Nikodije Arandjelović Kode: Teacher, Warrior, and Sufferer

Abstract

Based on available archival and memoir sources, as well as relevant scholarly literature, this paper examines the complex life trajectory of Nikodije Arandjelović Kode— an intriguing historical figure—from his birth and education, through his participation in the Great War, to his activities during the interwar period and World War II. A particularly valuable source for the study of Nikodije Arandjelović is the documentation from his teaching personnel file, which is used extensively in this research. These materials, combined with Arandjelović’s personal recollections, suggest that he was a respected and esteemed individual, although his historical role still cannot be fully assessed. Nikodije Arandjelović belonged to a generation that had the fortune of surviving the first wartime upheaval, but also the misfortune of experiencing a second one that destroyed their family and profoundly shattered their personality and identity.