The Partisan–Chetnik War was an armed conflict between the communist Yugoslav Partisans and the monarchist Chetniks which lasted from 1941 (after the end of the Chetnik Partisan Alliance during the Serbian Uprising in the Second World War) until 1945 (the end of the Second World War in Yugoslavia).[1]
Background
editBefore the start of hostilities, the Partisans and Chetniks launched an armed uprising against Nazi-occupied Serbia after an incident in the town of Bela Crkva.
This uprising was remarkable as it created the first free territory in all of Europe during the Second World War and the first liberated city in the Second World War. At the beginning of the uprising, Chetnik-Partisan collaboration was an undeniable reason for the initial success of the uprising. This is why many historians consider this conflict a brotherly war. The most significant Chetnik-Partisan victories were in Užice, Loznica, Banja Koviljača, and Krupanj.[2]
This joint action would be the primary reason for the establishment of the Užice Republic.[3]
The civil war in Serbia
editPrior tensions and the first days of the conflict
editEven though the Chetnik-Partisan war directly started at the beginning of November, tensions were already high as of November 27 when Tito and Mihajlović met in Brajići to discuss the future of the anti-fascist struggle and to resolve the ideological differences between the Communists and Chetniks. These negotiations failed, and Chetnik-Partisan relations would never be the same again.
Just a day later, on the night of November 28, a Partisan commander named "Španac" was ambushed and killed by a Chetnik detachment under Vučka Ignjatović. On the same day, Draža's men met with Jozef Matl and established contact with Nedić and the German Army. Two days before the incident in Trešnjica, as a reprisal for the death of Španac (or just complications on the battlefield), Chetnik positions near Užice were attacked by Partisans. Due to this, the Chetniks launched an attack on Trešnjica (5 km from Užice) and failed. After this battle, the Chetniks withdrew from Kraljevo and marched on Požega.
On November 4, the Chetniks ambushed the Partisans near Samaile, resulting in the death of Partisan commander Srećko Nikolić. Tensions near Čačak escalated, culminating in the Partisans declaring Bogdan Marijanović (leader of the Čačak Chetniks) a traitor and sentencing him to death.
On November 6, the Chetniks under Radoslav Đurić sent an ultimatum to the Partisans, demanding the dissolution of the "People's Liberation Front" (Partisans). The Partisans denied this ultimatum, and at 6 p.m., the Chetniks attacked Čačak. The attack lasted two days and resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. The Chetniks also planned to attack the Partisans in Gornji Milanovac and Guča, but these attacks did not happen due to the Chetniks' unwillingness to proceed.[1][4]
Expansion of the conflict
editOn 11 November, in a village near Valjevo, Draža Mihailović held talks with members of the German Wehrmacht. He claimed that he would attack the Partisans but would not support German attacks. Unaware of these secret talks, the British continued supporting Draža. On 14 November, Radio London declared that Draža was the only legitimate Yugoslav revolutionary. Meanwhile, major fighting between the Partisans and Chetniks began on 13 November at Ravna Gora. This battle lasted until 20 November and resulted in a Chetnik defeat, leading to a temporary ceasefire. Later, Chetnik delegates offered to place the Partisans under Mihailović's command, but the Partisans rejected this offer. In the territories they controlled, the communists began disarming average civilians. Here is what Draža had to say on that issue:
The Partisans took the weapons from individuals, beliving that those arms are national property , while i belived that it was the property of every individual.[5] — Draža Mihailović
At 12 o'clock on 21 November, the ceasefire agreed upon by Chetnik and Partisan forces after the battle at Ravna Gora was enacted. This ceasefire was celebrated by Chetnik commander Dragiša Vasić, who believed it would save the Chetniks as a movement.
The fall of the Free Territory
editBy mid-November, the Germans began their grand attack on the Free Territory of Užice. The Germans attacked both the Partisans and Chetniks despite the fact that the Chetniks held talks with the Germans on the 11th. These talks failed to reach an agreement, and the Nazis even tried to arrest Mihajlović. The German offensive was supported by the forces of Dimitrije Ljotić and Kosta Pećanac. By the second half of November, the final phase of the offensive was in action. Both the Chetniks and Partisans were overrun during this offensive. Tito and Mihajlović had their last phone call during this time, in which Tito announced that he would defend his positions, while Mihajlović said he would disperse. During the second phase of the offensive, the Partisans lost multiple cities. They withdrew from Užice on November 29 and began their retreat to Sandžak. Small groups of Partisans were left in western Serbia and Sandžak, but they were liquidated by 1942.
Course of the war
editChetnik Collaboration with the Axis
editBattle of Serbia
editEnd of the War
editAftermath
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Tomasevich, Jozo (1975). The Chetniks. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-0857-9.
- ^ Pajić, S. (2015-11-28). "Decenijama palio sveću zaboravljenom heroju". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2024-06-23.
- ^ Минић, Милош (1993). Ослободилачки или Грађански рат у Југославији 1941-1945 (in Serbian). Агенција "Мир". ISBN 978-86-82295-01-3.
- ^ Narodni Heroji Jugoslavije. 1993.
- ^ Миодраг Зечевић: ДОКУМЕНТА СА СУЂЕЊА ДРАЖИ МИХАИЛОВИЋУ, Београд 2001: Завршна реч оптуженог Драгољуба Михаиловића[permanent dead link]