Who Was Milunka Savic, The Serbian Soldier Who Replaced Her Brother In The First Balkan War?

According to Britannica, the Balkan Wars occurred in 1912 and 1913. The First Balkan War saw Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro team up against the Ottoman Empire. The Second Balkan War included Serbia and Greece against Bulgaria. The aftermath was a strained relationship between Serbia and Austria-Hungary over Serbia's claims on Albania. In 1914, a Serb assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This sparked the outbreak of World War I.

In 1912, the Serbian army called upon Milunka Savić's brother to join the war effort. Her brother's poor health inspired Savić to pose as a man and serve in his place. Just as in the Disney version of "Mulan," Savić cut her hair and dressed in men's clothes. She was not the only woman to fight in wars of the early 20th century, but many were forced to quit if others discovered their true gender (per All That's Interesting).

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