On the sexual front

Beograd, Cetinje and Lublin under Austro-Hungarian Occupation during World War I

Abstract

Austria-Hungary occupied Serbia (1915-1918) and Montenegro (1916-1918) during the First World War. This article explores the attitude of the occupiers towards prostitution and venereal disease among the indigenous population as well as among their own soldiers, officers, and female support staff. For the military, the occupied areas were zones that served purposes, such as preserving peace and order behind the front, making use of manpower and resources, and serving as cordon sanitaire. Despite this, pseudo-peace-like structures evolved in the capitals Belgrade and Cetinje that facilitated the spread of prostitution and venereal disease. I look at the scale of the debate and of the proposed countermeasures. The topic also received publicity, because the military physicians chose to publish regularly on the topic. Based on the microcosm of occupied enemy territory, my contribution shows how ideas of morality changed during the war despite traditional gender stereotypes, and the role played by the military in these developments.