Svetozar Borojević in the First World War

Svetozar Borojević je rođen 13. prosinca 1856. godine u Umetićima. Završio je brojne vojne škole i došao do visokog čina feldmaršala 1. veljače 1918. godine. Istaknuo se u Prvom svjetskom ratu na dvije bojišnice, u Galiciji i na Soči. Napisao je knjigu O ratu protiv Italije iz vlastitog iskustva proživljenog na Soči. Borojević je stigao u Galiciju u rujnu 1914. gdje je predvodio 3. armiju u bojevima protiv Rusa. Na Istočnoj (ruskoj) bojišnici je odbio Ruse kod Limanowe i oslobodio tvrđavu Przemysl prve opsade 10. listopada 1914. Na ovoj se bojišnici zadržao do svibnja 1915. kada je premješten na Jugozapadno (talijansko) bojište gdje je postao zapovjednikom 5. armije 27. svibnja 1915. Nešto kasnije, u kolovozu 1917. godine je postao zapovjednik 1. i 2. armije. Sudjelovao je u svih dvanaest bitaka na Soči i zbog svojih zasluga na tom bojištu je dobio nadimak „Lav sa Soče“. Zadržao se na tom prostoru do studenog 1918. kada se morao povući zbog lošeg stanja u državi što je utjecalo na opskrbu i moral vojske. Našao se u teškoj situaciji nakon što austro-ugarski car više nije trebao njegove usluge i nakon što mu je onemogućen povratak u Kraljevinu SHS. Jedna strana ga je osuđivački prozivala Južnim Slavenom, dok ga je druga strana nazivala protivnikom nove države, Kraljevine SHS. Tako je vrijeme od kraja rata do smrti proveo u borbi za mirovinu, pravdu i vlastitu egzistenciju. Umro je 23. svibnja 1920. u bolnici u Klagenfurtu od posljedica moždanog udara, ne dočekajući pravdu koju je zaslužio.Svetozar Borojević was born on 13th of December 1856 in Umetići. He graduated from a number of military schools and achieved a high rank in the army, becoming a field marshal in February 1918. He participated on two battlefields in the First World War, in Galicia and on Isonzo River. He wrote a book based on his own experience on the South-western Front (Isonzo), entitled About war in Italy. Borojević arrived to the Eastern Front in Galicia in September 1914 to lead 3rd army in battles against Russians. On the Eastern Front he and his army stopped a Russian headway near Limanowa and liberated Przemyśl Fort in the First Siege of Przemyśl in October 1914. He left the Eastern Front in May 1915 when Italy entered the war and opened a new battlefield on the South-western Front. On that front, he started leading 5th army. Later in 1917 he became the leader of 1st and 2nd army on that same front. He participated in 12 battles on Isonzo River and because of his importance and contribution he got a nickname „Lion from Isonzo“. He stayed on Isonzo till November 1918, when he had to leave the battlefield because of a bad situation in the country, which had an impact on the supply and army morale. He was not granted permission to return to his homeland and, on the other hand, the Austro-Hungarian monarch to whom he was committed did not require his services anymore. He got into trouble when the Austro-Hungarian side accused him of being South Slavic and his homeland declared him an enemy of the newly created Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Because of these accusations he spent the whole period between the end of the First World War and his death fighting for justice and pension. He died on 23rd of May 1920 in hospital in Klagenfurt after suffering a stroke and he never got the justice he deserved