I was put in charge, made a general, and sent into Serbia, where, by dint of my own ingenuity, we served honorably but did not kill a soul. And that, believe me, is very hard with the Serbs, because they are very ingenious themselves, and they have a passion for martyrdom. I've been a field marshal for two years. I have so many medals that when I wear them I look like a window in a junk shop.
The narrator reflects on his experience as a general in Serbia, emphasizing his cleverness and the unique challenge of not resorting to violence despite the combatant nature of the Serbs. He highlights the difficulty of maintaining peace in a region where the people have a tradition of martyrdom and ingenuity, suggesting that his restraint was noteworthy and perhaps even counterintuitive in such a scenario. His role required a balance between military...
