Vojin Popović

Vojin Popović
Vojvoda Popović
Born	1881
Died	November 29, 1916(1916-11-29)
Place of birth	Sjenica
Place of death	Kajmakčalan
Allegiance	Kingdom of Serbia
Years of service	1901-1916†
Rank	Voivode (Duke) second lieutenant
Unit	Volunteer unit
Battles/wars	Macedonian Struggle Balkan Wars World War I Battle of Kajmakcalan†

Vojin Popović, known as Vojvoda Vuk (Serbian language: Војин Поповић, војвода Вук; 9 December 1881 - 29 November 1916), was a Serbian voivode (military commander), that fought for the Macedonian Serb Chetniks (i.e. komiti) in the struggle for Macedonia, and then the national army in the Balkan Wars and World War I.

Life

Monument, in Belgrade.

Early

Vojin was born on 9 December 1881, in Sjenica, in southwestern Serbia. Shortly after his birth, the family moves to Kragujevac, where Vojin attended school. He chose a career in the military. On 3 November 1901, he became second lieutenant. He was among the first cheta (bands, 'čete') heading for Old Serbia, i.e. Makedonia (1905).

Macedonia

Reportedly, he was involved in religious persecutions and violent serbianisation in Macedonia, during the Balkan Wars:

At Veles — the first object of Servian pretensions "beyond the frontier" agreed upon by the treaty — we find the same methods employed and the same stages in the process of Serbization. The name of the captain of the legalized band who chased the successor of Archbishop Meletius from Veles on February 4/17 after the usual savage scene, was Voino Popovits, and that of his assistant, Douchane Dimitrievits. An interim, lasting down to the turn of Meletius on March 28/April 10, was employed in seizing the Bulgarian monasteries and churches in the town.

— Report of the International Commission on the Balkan Wars

The name has been also been connected in the late 20th century to an unidentified English mercenary.

World War I

He died during the Battle of Kajmakcalan in World War I.