| Revision as of 12:50, 10 July 2004 editJoy (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators144,166 edits restored note on crimes against partisan supporters et al← Previous edit | Revision as of 13:11, 10 July 2004 edit undoJoy (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators144,166 edits info from http://www.suc.org/culture/history/Draza_Mihailovich/ and http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwtwo/partisan_fighters_04.shtmlNext edit → | ||
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| Before the ] Michajlovich was a ] diplomat. After the Yugoslavian defeat in April ] he joined the government in exile in ] |
Before the ] Michajlovich was a ] diplomat. After the Yugoslavian defeat in April ] he joined the government in exile in ]. Soon afterwards he was sent back to the occupied country in order to organize anti-nazi partisan army, the ], arriving at ] in ] on ]. | ||
| The first Chetnik formations led by Mihailović were recorded around |
The first Chetnik formations led by Mihailović were recorded around Ravna Gora on ]th, making them the first organized resistance against the Nazi occupiers in Yugoslavia. The goal of Mihailović's Chetniks was the liberation of the country from the fascists forces which included the forces of ], ] and ] (the fascist regime of ]). | ||
| The British ] were being sent to aid Mihailović's forces beginning with the autumn of 1941. Mihailović rose in rank, becoming the Minister of War of the exile government in ], ] and General and Deputy Commander-in-Chief on ] the same year. | |||
| However, they also committed ] against people who supported the Communist partisans, notably groups of ]. By ], they resorted to collaboration with the Germans in order to fight against the communist partisans of ] and their supporters. In ], after insistence from ], he lost support of the ] and ]. | |||
| In late 1941, he attempted to sign a truce with the Germans and offer to fight the partisans, but the offer was declined. The Chetniks were forced to move to eastern Bosnia where they engaged in heavy combat with the Ustase, resulting in several incidents of ] against people who supported the other faction. A notable incident happened in ] where a large group of ] (est. over 2,000) was subject to mass rape and murder at the hand of the Chetnik forces. | |||
| ⚫ | After the war |
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| The collaboration of the Chetniks with the Italians and against the Ustase and to an extent the Partisans started in the southern zone by 1942. This was frowned upon by the Allies, particularly ]. In 1943, the Germans decided to pursue the Chetniks in the northern zone, and even offered a reward of 100.000 gold marks for the capture of Mihailović, dead or alive. | |||
| By the end of ], the ] and the ] decided to stop supporting the Chetniks and instead support ]'s Partisans who they deemed to have become the main anti-fascist resistance group in Yugoslavia. | |||
| ⚫ | After the war, he was captured by the Communist government on ], ]. Trialled for ] between June 10 and July 15, he was sentenced to death on July 17th, shot to death and buried in an unmarked grave near ]. His main prosecutor was ], later minister of foreign affairs for the ] government of ] and ethnic ]. His execution was a sticking point in ]-] relations and ] refused to visit Yugoslavia on account of refusing to meet Mihailovich's murderer, ]. | ||
| Although there are rumours that he was also the ] Magazine's ] in ], actually it was ]. Time did feature an article which boasted of Mihailovich's ]' success at one point. | Although there are rumours that he was also the ] Magazine's ] in ], actually it was ]. Time did feature an article which boasted of Mihailovich's ]' success at one point. | ||
Revision as of 13:11, 10 July 2004
Dragoljub "Drazha" Mihailovich (also Draža Mihajlović or Mihailović, Serbian Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић), (1893-1946) was a Serbian general who became a war hero in World War I and who later led the Chetniks during World War II.
Before the World War II Michajlovich was a Yugoslavian diplomat. After the Yugoslavian defeat in April 1941 he joined the government in exile in London. Soon afterwards he was sent back to the occupied country in order to organize anti-nazi partisan army, the Chetniks, arriving at Ravna Gora in Serbia on May 8.
The first Chetnik formations led by Mihailović were recorded around Ravna Gora on June 14th, making them the first organized resistance against the Nazi occupiers in Yugoslavia. The goal of Mihailović's Chetniks was the liberation of the country from the fascists forces which included the forces of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Ustase (the fascist regime of Croatia).
The British Special Operations Executive were being sent to aid Mihailović's forces beginning with the autumn of 1941. Mihailović rose in rank, becoming the Minister of War of the exile government in January 11, 1942 and General and Deputy Commander-in-Chief on June 17 the same year.
In late 1941, he attempted to sign a truce with the Germans and offer to fight the partisans, but the offer was declined. The Chetniks were forced to move to eastern Bosnia where they engaged in heavy combat with the Ustase, resulting in several incidents of war crimes against people who supported the other faction. A notable incident happened in Foča where a large group of Bosnian Muslims (est. over 2,000) was subject to mass rape and murder at the hand of the Chetnik forces.
The collaboration of the Chetniks with the Italians and against the Ustase and to an extent the Partisans started in the southern zone by 1942. This was frowned upon by the Allies, particularly Winston Churchill. In 1943, the Germans decided to pursue the Chetniks in the northern zone, and even offered a reward of 100.000 gold marks for the capture of Mihailović, dead or alive. By the end of 1943, the United Kingdom and the USA decided to stop supporting the Chetniks and instead support Tito's Partisans who they deemed to have become the main anti-fascist resistance group in Yugoslavia.
After the war, he was captured by the Communist government on March 13, 1946. Trialled for high treason between June 10 and July 15, he was sentenced to death on July 17th, shot to death and buried in an unmarked grave near Belgrade. His main prosecutor was Milos Minic, later minister of foreign affairs for the Communist government of Yugoslavia and ethnic Serb. His execution was a sticking point in Franco-Yugoslav relations and Charles de Gaulle refused to visit Yugoslavia on account of refusing to meet Mihailovich's murderer, Tito.
Although there are rumours that he was also the Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1942, actually it was Joseph Stalin. Time did feature an article which boasted of Mihailovich's Chetniks' success at one point.