Montenegrin Campaign (World War I)

Montenegrin Campaign
Part of the Serbian Campaign in the World War I
Date 5 – 17 January 1916 Location Montenegro Result Austrian-Hungarian victory Austrians occupy Montenegro
Belligerents
Austria-Hungary	Montenegro
Commanders and leaders
Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza Stjepan Sarkotić	Nicholas I Janko Vukotić
Strength
100,000	35,000

Austrian-Hungarian victory

The Montenegrin Campaign of World War I, which was fought in January 1916, was a part of the Serbian Campaign, in which Austria Hungary defeated and occupied the Kingdom of Montenegro, an ally of Serbia.

By January 1916, the Serbian Army had been defeated by an Austrian-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian invasion. The remnants of the Serbian army had withdrawn through Montenegro and Albania, and were being evacuated by allied ships since 12 December, first to Italy and later to Corfu.

The k.u.k. High command in Teschen, decided to use the success in Serbia to knock Montenegro out of the war. The army of Montenegro that had fought alongside their allies in Serbia, had now withdrawn into their own territory, but were still resisting against the Central powers. Furthermore, Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf wanted to take the Italian-held Albanian ports of Durazzo and Valona.

Two Austrian army corps were formed in December 1915. One in the west under command of Stjepan Sarkotić between Trebinje and Kotor, composed of the XIX. Armeekorps, reinforced with troops from Bosnia-Hercegovina and Dalmatia. They had to attack the main force of the Montenegrin army, gathered around Mount Lovcen, and a second attack was planned from Trebinje towards the east. In the east and north, the VIII. Armeekorps under command of Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza was to bind the Montenegrin troops there present.

The VIII. Armeekorps, which pursued the withdrawing Montenegrin Expeditionary army, had two tasks. On the one hand to slow down the Montenegrin troops; for this the 62nd and 53rd Infantry Divisions were used. On the other hand, it had to pass the Montenegrin right wing and converge with the XIX. Korps on Podgorica.

The 62nd and 53rd Infantry Division entered Montenegro on 5 January 1916 from the North-East and advanced along the river towards Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, where they were stopped by the Montenegrins in the Battle of Mojkovac. At the same time, the 10th and 18th Mountain brigade advanced from Novi Pazar and on 10 January took the city of Berane. The 205th and 9th Mountain brigade advanced westwards from Priština and took Peć and Velika. The 57th Infantery Division advanced from Prizren.

...
Wikipedia