THE HARD RAIN OF AUTUMN
“DESPITE A SHAMBOLIC DIVERSIONARY ATTACK THAT DECIMATED THE PRESTIGIOUS TIMOK I DIVISION, IN THE MAIN THE FIRST ARMY ADVANCE WAS A MODEL OPERATION”
No matter how inexperienced or overconfident the Austro-Hungarians were, they were fighting a nation already stretched to breaking point by only two months of fighting. Still lacking basic kit such as boots, uniforms and trenching tools for a great chunk of the Serbian army, munitions and medical supplies were also in the red, and those that could be seized from the retreating enemy did little to ease the pressure.
Despite the casus belli of Russia’s war being the defence of Serbia from Austria-Hungary, the Entente’s priorities had shifted dramatically. Russia’s offensive in Galicia had ended in retreat and France was desperately digging in to keep the Germans from Paris. Pressure was being heaped on the Serbian government to take a more aggressive stance and force Austria-Hungary to divert forces away from the Russians.
There was certainly opportunity. The fact that Serbia was very much unconquered after Cer did nothing to draw the Armeeoberkommando (AOK, Army High Command) from their original plan, and the Austro-Hungarian Second Army had redeployed to the Galician Front as scheduled, leaving a single division on the Sava to guard against Serbian incursion. Furthermore, siege batteries pummelling Belgrade
