Radomir Putnik (January 24,1847–May 17, 1917) was a Serbian general and chief of general staff in the Balkan Wars and the First World War, and took part in all wars that Serbia waged from 1876 to 1917.

Putnik was born in Kragujevac, Serbia. After attending an artillery school, Putnik was commissioned in 1866. He graduated from the staff college in 1889 and became a general in 1903. In 1906 Putnik was appointed King Peter's Minister of War, in which capacity he oversaw Serbia's role in both Balkan Wars of 1912-13, from which Serbia emerged with her territory doubled in size, while simultaneously modernising the army. On December 24th, 1912 Minister of War Radomir Putnik issues a decree establishing Serbian Aviation Command, this day is the service holiday now.

After the first Serbian victory in Balkan wars in the Battle of Kumanovo in 1912 Putnik was promoted to the rank of Vojvoda (Field Marshal), the first person to be promoted to that rank in the Serbian army. Together with colonel Živojin Mišić he was responsible for planning Serbian army's actions in the Balkan wars and the First World War.

For Radomir Putnik, the Chief General Staff, the First World War began in rather unfortunate circumstances that caused no small amount of amusement in diplomatic circles in August 1914. His health having suffered as a result of the Second Balkan War (1913), Putnik had elected to take the waters at an Austrian spa and was interned there on July, 25th by the Austro-Hungarian authorities, just before the Austria-Hungary declared the war against Serbia on July 28. Detention ended on July, 26th when Vienna released Putnik and dispatched him by special train to Orsova to recross the Danube.

Once Putnik had managed to return to Serbia from Austria-Hungary in August 1914, still somewhat frail, he set about organising Serbia's defence against the Austro-Hungarian onslaught led by Oscar Potiorek . Putnik, victorious at Cer Mountain (August 15-20) and Sabac (August 21-24), assaulted the Austrian bridgeheads in the Battle of the Drina on September 8th. He was successful in all respects, ensuring that Austrian forces were in fact entirely expelled from Serbian territory.

Such a situation could not be expected to last, however. Austria-Hungary's renewed invasion, launched on November 5th 1915 with the aid of German and Bulgarian troops and led by the renowned German general August von Mackensen, succeeded in driving the Serbian army across the wintry mountains of Albania to Corfu. Putnik himself, deeply ill, had to be carried the entire distance in a sedan chair. Reaching the Albanian port of Scutari on 7 December 1915 Putnik was relieved of command by Field Marshal Živojin Mišić.

After reorganizing the Serbian army on Corfu in the beginning of 1916, physically weak Field Marshal Putnik was sent to a French military resort in Nice where he died on May 17th 1917 in 70 years of age. His remains were ceremonially transferred to the New Cemetery in Belgrade in 1926.

Field Marshal Radomir Putnik had not only been a glorious army leader, but also was engaged in the theory of military skill. Beside the articles and speeches, he had published Headquarter service, parts I & II and Service in peacetime and service during wartime.

Quote

"The concentration of troops can be done fast and easy, on paper."

Mount Putnik

Mount Putnik in Canada, located north of Three Isle Creek and west of the Kananaskis River in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park , is named after the Serbian Field Marshall