Gudzic: Serbs in Kosovo proudly commemorate Armistice Day; allies do not emphasize remembrance

Serbia emerged from World War I with the halo of a victor, and today proudly honors Armistice Day on November 11, 1918, historian Aleksandar Gudzic from Gracanica says. He notes, however, that this is not the case for other participants in the Great War, particularly France and Germany.

Gudzic points out that Germany and France, who were on opposite sides in World War I, became allies over the course of the 20th century, which led to a different perspective on history and the culture of remembrance.

After the German and French ambassadors in Kosovo shared a photo of a joint Armistice Day commemoration at the military section of the Orthodox cemetery in Pristina, it caught public attention that the monument to Serbian soldiers who fell in World War I was no longer in its previous place.

“The process throughout the 20th century led Germany and France to become friends and allies. Today, the French do not insist much on remembering World War I, and when they do commemorate that date, they prefer to do so together with representatives of Germany, now France’s ally in Europe and the EU. So, last year, we saw this date commemorated at the cemetery in Pristina, attended by the French and German ambassadors in Kosovo. On that occasion, the plaque commemorating World War I was removed, causing a media scandal. The plaque was later returned, but this shows that today, France and Serbia’s main allies in World War I do not insist on that remembrance,” Gudzic told Kosovo Online.

Gudzic emphasizes that the end of World War I, specifically November 11, 1918, when the armistice was signed in a railway carriage in Compiegne Forest between French and German generals, marked the end of great suffering.

He recalls that World War I was the largest war humanity had endured at that time, earning the name the Great War.

“Serbia came out of the Great War with the halo of a victor, but with enormous losses. At that moment, it seemed that Serbia had finally resolved the Serbian Question in the Balkans and had addressed the national issue that began in 1804 with the Serbian Revolution and Karađorđe’s uprising. This issue seemed resolved,” the historian notes.

However, at the end of the 20th century, with the breakup of Yugoslavia, the "Serbian Question" reopened.

Gudzic also highlights that during World War I, more than 50 percent of the male population in Serbia perished, and the country has never fully recovered from this demographic catastrophe.
He notes that the Serbian population in Kosovo actively participated in World War I.

As he says, there is no family in Serbian communities without ancestors who perished in World War I, which is why remembrance of the Great War is upheld today with pride and reverence.

“For instance, Dobrotin alone lost 34 residents during World War I. Thus, in Kosovo, Serbs commemorate Armistice Day and honor the memory of the Great War,” Gudzic concluded.