 The battle ended in a decisive Serbian victory . A directive issued by the Serbian Supreme Command on 16 December reported : " The recapture of Belgrade marks the successful end of a great and magnificent period in our operations . The enemy is beaten , dispersed , defeated and expelled from our territory once and for all . " Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf , the Austro @-@ Hungarian Chief of the General Staff , attributed the defeat to a Serbian " thunder bolt from the south " . The battle did not achieve any of Austria @-@ Hungary 's objectives : it failed to knock Serbia out of the war , it failed to induce Bulgaria to join the Central Powers and it failed to convince Romania to stay neutral . Austro @-@ Hungarian historians concluded after the battle that defeat by Serbia constituted " a serious diminution in the Dual Monarchy 's prestige and self @-@ confidence " . The battle , like the Battle of Cer before it , drew considerable attention to Serbia and many foreigners came to the country in late 1914 to offer political and humanitarian aid or to fight alongside the Serbian Army . German publicist Maximilian Harden wrote : " Serbia has risen from its grave on the field of Kosovo . From the source of the Kolubara River it will draw courage for the greatest battles of the whole century . " 
