Erikslav Boyanov

Erikslav Boyanov (21 March 1895 - 4 May 1946) was Drugokomanprvak of the Balkan League and a leading member of the National Socialist Party in the Balkan League (NSBWP). Boyanov was one of the most powerful men in the Balkan League and one of the people most directly responsible for the start of the Second World War.

Turning of age in 1913, Boyanov joined the 6th Serbian Infantry Regiment serving on the Anatolian front where he won the 1st Class Balkan Cross in 1914 and had an exceptional military career. Boyanov fought on the front for the remainder of the war and following the armistice and subsequent Treaty of Vienna he joined the National Socialist Balkan Worker's Party in 1921. In 1929 he was appointed Drugokomanprvak and Field Marshal of the Balkan League by Visarion Belojević following the NSBWP's takeover of Serbian politics. Over the next 17 years he was Chief of Serbian Police cracking down on communist dissidents and followed Belojević's orders closely helping prepare and shape up the United Balkan Army into a force to be reckoned with. He was known to have very good organisational skills and for selecting highly competent subordinates. Boyanov had a lifelong interest in Slavic paganism, interpreting Slavic neopagan beliefs to promote the slavic racial policy of the Balkan League, and incorporating esoteric symbolism and rituals into the army.

During the Second World War, Boyanov held several commands and led several military campaigns on different continents. He commanded Army Group Anatolia driving it deep into the territory of the Vizantiyan Empire but failed to enforce capitulation where control was later transferred to someone else as he was assigned Army Group North Africa in which he led the successful invasion of the Tulunid Empire, but was recalled in order to be placed in charge of Army Group South in the invasion of Russia. Later he was returned command of Army Group Anatolia which he held until his death in 1946.

Boyanov failed to achieve his objectives in the long run but was in general a successful military commander hindered by a lack of supplies, manpower, and other elements. Realizing that the war was lost in 1946, a conspiracy led by several subordinates of Serbian commanders including Boyanov's attempted to assassinate Visarion Belojevic knowing he would not at any cost capitulate or ask for a white peace. The assassination attempt was to take place when Belojevic was to meet with Boyanov to discuss further military actions in Anatolia. Due to bad weather Belojevic was not to arrive but called Boyanov and instructed him to continue anyway, the conspirators who did not know this and the plot continued, Boyanov, who was not supposed to be harmed took the main seat which was where Belojevic was supposed to be sitting at the time of the explosion he died instantly in the blast with several other subordinates severely injured, two of which died.