Kosta Protić

Kosta Protić (Коста Протић; 29 September 1831 – 4 June 1892) was the first Serbian General and the Chief of the Serbian General Staff.

Biography
During the Herzegovinian Uprising in 1875, Kosta Protić was sent by the Serbian government to Russia to investigate the possibilities for a war loan. Ivan Aksakov received Protić, instructed him and gave him letters of recommendation to the right persons in Saint Petersburg; moreover, since Aksakov's wife was a former lady-in-waiting with connections at the court, she introduced Protić to the empress Maria Alexandrovna and to the heir, the future Alexander III of Russia. The two were in favor of helping the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina rid themselves of the Turks, more so than their government. Through their intercession public subscription for a loan was authorized by the tsar.

Protić served as a military officer during the Serbian-Ottoman War (1876-1877) and the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). He served as the Chief of the Serbian General Staff during the Russo-Turkish War. He later briefly served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia during 1889. Upon the abdication of King Milan, Protić was appointed to a Regency council with Jovan Ristić and Jovan Belimarković for the underage Alexander I, on which he served until his death.

Honors

 * Domestic
 * Order of the White Eagle
 * Order of the Cross of Takovo with swords, First and Second class
 * Order of the Cross of Takovo, Third class
 * Medal for Zealous Service, Gold with diamonds
 * Commemorative Medal for the War of 1876–1878
 * Commemorative Medal for the Serbian-Bulgarian War of 1885


 * Foreign
 * Order of St. Stanislaus, First class (Russia)
 * Order of St. Anna, Second class (Russia)
 * Order of the Crown of Romania, with a star (Romania)
 * Order of the Star of Romania (Romania)
 * Military Virtue Medal (Romania)
 * Order of the Iron Crown, Third class (Austria-Hungary)