Summary/Abstract: The First World War meant unprecedented challenges for each of the involved states. The demands of the front exhausted the resources of many smaller and unindustrialized countries quite soon. The Serbian army entered into the war with already used and damaged equipment, thus it was already in august of 1914 dependant from the shipments of the materials sent from abroad. France and Russia were the main suppliers of ammunition, food and uniforms. They also sent some of the more modern military equipment including heavy artillery and naval mines, all accompanied by the personal necessary for the usage of these weapons. Consequently, the Russian assistance was not only significant for the pure prolongation of the Serbian war efforts, but it represented, in several aspects, the modernization of the two most technical branches of the Serbian army: artillery and engineer core. As most of the Russian specialists in Serbia were positioned at the Belgrade front, the pick of their battle experiences in the Balkans came with the attack of the Austro-Hungarian and German units in October of 1915. During the subsequent and constant clashes most of the Russian units were destroyed or severely diminished. Nevertheless, their remnants continued to support the fighting of the retreating Serbian army right until the arrival on the Adriatic coast.
