The Return of the Victorious Serbian Army

The Second Balkan War. At the beginning of the battle of Bregalnica, the Danube Division of I age class under leadership of Colonel Pavle Jurisic Sturm was located in the direction of Krivorecka on the positions of Car summit – Kalin kamen (Kalin stone) – Sveta voda (Holy water), with the mission to secure the left side of the I Army, which was supposed to lead the offensive. According to the military report written in Konopnici on the 11th July 1913, the cameramen of the producer Djoka Bogdanovic filmed the ammunition column of the Danube Division of I age class during ammunition placement on the position of Car summit. On this occasion, Komora oxen were filmed while grazing near the military camp, as well as harnessing them in Komora cart and headway of the ammunition column towards the position of Car summit.

Three stories are put together as an omnibus: 1) The adventures of a little girl named Zorica who tries to find her dog while her mother thinks she's in the kindergarten. 2) The clash between a group of boys with the superintendent of a building who doesn't let them keep a dog in the housing. 3) A group of boys play with a stolen revolver.

The Second Balkan War. One of the greatest victories of the Serbian army in the central front during the Battle of Bregalnica against Bulgarians was taking the summit Zedilovo by the XII Infantry Regiment “Car Lazar“ from the formation of the Sumadija Division of I age class under leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Milivoje Stojanovic Brka. Cameramen of the producer Djoka Bogdanovic filmed by camera three pictures on Zedilovacka ridge during the 10th and 11th July 1913: 1) Attack of the XII Infantry Regiment “Car Lazar“ on the Bulgarian position on Zedilovacka ridge at 1200 metres away from the enemy; 2) Regiment reserve of the Infantry Regiment “Car Lazar“ approaches Zedilovo at the distance of 1500 metres away from the enemy; 3) Work in the headquarters of the Infantry Regiment “Car Lazar“ of I age class after the battle on Zedilovacka ridge.

Great races of the “Danube equestrian group“ were held on the 27th May 1914 upon the old Calendar (the 9th June 1914 upon the new Calendar) on the occasion of opening a newly built race course in Belgrade outings spot called Topcider. That afternoon five horse races were held, of which four were recorded on the film tape. The atmosphere of the hot summer afternoon was captured in the film; also, there were recorded crowded grandstands, exterior of the King`s pavilion and Belgrade elite that gathered in this place, where ladies distinguished themselves with their lavish dresses.

Victors of the Balkan Wars returned in August 1913 to the army camp in Banjica field in Belgrade. Their next of kin came to visit them there after a long period of time. After family lunch, the officers took the lead in the army dance together with the soldiers, thus celebrating in friendly manner the return to the homeland.

During the Balkan Wars in 1912 and 1913, military hospitals for wounded soldiers were opened in all bigger towns in Serbia. Most hospitals were in Belgrade where several thousand wounded soldiers were treated. The last XXXIV emergency hospital was located in a onetime tavern Smutnikovac at the Topcider hill. The owner of the private hospital was the industrialist, banker and philanthropist Djordje Vajfert and it was run by his nephew, the lawyer and industrialist Ferdinand Gramberg.

Ambassador of the Russian Empire in Belgrade, Nicholas Hartwig (1857-1914), also known as an ardent Pan-Slavist and friend of Serbia, passed away unexpectedly in the Austro-Hungarian embassy, during his visit to the ambassador Baron Giesl von Gieslingen on the 27th June 1914. Over a hundred thousand citizens of Belgrade and Serbia attended his funeral on the 1st July 1914. Foreign diplomats exiting the building of the Russian mission can be seen in the film along with exiting of the Serbian Metropolitan Dimitrije and bishops from Niš and Šabac, as well as carrying of the casket with the deceased body out of the embassy building by the officers and clerks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by the President of the Serbian government and Hartwig's close friend Nikola Pašić.

After the Serbian army defeated the Bulgarian army in the battle of Bregalnica at the end of June 1913, the HQ of the First Army under the leadership of Prince Crown Alexander set up the camp on the Black Peak near Kratovo.

Early in the morning on the 24th March 1914 two trains arrived at the Railway station in Belgrade carrying the first generation of recruits from the newly liberated regions, Old Serbia and Southern Serbia. After the official reception, the recruits headed via central city streets towards the barracks in the Upper Town of Kalemegdan Fortress.

Several days after the final victory of Serbia over Bulgaria in the Second Balkan War, according to the military report of the 24th July 1913, the cameramen of the producer Djoka Bogdanovic made seven cinematographic pictures of the Serbian Calvary Division, which set up the camp in the vicinity of Presevo. The commander of the Cavalry Division, Prince Arsenije – Arsen Karadjordjevic was filmed along with the camp of the Cavalry Division Artillery, the camp of the I Calvary Brigade, Calvary Division ready to move, concentration and preparation of the division for the attack, onrush of the Calvary Division and practice drills of fighting in combined military units.

The Second Lieutenant Zivojin Marinkovic from the XII Infantry Regiment “Car Lazar“ of the Sumadija Division of I age class in the formation of the III Army, died heroically of the Bulgarian grenade on Zedilovacka ridge on the 6th July 1913 during the battle on Kiselica. His burial on the 7th July 1913 in Kriva Palanka was recorded by the cameramen of the producer Djoka Bogdanovic, who filmed the bringing of the coffin into the church of Saint Demetrius, funeral service and burial on the local cemetery.

Oath of the first recruits from the newly liberated Serbian regions, the soldiers of the Vardar regiment, started at 10 o'clock in the morning on the 13th April 1914 in the Lower Town of Kalemegdan Fortress.

The first captured Bulgarian soldiers during the fight with the Serbs in the Second Balkan War were transported by train to Belgrade on 21st June 1913. In the following months, several thousand Bulgarian officers and soldiers were accommodated at Kalemegdan Fortress until the liberation.

IV Cavalry Regiment of “the Great Prince Konstantin Konstantinovic“ returned from the Balkan Wars to Belgrade railway station at four o`clock in the afternoon on the 3rd August 1913, where it was welcomed and greeted by a great number of Belgrade citizens. The regiment then went to the camp in Banjica to join the troops which paraded through the capital city, particularly ready for the official reception of the Serbian victors on the 11th August 1913.

Wishing to record the heroism of the Third Army under the command of General Boza Jankovic and its Morava Division II Line led by Milovan Nedic, the producer Djoka Bogdanovic shot twelve "cinematographic images" with his two cameramen on the teritorry where these armies fought during the 16th July 1913.

On the 27th April 1914 upon the old Calendar – the Julian calendar (the 10th May 1914 upon the new Calendar – the Gregorian calendar) the ceremonial sanctification of the foundation stone for future building of the Seminary of St. Sava in Belgrade quarter called Vracar was performed. A great number of Belgrade citizens attended this event alongside the clergy, students and professors of the Seminary.