Fighting two wars: the Serbian Army Medical Corps and malaria on the Salonika front

Abstract

This thesis examines the efforts of the Serbian Army Medical Corps to combat and control malaria on the Salonika front. It also focuses on the efficacy of both prophylactic and therapeutic approaches, as well as alternative measures such as mosquito destruction. The research fills a significant gap in the literature on malaria among Serbian troops during the Macedonian campaign of the First World War. Existing secondary sources often address malaria broadly or focus narrowly on certain aspects of the Serbian Army’s experience, primarily the Šumadija and Timok Divisions, leaving other divisions underrepresented. This thesis examines the predominant focus on malaria cases among the Šumadija and Timok Divisions of the Second Serbian Army in existing literature. It investigates the reasons for this selective focus in the historiography and highlights its broader implications. Using primary sources—including writings, accounts, and reports by Serbian Army doctors and officers directly involved in malaria prevention and treatment—this research contextualizes their efforts within the broader framework of Allied antimalarial strategies. Through a comparative perspective, it offers new insights into the challenges faced, approaches adopted, and results achieved in combating one of the most persistent health crises on the Salonika front.