Ilija Gojković
General Ilija Gojković | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 38th Minister of the Army of the Kingdom of Serbia | |
| In office 4 March 1910 – 11 February 1911 | |
| Monarch | Peter I |
| Prime Minister | Stojan Novaković Nikola Pašić |
| Preceded by | Milutin Marinović |
| Succeeded by | Stepa Stepanović |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 August 1854 Drenovac, Principality of Serbia |
| Died | 15 February 1917 (aged 62) Ionian Sea, near Sicily, Kingdom of Italy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Principality of Serbia Kingdom of Serbia |
| Branch/service | Royal Serbian Army |
| Years of service | 1870–1917 |
| Rank | General |
| Unit | 1st Morava Infantry Division Timok Army |
| Battles/wars | Balkan Wars |
Ilija Gojković (Serbian Cyrillic: Илија Гојковић[needs IPA]; 2 August 1854 – 15 February 1917) was a Serbian military commander and Minister of Defence.[1]
He served during the Serbian–Turkish Wars, the Balkan Wars and during the Serbian Campaign (part of the larger Balkans Campaign) during World War I. He became well-known for commanding the Serbs in the east around Timok.
Career
[edit]Gojković was the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Serbia from 4 March 1910 to 24 February 1911. He commanded Morava division 1st ban during the Battle of Cer and was criticized by the commander of the 2nd army, general Stepa Stepanović for lackluster performance on the first day of the battle, but performed well thereafter and contributed significantly to the Serbian victory.
Death
[edit]While traveling to the Salonica front, his boat was hit by a German torpedo boat near Sicily. Gojković refused to surrender and was killed while shooting back at the torpedo boat. He drowned in the Ionian Sea.[2]
Gojković was the highest ranking member of the Serbian Army that died in combat during the First World War.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ Sević, Jelena (6 May 2014). "Čovek koji je pucao na nemačku podmornicu" (in Serbian). RTS. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Đeneral Božanović, Politika, issue 4931, 15 January 1922, pg. 2
- ^ Knežević, Kosta (5 February 2017). "Zaboravljeni pomorski vojvoda" (in Serbian). Politika. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1854 births
- 1917 deaths
- People from Paraćin
- 19th-century Serbian people
- 20th-century Serbian people
- Serbian soldiers
- Serbian generals
- Royal Serbian Army soldiers
- Government ministers of Serbia
- Defence ministers of Serbia
- Serbian military personnel of the Balkan Wars
- Serbian military personnel of World War I
- Serbian military personnel killed in World War I
- People who died at sea
- Burials at Belgrade New Cemetery