Аbout the Military Academy

History of the Military Academy

There were more attempts at founding a higher military school in the Principality of Serbia since it gained its autonomy from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. In December 1837, the Military Academy started its work, but only after six months the school stopped working. A few years later, Ilija Garašanin, who was in charge of the Garrison Army, suggested that the Artillery School should be established and thus the military readiness of the Principality of Serbia improved. The State Council adopted that proposal, and Prince Aleksandar Karadjordjević approved it on 18 March, 1850. The Artillery School is the first military higher education institution in Serbia, whose tradition is preserved by the Military Academy in Belgrade today.

After the Serbian-Turkish wars of 1876-1878, at the Berlin Congress in 1878, the Principality of Serbia was internationally recognized as an independent and sovereign state. War experiences and the enlargement of the state territory imposed the need for the reorganization of the Artillery School. The Minister of War, General Staff Lieutenant Colonel Jovan Mišković, appointed a commission that prepared “The Draft on the Organization of the Military Academy”. The National Assembly adopted “The Act on the Organization of the Military Academy” and Prince Milan Obrenović approved it on 30 January, 1880.
The Military Academy kept working until the Balkan Wars, in 1912. The work of the Military Academy was also interrupted during the First World War, and then, once again, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, due to the outbreak of the April War in 1941.

During the Second World War, by the decision of the Supreme Staff of the People's Liberation Army and the Partisan detachments of Yugoslavia on 21 November, 1944, the Military Academy of the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia was founded. The two-year education and training started in February 1945. By the Decree of the Yugoslav Army General Staff of 31 July, 1945, the Military Academy stopped working as the general military academy and it was decided that the cadets continue their education and training in special military education institutions divided by arms/branches. Until September 1945, military education institutions were formed, and the teaching process started in November 1945. In 15 military education institutions, located on the entire territory of the Democratic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the training lasted from 14 months to 2 years. The tradition of the Military Academy was continued by the Infantry Military Education Institution. In 1949, the education and training at the Infantry Military Education Institution was extended from two to three years. After that, the name the Infantry Military Education Institution was changed to the School for Active Infantry Officers, and then to the School for Active Officers. Finally, in 1952, the School was renamed the Military Academy of the Yugoslav National Army. The Military Academy of the Yugoslav National Army trained officers of all branches of the Land Forces. In order to make the name more appropriate to the purpose, the Military Academy of the Yugoslav National Army was renamed the Military Academy of the Land Forces in 1964.
In 1966, the education and training at the Military Academy of the Land Forces was extended from three to four years. Along with the Military Academy of the Land Forces, other military academies of armed services, branches and services were also developed. Until the outbreak of the civil war on the territory of the former SFR Yugoslavia, military academies worked without major changes in organization. From 1991, the branch officers were educated and trained at the Military Academy, and the service officers at the Military Technical Academy. Since 2006, the integrated Military Academy, intended for the education and training of officers for the needs of all branches and services, has been located at Banjica, in Belgrade.

The Military Academy is a higher education and scientific research institution that has been a historical record of our people and a strategic component of the strength of the Serbian state for the last 170 years. Striving to educate true elite of knowledge and abilities ready to persist and sacrifice, the Military Academy, as one of the oldest pillars of the education in the Republic of Serbia, constantly develops and improves study programmes. The education and training of officers for the needs of the defence system of the Republic of Serbia keep up with the development of contemporary military thought and modern technological achievements, adapting everything to the historical determinant embodied in freedom and determination to last and survive at this geostrategic crossroads.

The Military Academy is part of the higher education system of the Republic of Serbia, with the accredited study programmes for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies. The education and training at the Military Academy is a complex process that includes both education and military training of future officers. There are two high schools within the structure of the Military Academy: the Military High School and the Military Vocational School and most students from those two schools enrol in the MA and present high-quality students educated according to the high school syllabus. The MA study programmes are designed to provide cadets, future officers, with all the necessary knowledge and skills that enable them to become commanders and heads of commands, units and institutions of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, so they can participate in managing the defence system one day. Study programmes ensure students acquire the necessary academic and professional knowledge, provide an appropriate balance between theory and practice, and encourage future officers to develop as individuals.
That is why the Military Academy offers a wide range of subjects: from military history, psychology and sociology, through mathematics, physics, mechanics, electrotechnics, programming and artificial intelligence, to tactics, military topography, weapons system, command and control and many others. The cadets study two foreign languages, and PT classes are combined with one of the martial arts clubs at the MA. The Military Academy, as an accredited scientific research organization, pays much attention to research work of teachers, associates, cadets and students, which is realized through the implementation of basic, developmental and applied research projects in the fields of technological sciences and social sciences and humanities. The goal of scientific research is to improve and modernize military education and training, to solve scientific problems of interest to the defence system of the Republic of Serbia, to improve the competences of teaching and scientific staff and to encourage development of scientific research youth. In addition to scientific research projects funded by the Ministry of Defence, researchers of the Military Academy, together with the colleagues from other faculties and scientific institutes, participate in the development of projects funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, as well as in international projects funded by the European Union.

Whatever changes occur, at all times, the two permanent pillars the Military Academy is based on are properly selected and highly motivated cadets and equally well motivated, consistent and dedicated teachers. Continuously raising standards, making changes and constantly upgrading curricula, introducing numerous new contents and new technologies in the educational process, modernizing the infrastructure and renewing teaching material base ensure future officers have all the prerequisites for acquiring professional knowledge that will enable them to work on their assigned positions in the Serbian Armed Forces in all three missions, which the Military Academy sets as its priority. On the premises of the Military Academy, you can find those who love Serbia above all, as it is the place where the seed of future success and victories is planted.
Honour is our property and knowledge is our weapon and virtue.