The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Predrag Markovic, today attended events to mark the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Bratacic and the unveiling of a memorial in the village in the vicinity of Osecina.

At the invitation of the President of the Osecina Municipality, Milan Simic, Mr Markovic laid a wreath at the memorial, and then addressed the villagers and municipal officials present.

Markovic underlined that the day was devoted to honouring fighters whose sacrifice made possible the events of 1806, the year of victory, and the key year for Serbia’s nationhood.

Reiterating that there were no ‘large and small battles’, Markovic asked his audience whether the insurgents could have known, 200 years ago, that the Battle of Bratacic would make possible the great victory in the Battle of Misar, thereby making 1806 the crucial year for Serbia’s future history. They could have known, he went on to say, as ‘Karadjordje’s men, and both Obrenovics, arrived to help; when different people and options join forces in Serbia, its victorious road towards Europe begins’, the Assembly Chairman emphasised.

The Battle of Bratacic was fought days before the Batle of Misar. Among those who took part in it were Vicar Mateja Nenadovic, Lazar Mutan, Jovan Kursula, and Milan and Milos Obrenovic. The men of Podgora were commanded by village elder Milic Kadic and captain Mihailo Nedic, while the Kolubara and Tamnava force was led by Milovan Grbovic and village elder Peja Jankovic, who was killed in the battle.

Historians agree that, if the Turkish force commanded by Haji-Bey of Srebrenica had not been defeated at Bratacic, the outcome of the Battle of Misar would have been in doubt. The Battle of Bratacic ended with a defeat for the Turks, which made it possible for Serbia’s leader, Karadjordje, to triumph at Misar – the battle considered the greatest and most glorious victory of the entire Serbian war of independence, fought from 1804 to 1813.