František Zach

Who was František Zach?

František Aleksandr Zach was a Czech-born soldier and military theorist, best known for being the first acting General and Chief of the General Staff to the Principality of Serbia from 1876 to 1877.

Zach was known for being a flamboyant freedom fighter and Pan-Slavist, fighting in both the November Uprising in Poland of 1830, as well as in Serbia during the latter half of the 19th century. He played a vital role in the formation of the Načertanije in 1844, which later served as a guideline for the unification of Serbs divided by Ottoman and Austria-Hungary rule.