In spite, however, of the seeming futility of opposition, Servia, encouraged by Russian support, prepared for a strenuous campaign against the Austrian forces, and the first two months of the war ended without any decisive advantage to Austria.  The Servians, on the other hand, claimed numerous successes.  Their task was lightened by the Russian invasion of Austrian territory and the determined advance of the Czar’s host, which demanded the fullest strength of the Austrian forces to resist.  As the Russians hammered their enemy in Galicia the spirits of the Servians rose and their seasoned soldiers gave a good account of themselves in every encounter with Austrian troops.  They crossed the Drina and carried the war into Bosnia, putting up a stiff fight wherever they encountered the enemy, and while they sustained severe losses in killed and wounded during August and September, the losses they inflicted upon the Austrians were still heavier.

AUSTRIANS BOMBARD BELGRADE

The Austrian troops on the banks of the Danube became active soon after war was declared.  In the first few days they seized two Servian steamers and a number of river boats.  Belgrade was bombarded from across the river and many of its public buildings, churches and private residences suffered damage.

The hostile armies came into contact for the first time on the River Drina, between Bosnia and Servia, and Vienna was compelled to admit defeat in this preliminary engagement of the war.  The Servians forced a passage through the Austrian ranks, but only at the cost of many killed and wounded.

When Crown Prince Alexander of Servia began the invasion of Bosnia in earnest, in the middle of August, Austria found herself at a disadvantage because of the necessity of massing most of her forces against the Russians.  Roumania and Montenegro were then preparing to join the Servians in the field against Austria.

Later in August the Servians captured several of the enemy’s strongholds in Bosnia.  After a four-day battle on the banks of the Drina the Austrians were defeated with heavy loss, a large number of guns and prisoners being captured by the Servians.  The Montenegrin troops repulsed an Austrian invading force and took several hundred prisoners in an all-day battle on the frontier.

Early in September a heavy engagement was fought by the Servian and Austrian armies near Jadar, resulting in Servian victory.  It was claimed that the Austrians left 10,000 dead on the field of battle.  The Servians also successfully defended Belgrade, which had been bombarded on several occasions.  Fifteen or twenty miles west of Belgrade on the Save River, an Austrian force was decisively defeated by the Servians, who then seemed to be duplicating the successes of the Russian army against Austria.

The attitude of Turkey was being closely watched at this time, Greece and Bulgaria being prepared to enter the war against the Ottoman Empire if the latter decided on belligerency, but on September 5 Turkey again declared her intention to remain neutral.