Pavle Jurišić Šturm

Pavle Jurišić Šturm KCMG (Serbian Cyrillic: Павле Јуришић Штурм) (August 8, 1848 – January 14, 1922) was a Serbian general of Sorbian origin who commanded the Serbian 3rd Army in World War I.

Šturm was one of the most important commanders in the Serbian army in the War, especially during its first two years, the time when his 3rd army was main support either for the 2nd army during the battle of Cer, or for the 1st army during the battle of Kolubara.

Life
Paulus Eugen Sturm was born and raised in Görlitz, Prussian Silesia, when the Görlitz region was still part of the homeland of the Lusatian Serbs, called by Germans "Wends" or "Sorbs". His parents were both ethnic Sorbs. He finished the royal Prussian military academy in Breslau (Wrocław) and went to Serbia before the Balkan wars to fight the Ottoman Turks, studying in the Serbian military academy and volunteering in the Serbian Army.

He fell in love with Serbia instantly, marrying a Serbian woman, and changed his name from Paulus to Serbian Pavle, and his last name Sturm to the typical Serbian last name that was modulated translation of his German last name - Sturm, meaning "Storm" in German was translated into Jurišić, with the root of the word "charge" ("juriš" in Serbian). He considered, like most of his countrymen, that Lusatian Sorbs and Balkan Serbs are part of one same nation, divided into different regions and countries centuries ago.

Šturm kept his German last name as an alias. His son, whom he had with his Serbian wife, was a sergeant in the Serbian army who participated in all major battles in the Serbian theater in World War I from Cer and Kolubara, then retreated over frozen Albania, was part of the resurrection of the Serbian army on the island of Corfu and the advance of the Serbian army, breaking the Salonika front.

After years of peace that followed, Šturm stayed in Serbia and remained in its army with the rank of general. He died in 1922 at his home in Belgrade.