TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1912
The Battle of Kumanovo, on 23–24 October 1912, was a major battle of the First Balkan War. It was an important Serbian victory over the Ottoman army in the Kosovo Vilayet, shortly after the outbreak of the war. After this defeat, the Ottoman army abandoned the major part of the region, suffering heavy losses in manpower (mostly due to desertions) and in war materiel.
| Date | 23–24 October 1912 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kumanovo district, Sanjak of Üsküp, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, (now Kumanovo, North Macedonia) |
| Result | Serbian victory |
| Belligerents | Kingdom of Serbia | Ottoman Empire |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Radomir Putnik Prince Alexander Stepa Stepanović Božidar Janković | Zeki Pasha (Vardar Army) Fethi Pasha (VII Corps) |
| Strength | 132,000 men 148 artillery pieces 100 machine guns | 65,000 men 164 artillery pieces 104 machine guns |
| Casualties | 687 killed 3,280 wounded 597 missing Total: 4,564 | 1,200 killed 3,000 wounded 327 captured 98 artillery pieces lost Total: 4,500 |
The Ottoman Vardar Army fought the battle according to plan, but despite this, suffered a heavy defeat. Although Zeki Pasha operationally surprised the Serbian command by his sudden attack, the decision to act offensively against the superior enemy was a grave error which determined the outcome of Battle of Kumanovo. On the other side, the Serbian command started the battle without plans and preparations, and missed the chance to pursue the defeated enemy and effectively end the operations in the region, although it had the fresh troops of the rear echelon available for such action.
Took place during the reign of Mehmed V (1909–1918). Mehmed V
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.