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In the winter of 1915, following the invasion of Serbia by the Central Powers, the Serbian Army retreated across the mountains of Albania and Montenegro together with thousands of civilians. Around 240,000 lost their lives. Today, the story of the retreat is little known, except in Serbia where it represents the heroic Serbian sacrifice in the Great War. In this book Alex Tomic examines the centenary events memorializing the First World War with the retreat at its core and provides a persuasive account of the ways in which the remembrance of Serbian history has been manipulated for political purposes. Whether through commemorations, ceremonies or grass-root initiatives, she demonstrates how these have been used as distractions from the more recent unexamined past and in doing so provides an important new perspective on the cultural history of commemoration.
Alex Tomić is a linguist and historian. She worked as a translator and interpreter at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 1994 until 2003, and served as chief of language services at the International Criminal Court between 2003 and 2020. Alex was awarded a PhD in history in 2021 at the University of Leiden. She currently lectures at different universities on the topics of translation and interpretation in international jurisdictions.
Illustrations
Epigraph and Dedication
(Foreword)
Preface
Introduction: The Past is Coming
Part I: The Main Event
Introduction
Chapter 1. From the Ottomans to the Triple Invasion
- The Making of Serbia
- The War
- The Triple Offensive
Chapter 2. From Golgotha to the Resurrection
- The Retreat
- ‘Serbian Golgotha’ Testimonies
- Salvation and Resurrection
Part II: The Script
Introduction
Chapter 3. There is No Time Like the Past
- Epos Rides Again
- Identity or Else
Chapter 4. The Great War in Music and Museums
- The Warrior Soundtrack
- Exhibiting the First World War
Part III: The Scenography
Introduction
Chapter 5. Past as Work in Progress: Street Names and Monuments
- What’s in a (Street) Name
- Monuments to Die for
Chapter 6. Reframing the Present Through Tributes and Headlines
- Centenary Commemorations as a Competitive Sport
- Breaking News on History
Part IV: The Chorus
Introduction
Chapter 7. Sites of Memory: Salonika, Corfu, Vido
- All Roads Lead to Salonika
- From Tourists to Pilgrims in Corfu
Chapter 8. Fictive Kinships of Resurgent Remembrance
- Retracing the Paths of Glory
-
Remembrance Takes You Places
- The Irishman Who Walked to Corfu
- Serbian Prisoners of War Remembered in the Netherlands
- Rediscovering the Scottish Women’s Hospitals
Conclusion: Past Imperfect Continuous
Thanks and Acknowledgments
Appendix: Chronology of Events
Bibliography
Index