World War II Dobroslav Jevđević

1 world war ii

1.1 operation alfa
1.2 case white
1.3 withdrawal

world war ii

jevđević fled budva on montenegrin coast following axis invasion of yugoslavia in april 1941. month, germans , italians created puppet state known independent state of croatia (croatian: nezavisna država hrvatska; ndh), implemented genocidal policies against serbs, jews , romanis. serb population began resist, , jevđević became prominent leader of chetnik uprising against ndh authorities in bosnia , herzegovina in 1941.

he known pro-italian sympathies prior war, , chetnik leader draža mihailović jokingly described him italian likes serbs . jevđević , pre-war chetnik leader ilija trifunović-birčanin sought work italians in belief italian occupation of both bosnia , herzegovina limit ability of ndh carry out anti-serb policies. jevđević reportedly hoped italians allow formation of serbian state of bosnia , herzegovina under protection, more interested in obtaining practical assistance of chetniks in fighting partisans helping him achieve political aims. in summer of 1941, jevđević established links italians, promoting trifunović-birčanin , himself civilian intermediaries eastern bosnian chetniks of jezdimir dangić.

on 20 october 1941, jevđević , trifunović-birčanin met , agreed collaborate head of information division of italian vi corps. in late january 1942, jevđević offered assist italians if occupied bosnia, , organise chetnik detachments work alongside italian units in fight against communist-led partisans. these contacts involved general renzo dalmazzo, commander of italian vi corps, , chetnik leaders stevo rađenović, trifunović-birčanin, dangić , jevđević. in february, jevđević consulted 1 of dangić s supporters, boško todorović, instructed him negotiate new commander of italian second army, mario roatta, arrange withdrawal of ndh , german troops eastern bosnia, replaced exclusively italian administration. both jevđević , todorović impressed dalmazzo influence able exert on eastern bosnian chetniks, todorović killed partisans in herzegovina in late february. influence jevđević had demonstrated when serb nationalist armed groups in goražde , foča districts swung on anti-partisan , pro-italian attitude when informed of jevđević , trifunović-birčanin s ties vi corps headquarters. plans italian expansion eastern bosnia later discussed between jevđević , ndh state secretary vjekoslav vrančić.

dalmazzo urged roatta expand italian links serb nationalist groups alliance them. @ time, italians looking allies restore order, fight partisans, , support political claims ndh territory, , under impression various serb nationalist groups far better organised were. example, roatta under impression jevđević represented herzegovinian chetniks, , aligned dangić. in march, jevđević , trifunović-birčanin told italians in control of chetnik movement, , ready collaborate italians on latter s terms. jevđević sent message dalmazzo explaining herzegovinian chetniks wanted avenge todorović , concentrating around nevesinje ready demonstrate loyalty italians. despite statements, jevđević , trifunović-birčanin faced significant difficulties; serb nationalist groups had yet demonstrate military value italians, , not of armed groups acknowledged leadership.

in spring , summer of 1942, jevđević , trifunović-birčanin regularly toured villages in goražde, kalinovik , foča districts, encouraging local civilians , chetnik detachments behave loyally towards italians. italians unable gain german support plan use chetnik groups auxiliaries during joint italian-german anti-partisan operation trio in april–may. in may, jevđević met german intelligence officers in dubrovnik , asked whether cooperate in pacification of bosnia. mihailović aware of , condoned collaborationist arrangements entered jevđević , trifunović-birčanin. jevđević , trifunović-birčanin met chetnik commander momčilo Đujić in split, , 3 men quarrelled on how divide financial assistance receiving italians.

map showing axis occupation of yugoslavia 1941–43, including demarcation line between german , italian zones

in internal chetnik report of june 1942, jevđević claimed partisan proletarian brigades contained many jews, gypsies , muslims . in july 1942, issued proclamation serbs of eastern bosnia , herzegovina claiming that:

tito, supreme military chief of partisans, croat zagreb. pijade, supreme political chief of partisans, jew. four-fifths of armed partisans supplied them pavelić s croatian army. two-thirds of officers former croatian officers. financing of movement carried out powerful croatian capitalists of zagreb, split, sarajevo , dubrovnik. fifty percent of ustaše responsible massacres of serbs in ranks.

jevđević charged partisans having destroyed serb churches , established mosques, synagogues , catholic temples . in mid-1942, chetniks became aware italians planning largely withdraw significant parts of ndh had been occupying in force time. jevđević , trifunović-birčanin told italians in response this, mihailović considering evacuating serb civilians herzegovina montenegro , moving montenegrin chetniks north meet ustaše, expected unleash new wave of violence on serb civilians. on 22–23 july 1942, mihailović chaired conference jevđević , trifunović-birčanin in avtovac, herzegovina. on second day of conference, jevđević , trifunović-birčanin traveled nearby trebinje conferred herzegovinian chetnik leaders radmilo grđić , milan Šantić. german consulate in sarajevo reported meeting established ultimate goals , immediate strategy of herzegovinian chetniks as:

(1) creation of greater serbia; (2) destruction of partisans; (3) removal of catholics , muslims; (4) non-recognition of croatia; (5) no collaboration germans; , (6) temporary collaboration italians weapons, ammunition , food.

under auspices of italians, chetniks thoroughly ethnically cleansed eastern herzegovina of croats , muslims in july , august 1942. in response massacre of non-serbs in foča in august, jevđević issued proclamation muslims in eastern herzegovina demanding join chetniks in struggle against ustaše. stated: believe in future state muslims have no other choice , accept serb nationality , renounce speculative maneuvering between serb , croat nations, above because lands in muslims live indisputably , inviolably become part of serb state entity. month, roatta contacted jevđević , legalised 3,000 of chetniks, formally authorising them operate in eastern herzegovina.

in autumn of 1942, jevđević took radically different approach other chetnik leaders , spoke in favour of collaborating muslims form muslim chetnik units in fight against ustaše , partisans. favoured such tolerance in areas muslims protected germans, , considered tactical necessity while stressing there can no true unity them . in late september or october 1942, jevđević , chetnik commander petar baćović held talks muslim leader ismet popovac , agreed form muslim chetnik organisation. jevđević urged italian military occupy of bosnia , herzegovina in order end ustaše rule , claimed support of 80 percent of population, consisting of serbs , muslims. @ same time, requested germans grant autonomy bosnia , herzegovina until end of war, citing muslims tested friends of germans both in earlier , in present era . although jevđević attempted recruit muslims while making use of bosnian desire autonomy support alliance occupying axis powers, nothing developed these requests.

operation alfa

towards end of august 1942, mihailović issued directives chetnik units, including operating in ndh such jevđević s forces, ordering them prepare large scale anti-partisan operation alongside italian , ndh troops. in september 1942, aware unable defeat partisans alone, chetniks tried persuade italians undertake large operation against partisans in western bosnia. trifunović-birčanin met roatta on 10 , 21 september , urged him undertake operation possible clear partisans prozor–livno area , offered 7,500 chetniks aid on condition given necessary arms , supplies. successful in obtaining arms , promises of action. proposed operation, faced opposition ustaše leader ante pavelić , cautious italian high command, cancelled, after jevđević , trifunović-birčanin promised cooperate croat , muslim anti-partisan units, went ahead, less chetnik involvement.

in october 1942, jevđević , baćović, 3,000 chetniks herzegovina , southeast bosnia, participated in italian-led operation alfa. involved two-pronged thrust towards town of prozor. german , ndh troops drove north, , italian , chetnik forces pushed neretva river. prozor , smaller towns captured combined italian–chetnik force. individual chetnik bands, acting on own, proceeded burn number of muslim , catholic villages, , killed between 543 , 2,500 non-serbs in prozor area. behaviour angered ndh government , italians had order chetniks withdraw. discharged altogether while others sent northern dalmatia aid Đujić s forces. month after massacre, jevđević , baćović wrote self-critical report on prozor mihailović, hoping distance actions of troops.

case white


jevđević conferring italian officers in february 1943

in meeting roatta in november 1942, jevđević obtained italian agreement legalise 3,000 chetniks , recognition of of eastern herzegovina chetnik zone . in return, chetniks had promise not attack muslim , croat civilians , agreed having italian liaison officer embedded in formations of regiment strength or more. on 15 november 1942, jevđević agreed support italian decision start arming muslim anti-partisan groups. support cost him life when several chetniks, opposed arming of croat , muslim anti-partisan groups italians, visited mostar intention of assassinating him.

by end of 1942, chetnik–italian collaboration routine. chetnik forces included in italian planning case white, major axis anti-partisan offensive launched on 20 january 1943. on 3 january, jevđević participated in axis planning conference case white in rome, along senior german, italian , ndh commanders. plans included 12,000 chetniks under jevđević s command, , on 23 february 1943 concluded agreement germans not cross neretva river , contact between german , chetnik troops avoided. in operation, jevđević concluded agreement cooperation commander of ndh troops in mostar. later in operation jevđević requested, through italians, assistance of 7th ss volunteer mountain division prinz eugen in defending nevesinje, faced severe pressure partisan forces had broken through chetnik lines @ battle of neretva river. although italians made request themselves, germans declined, stating division reserved other tasks.

after death of trifunović-birčanin in february 1943, jevđević, along Đujić, baćović, , radovan ivanišević, vowed italians carry on trifunović-birčanin s policies of closely collaborating them against partisans. italians able exert pressure on jevđević, brother , fiancée interned in italy. mihailović apparently felt jevđević had exceeded authority attending case white planning conference in rome, , indeed, when yugoslav government-in-exile awarded jevđević order of karađorđe s star in 1943 services serb population during ustaše massacres of 1941, mihailović suppressed announcement of award because of nature of jevđević s agreement italians, although reason may have been because aware of chetnik revenge killings of herzegovinian catholics , muslims in response atrocities committed ustaše in croatia. tensions between mihailović , jevđević became apparent mihailović reportedly threatened string [him] nearest tree . in march, jevđević publicly demanded end chetnik killing of croats in herzegovina. in may, benito mussolini gave in german pressure , ordered italian troops co-operate in disarming of chetnik groups. jevđević placed under house arrest.

his house arrest did not last long, in following month, mihailović sent jevđević slovenia report on state of chetnik forces there. jevđević began developing contacts germans prior italian capitulation in september 1943. on 3 september, travelled rome via rijeka , made contact german intelligence services. marked beginning of collaboration germans. following german occupation of ndh territory had been held italians, jevđević moved trieste , stayed @ hotel continental. there, helped organise displaced chetniks , arranged them returned town of opatija. stayed in trieste until january 1944, when relocated opatija chetniks trieste had been placed under command. moved chetniks ilirska bistrica, , collaborated germans until end of war.

withdrawal

in december 1944, jevđević s 3,000 remaining fighters joined Đujić s chetniks, dimitrije ljotić s serbian volunteer corps, , remnants of milan nedić s serbian shock corps, under command of ss-obergruppenführer und general der waffen-ss (ss general) odilo globocnik, higher ss , police leader of adriatic littoral. despite this, attempted contact western allies in italy in effort secure foreign aid proposed anti-communist offensive restore royalist yugoslavia. blessed serbian orthodox bishop nikolaj velimirović upon arrival in slovenia. on 11 april 1945, detachment of jevđević s chetniks, along 3 regiments of serbian volunteer corps, marched south-western croatia aim of linking montenegrin volunteer corps of pavle Đurišić, marching across bosnia in attempt reach slovenia. relief effort came late, because montenegrin volunteer corps had been defeated ndh forces @ battle of lijevče field near banja luka, after Đurišić captured , killed. relief force marched north slovenia, fought partisans before retreating austria. these chetniks subsequently captured allies , repatriated yugoslavia, summarily executed partisans. jevđević remained highly influential among chetniks until end of war.

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