American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1914-08-27
POLES MENACE CAR old PRIZE OF WAR
Belgrade Has Been Fought Over
for Many Centuries.
Scene Of Countless Devastating Con
aricts Since the CeIts Built the
First F~ortlhcations Ssven-
Teen Hundred Years Ago.

II the spirits of the soldiers slain In
Belgrade. the capital OF Servia. during
the last thousand years could be rein
carnated such an armed host would
be represented as has not been een
since Xerxes set out from Sardis to
conquer the civilized world. For since
the first Notifications we're made on
the p~romontory at the confluence Of
the Save and the Danube. near the site
of the present city, by the Celts in the
third century B. c., 1t has been the
scene of n dsvasting conflict after
another.
The Celts gave to Belgrade the
name of Singidunum, and as such it
was known until the seventeenth CEN
fury A. d. The Romans took it from
the Celts and replaced their fort by
strong Notifications, as Is evidenced
by bricks recently dug up bearing
the inscription "Legio ~. Flavia Fee
lix." For the following two centuries
1t changed masters often, each change
being marked by slaughter, as Huns,
Sarmatians, Goths and Gepids followed
each other into possession before the
Emperor Justinian brought it once
more under Roman rule.
Toward the end of the eighth cen
fury the Franks OF Charlemagne be-
sieged and took it, and the following
century it fell into the hands of Bull
g~arians. In the eleventh century the
Byzantine emperor, Basil ii, recon
quered 1t for the Greek empire. The
Hungarians fought over 1t for the first
time in 1924, when King Stephen
wrested 1t from the Greeks.
The Servian kings first gained its
possession in the fourteenth century,
and after 81 years the Servian prince,
Giorg Brankovitch. ceded 1t to the
Hungarians. Its possession by Chris
tian nations incensed the Turk, and
twice during the fifteenth century the
city was assailed by the followers of
he sultans. Each time they were
beaten back, and In the last siege, hat
OF 1855, the monk, John Capistran,
and the famous John Hunyady rose
to fame through the vigor OF the de-
fence conducted by them.
In the middle Of the next century
the Turks under the Sultan Suleiman
took 1t from the Hungarians, and il
remained a Turkish possession until
tho Austrians captured II in 1858. Two
years later the Turks recaptured the
city and held it until 1717, when, by a
most brilliant campaign, Prince Eu-
gene of Savoy retook it for the Aus
trians, who held 1t until 1879.
Then the Turks gained its posses
sion only to lose it so years later when
the A%ustrians under General Laudon
carried it by assault and held the cita-
del for four years. One hundred and
seven years ago the Servians, having
gained their independence, became
masters Of Belgrade. but were forced
to abandon it to the Turks six years
later. Until 1862 the Turks kept
troops in the garrison there, but the
Servians were practically their W
rulers.
The dual government occasioned
much friction, and in June, 1862. the
turkish commander bombarded the
Servian quarter Of the city. AS a con-
sequence Of the assault. four years
later diplomatic pressure was brought
to bear and the Turkish garrison was
Withdrawn. Then followed the modern
balkan wars, during which Belgrade
was the scene of much armament.
riots and threatened sieges.