people. Thanks to your great feeling of Serbian hood and your brotherhood, the Montenegrin-Sanjak army persevered in the struggle and affirmed the old belief of our people that the Montenegrins are the core of Serbian nation, they are its anchor and its centuries-old champions”.
