Vojislav Tankosić
|
vojvoda Vojislav Tankosić |
|
|---|---|
Vojislav Tankosić
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Voja, Škilja |
| Born |
20 September 1880 Ruklada, Principality of Serbia |
| Died | 2 November 1915 (aged 35) Trstenik, Kingdom of Serbia |
| Buried | New Cemetery, Belgrade |
| Allegiance |
|
| Years of service | 1904–1915 |
| Rank | vojvoda, major |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | |
| Signature |  |
Vojislav Tankosić (Serbian Cyrillic: Војислав Танкосић, September 20, 1880 – November 2, 1915) was a Serbian military officer, vojvoda of the Serbian Chetnik Organization, major of the Serbian Army, and member of the Black Hand, who participated in events from the May Coup to the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
He was born in Ruklada, in the Tamnava region near Valjevo. His family came from Bosnian Krajina. He finished six grades of gymnasium and military academy. He showed high national consciousness, and gained the trust of Milorad Gođevac and the other Chetnik leaders. He was sent as a secret agent, undercover, into Ottoman Macedonia to study the terrain and people for future action. As Dragutin Dimitrijević Apis' trustee, he executed Queen Draga's two brothers, in 1903, in the May Coup, which saw the murder (and overthrowing) of King Alexander Obrenović. He participated in the Battle of Čelopek (April 1905) under Savatije Milošević.Young Bosnia received arms from him for their actions. Sources say that he shot apples from the heads of his Chetnik fighters. Once, when they crossed the Sava bridge, he ordered all to jump off, and they did.
He was described as rude and bold. He was arrested by the Serbian government when Gavrilo Princip killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand (28 June 1914), but was forgiven when Austria attacked Serbia; the Chetniks of Voja Tankosić and Jovan Babunski prevented Belgrade from falling into Austrian hands on the first night of the war. He then fought at the Drina (September 6–October 4, 1914). His unit retreated last, covering the Austrians and Germans, and he was fatally wounded near Veliki Popović. He lived for two days, then died in Trstenik on November 2, 1915. When the Austrians occupied the town, they excavated his body from the grave to make sure he was indeed dead. A photograph of his body was featured on the front pages of Croatian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Austrian newspapers. He was re-buried in Trstenik, and his mother and friends had his body transferred to Belgrade for an honorable burial on the New Cemetery in 1923.
...
Wikipedia