Stepa Stepanović
Stepan "Stepa" Stepanović OLH, KCB, DSO (Serbian Cyrillic: Степан Степа Степановић, pronounced [stɛ̌ːpa stɛpǎːnoʋitɕ]; 11 March [O.S. 28 February] 1856 – 29 April 1929) was a Serbian military commander who fought in the Serbo-Turkish War, the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the First Balkan War, the Second Balkan War and World War I. Having joined the Serbian military in 1874, he fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire in 1876. Over the following years, he climbed up the ranks of the Serbian Army and fought against Bulgarian forces in 1885. He eventually became the Serbian Minister of War in April 1908 and was responsible for instituting changes in the Serbian Army.
Stepa Stepanović
Radomir Putnik
29 April 1929 (aged 73)
Čačak, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Čačak Cemetery
Jelena Stepanović (1881–1929; his death)
Milica Stepanović
Danica Stepanović
Stepa
1874–1920
Stepanović commanded Serbian forces during the two Balkan Wars and led the Serbian Second Army during World War I. After Battle of Cer he was promoted to second Field Marshal. He died in Čačak on 29 April 1929.
Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885)[edit]
During the Battle of Slivnitsa, Stepanović commanded the 1st Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Šumadija division. His unit attacked the village of Vrapče and forced Bulgarian forces to retreat. In a report that Stepanović sent to the commander of the 12th Regiment a lack of coordination between divisions, regiments and battalions of the Serbian Army is perceptible.[27]
Several days later, Stepanović became commander of the 1st Battalion in the 12th Regiment and together with troops from another unit attacked the weakened Bulgarian center on Slivnitsa. The Bulgarians began retreating, allowing Serb forces to take over region around the village of Aldomirovtsi. In his report, Stepanović wrote about his soldiers: "The behavior of the soldiers in this battles was excellent because they showed great curability despite moving over the open field during crossfire. The behavior of the officers was satisfactory in regard of courage and good command of the troops."[28]
With Serbian forces being pushed out of Bulgaria, King Milan ordered a general retreat of the Serbian Army towards Pirot on 19 November. Three days later, Bulgarian forces marched towards the town and launched an attack on Neškov vis. Stepanović’s 12th Regiment was forced to retreat. Stepanović later reported: "...I moved along to the hospital towards where bulks of our troops retreated. No effort of the elders could bring them back. More soldiers followed them and then that ridiculous mob pushed away officers who tried to stop them."[29]
First Balkan War[edit]
First operations[edit]
With the start of the First Balkan War, Stepa Stepanović became commander of the 60,000-strong Second Army, which possessed 84 cannons. Concentrated in the Kyustendil–Dupnitsa area, it contained the 1st Timok Infantry Division and the Bulgarian Seventh Rila infantry Division. Its mission was to attack the Turkish rear before the First Army. Informing the Serbian troops that the Seventh Rila Division became part of the Army, Stepanović said: ″I look with confidence at our future work and strongly believe in success, because for centuries separated and now fraternized and embraced, closest brothers, Serbs and Bulgarians represent an irresistible force that will crush all hurdles and liberate downtrodden brothers.″[37]
On 17 October 1912, Putnik informed Stepanović of Serbia's declaration of war against the Ottoman Empire. He ordered his army to move closer to the Ottoman border, but not to cross it until further notice. However, the Bulgarian high command ordered the commander of the Rila Division, Georgi Todorov, to cross the Ottoman border and attack Carevo selo and Gornja Džumaja, which he managed to capture. Stepanović congratulated them with the words: ″Hurray heroes of the Seventh division.″[38]
On 18 October, Timok Division started to attack Ottoman positions in direction Rujen-Crni vrh, and next day they captured Crni vrh on the orders of Stepanović. On 21 October, the Serbian high command ordered the Timok Division to advanced towards Kumanovo. Uninformed that the battalion, commanded by Mayor Dobrosav Milenković, had already captured Kriva Palanka without a fight, Stepanović ordered all the necessary maneuvers for capturing the town. This wasted a lot of time, but majority of the division managed to pass through Krivorečka gorge without any resistance.[38] In the early noon, Cavalry Regiment started a fight 5–6 km away from Stracin and managed to capture it at nightfall. Yet again, Stepanović hasn’t been informed about this event, and next day he ordered his troops to capture Stracin, which wasted a lot of time. After this event, communication was established between the First and the Second armies and the road to Kumanovo was open.[38]
Legacy[edit]
He is included in The 100 most prominent Serbs. His birth house in Kumodraž (Belgrade) is converted into a small museum dedicated to his life and legacy. Reconstruction and conservation of the house was done in 2014 when house was finally reopened to visitors.