Chetniks - Early Chetniks

Early Chetniks

The Chetnik movement had its roots in the 19th century Serbian liberation struggle against the Turks. However, the first organization known as the "Serb Chetnik Movement" (Српски Четнички Покрет) was formed in 1903 in Belgrade,by members of the army and representatives of the ministry of foreign affairs, among whom was Milorad Gođevac, Vasa Jovanović, Luka Ćelović and General Jovan Atanacković. The aim of the movement was liberation of Old Serbia and Macedonia. Serbia started equipping Macedonian Serb Chetniks who were in conflict with the autonomist and pro-Bulgarian Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).

In the same year of establishment, the first četa from Belgrade was led by voivode Anđelko Aleksić. It perished, and Gligor Sokolović formed several detachments in and around Prilep, after meeting with Gođevac. The Serb Chetniks defeated the Bulgarians at Prilep, Kičevo, Veles and Poreč. In the summer of 1906 the Serbian Chetniks defeated the Bulgarians at Krapa.

The Macedonian Serb Chetniks from 1904 till 1908 created strongholds in Skopje and Prilep regions after several battles against the Turks and the IMRO, but could not extend their territory due to the IMRO presence in the other parts of Macedonia. The most prominent Chetniks of Macedonia were Jovan Babunski, Gligor Sokolović, Ilija Trifunović-Birčanin, Mihailo Ristić-Džervinac, Jovan Grković-Gapon, Vasilije Trbić, Garda Spasa, Borivoje Jovanović-Brana, Ilija Jovanović-Pčinjski, Jovan Stanojković-Dovezenski, Micko Krstić, Lazar Kujundžić, Cene Marković, Miša Aleksić-Marinko, Doksim Mihailović, Kosta Milovanović-Pećanac, Vojin Popović-Vuk and Savatije Milićević Milošević. After the proclamation of the Young Turk revolution in 1908 and the proclamation of the constitution, all of the brigands in Macedonia, including the Serbian Chetniks put down their weapons.

This period lasted until 1912, when the Balkan countries once again started arming guerrilla bands in Macedonia in order to help them in operations against the Ottoman Army. They Chetniks also played a role during the Balkan wars of 1912 and 1915, as well as during World War I. At the start of the Balkan wars there were 110 IMRO, 108 Greek, 30 Serbian, and 5 Vlach detachments. They fought against the Ottoman Empire in the First Balkan War, while in World War I they fought against Austria-Hungary.