An anti-partisan offensive was the first major military operation on the Yugoslav front of the Second World War, conducted by one of the seven major Wehrmacht operations in Yugoslavia. The first anti-partisan operation was carried out by German troops with the support of Croatian and Serbian collaborators against the first “free” territory of the Yugoslavian partisans called the Uzicka Republic.
At the initial stage of the operation, the Yugoslav partisans were supported by the Chetniks. However, after November 1, the parties could not find a common language, and the Chetniks attacked the headquarters of the partisans in Uzice. After that, they became opponents. The fighting took place in the area of the modern Serbian-Bosnian border in the territory of occupied Yugoslavia. The operation ended with the defeat of the partisans and the liquidation of the Uzicka Republic.
Prerequisites
The first partisan detachment in Yugoslavia was formed on June 22, 1941, near the city of Sisak. After that, armed detachments formed in various parts of occupied Yugoslavia to fight the invaders and their allies. On July 4, 1941, the leadership of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia decided to launch a national uprising.
On July 7, 1941, armed formations of Yugoslav communists launched an uprising in the north-west of Serbia in the region of Uzice and Sabac. The insurrection was a success, and the partisans managed to liberate the territory in the area of Uzice. After that, the partisans expanded the area of the liberated territories where the new Republic had been created. German troops in the region could not stop the expansion, and as a result it was decided to resort to the help of Yugoslav collaborators.
At the same time, watching the successful armed struggle of Communists with the invaders, the Serbian Chetnick troops could not remain aloof from this struggle. On September 12, 1941, the Chetniks took positions alongside the partisans. After that, in mid-September, the main headquarters of the Yugoslav partisans, led by Tito, moved from Belgrade to Uzice. In addition, in the territory of the Uzicka Republic, began the formation of organs of the new government.
On September 25, the leader of Chetniks, Mikhailovich, and the commander of the partisans, Tito, met to negotiate an alliance between Chetniks and partisans. However, the parties could not reach an agreement. Tito insisted on the beginning of a general national uprising, while Mikhailovich spoke out against the start of large-scale military operations, as this could cause repression of civilians by the occupiers.
The German Reaction
Simultaneously with the fighting in Serbia, on September 16, 1941, Field Marshal Keitel issued an order to all the occupied territories: for every wounded German soldier. kill 50 hostages, and for every one killed – 100. After this, the German command took the most radical measures in order to restore order in occupied Yugoslavia. The Commander of the Wehrmacht forces in Serbia, Franz Böhme, stated that he was ready to consider the entire population of Serbia as the enemy, including civilians.
On orders from Böhme: all communists, suspicious male residents, all Jews without exception, as well as democratically and nationalistically-minded residents; were subject to arrest as hostages. Subsequently, mass executions of Serbs, Serbian Jews, and Gypsies took place. In addition, Böhme ordered the killing of hostages, not only for attacks on German soldiers, but also for attacks on servicemen of the allied Bulgarian army, civilians of German nationality, and Serbian collaborators.
Offensive
In order to destroy the “free territory” of the partisans, the German command on September 29, 1941, began the first anti-partisan offensive. After German forces invaded the territory controlled by the partisans, fierce fighting ensued. Especially furious partisan resistance occurred at Kraljevo, Obrenovac, Kragujevac and in the Rudnik Mountains. Between September 29 and November 20, German forces and collaborators managed to destroy and disperse partisans operating north-east of Loznica, Kragujevac, and Valjevo.
During the anti-guerrilla operation, German troops committed a large number of war crimes. In the Macvanski District, more than 1,000 people were shot, and more than 22,000 were sent to concentration camps. German troops burned many villages in the area of Kruppani. From September 21 to September 23 in Kragujevac, the Germans shot 7,000 hostages in retaliation for the killed German soldiers.
In mid-November, German troops, with the support of collaborators, successfully developed an offensive on Uzice from the north and east. The detachments of partisans hastily retreated. On November 25, the last phase of the offensive began. At the same time, Tito and Mikhailovich had a telephone conversation. Tito said that the partisans will remain in their positions, and Mikhailovich that the Chetniks will retreat. At the final stage of the operation, the partisans suffered heavy losses and were forced to retreat from the territory of the Uzicka Republic in the direction of Sandzak. By December 1, the German troops occupied almost the entire territory of the Uzicka Republic.
Effects
The partisans and Chetniks were defeated, and the Uzicka Republic was destroyed. Inexperienced fighters could not resist the regular German troops alongside collaborators. After the retreat, the partisan formations set off for Sandzak, the Italian zone of occupation. Conditions of retreat were desparate, and many partisan detachments were scattered or destroyed. After the transfer of the main forces to Sandzak, only five partisan detachments operated in Serbia. Despite all of this, Tito and Mikhailovich still did not agree on the joint struggle. In fact, a bloody civil war began between the Communists and the nationalists.