General Božidar P. Terzić 1867-1939

Preserving the memory of Minister of War and Army General Božidar Terzić, a famous local benefactor and great military leader, the Museum of the Rudnik-Takovo Region has prepared an exhibition dedicated to this famous general from Gornji Milanovac, which follows his life, both public and private. The audience will have the opportunity to see numerous photographs, books, as well as personal items of the famous general. The authors of the exhibition, which has been a guest in numerous institutions in the country and abroad, are the curators of the Museum of the Rudnik-Takovo Region, Irena Mandić and Aleksandar Marušić. At the opening of the exhibition, about the rich military life and work of the benefactor General Božidar P. Terzić, a lecture will be given by Aleksandar Marušić, director of the Museum of the Rudnik-Takovo Region and one of the authors of the exhibition. During the realization of this project, the funds of the Military Museum, the Historical Museum of Serbia, the National Museum Čačak, the Archives of Serbia, the Archives of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Military Archives, the Center for Military Scientific Documentation, Information and Librarianship, as well as items owned by individuals were used. The most significant period in Božidar Terzić’s military career, without any doubt, was his participation in the liberation wars of Serbia. As the commander of the Šumadija Division of the 1st call, he achieved decisive victories on Drenko and Rajčanski Rid, which directly decided the outcome of the Second Balkan War. During the first two years of World War II, at the head of his unit, he participated in the most important operations of the Serbian army, and with the reconstruction of Nikola Pašić’s cabinet on December 6th, 1915, he was appointed Minister of War. He performed this very delicate function until 1918, when he was elected an extraordinary envoy to the People’s Council in Sarajevo, with the task of regulating the war and other issues on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ie Dalmatia. Two years earlier, due to his demonstrated abilities in performing responsible duties, he was promoted to the rank of general. After the end of the war, as the commander of the 3rd Army District, he participated in the suppression of the Arnaut uprisings and the suppression of Bulgarian propaganda in Southern Serbia. He retired for the first time at his own request in the spring of 1920, only to return to service three years later, earning the rank of army general. Finally, on April 11th, 1929, he retired from the position of commander of the 5th Army District.