Petrit Latifi
According to a report by Dr. W. M Subotisch (Subotic), Director of the Royal Serbian Lunatic Asylum in Belgrade and Secretary of the Serbian Red Cross, mental illness was rare among the soldiers in the Serbian army in 1912-1913, but also in the armies of Greece, Montenegro and Bulgaria. This article intends to critically analyze the report. Among 400,000 Serbian soldiers, only 102 soldiers were treated for psychiatric disorder, suggesting low moral, suppression, numbness and mass rationalization.
From the publication:
“Mental Illness in the Armies of Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro During and as a Result of the Balkan Wars of 1912/13
Reported by Dr. W. M. Subotitsch, Director of the Royal Serbian Asylum for the Insane in Belgrade and Secretary of the Serbian Red Cross.
I. Serbia
Much has been discussed about the medical aspect of the Balkan Wars, especially surgery and infectious diseases. Serbia lost 18,000 soldiers in the field during the war, 29,748 wounded (of whom 2,500 died), and 12,000 from disease, including 4,300 from cholera.
In addition to numerous physical illnesses, mental illness also occurred in the army. During the war, Dr. Subotitsch took over the management of both the asylum for the insane (500 patients, almost no doctors) and a reserve hospital with 1,500 wounded in Belgrade.
Statistics of mentally ill persons treated in Belgrade (November 18, 1912 – November 30, 1913):
Admitted: 7 officers, 6 non-commissioned officers, 84 privates, 2 captured Turks, 8 Albanians – a total of 102 persons (0.250% incidence rate per approximately 400,000 men).
Outcome: 31 recovered, 21 discharged with improved condition, 9 discharged with unimproved condition, 79 discharged, 28 remained.
Recovered: 30.4%; Deaths: 17.6%.
Diagnoses (102 cases): Melancholia (14), mania (48), postfebril states, follia hallucinatoria, alcoholism, dementia praecox, dementia paralytica, epilepsy, imbecilitas, observation, etc.
Alcoholism was mild.
After deducting chronic illnesses, 74 patients remained: a disease rate of 0.185‰.
Causes of death: tuberculosis, pachimeningitis, typhus abdominalis, marasmus/inanition.
Average duration of illness: 50.6 days.
Most cases did not occur in combat, but rather after wounds or infections (e.g., typhus, malaria, influenza, cholera) or after returning home. Only 9 affected individuals were slightly wounded. Some reported sudden bouts of confusion. Two soldiers became mentally ill during transport home; one died, the other, suffering from epilepsy, remained critically ill. Another shot his brother in a state of confusion after contracting influenza – he later recovered.
Treatment included bed rest, continuous baths, sedatives, good food, and nursing care. The Serbian Red Cross provided comprehensive assistance and support to the patients and their families.
II. Bulgaria
Thanks to Dr. St. Danadschieff from Sofia:
Total cases: 165 (officers, non-commissioned officers, privates).
Army size: approx. 500,000 men → Infection rate 0.33‰.
Outcome: Recovery rate 39%, death rate 8%.
III. Greece
Report by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Catsaras, Athens:
A total of 29 cases were treated at his university and in institutions in Athens and Corfu.
Estimated army: 300,000 men → Infection rate 0.097‰.
IV. Montenegro
According to Dr. Perazic of the Royal Court, only 5 soldiers were affected (one with a head injury), in an army of 50,000 men → Infection rate 0.10‰.
Overview
Country Army Size Mental Illness Rate (‰)
Serbia approx. 400,000 102 0.250
Bulgaria approx. 500,000 165 0.33
Greece approx. 300,000 29 0.097
Montenegro approx. 50,000 5 0.10
Total 1,250,000 301 0.250″
End of publication.
Discussion
Statistically, 37% of all Serbian soldiers in the army committed atrocities against Albanians, meaning that around 150,000 Serb soldiers participated in war crimes. The fact that so few among the soldiers were treated for mental illness suggests:
High morale and justification; Many soldiers may have perceived the violence as justified or necessary due to prevailing nationalist, anti-Ottoman, or anti-Muslim ideologies.
Propaganda, religious framing, and group dynamics could have fostered moral disengagement, reducing guilt.
Emotional numbness or suppression; Exposure to extreme violence could have led to emotional blunting, not full psychiatric breakdowns.
Some may have dissociated or suppressed trauma without formal symptoms.
Underreporting and cultural factors: psychiatric illness may have been underdiagnosed due to stigma, lack of understanding, or poor medical coverage.
Balkan cultural norms of the time often prized stoicism and toughness.
Low moral awareness: If empathy toward Albanian civilians was very low, even mass violence might not have caused psychological distress—suggesting a breakdown of moral conscience rather than resilience.
Reference
Balkan Academia 