Peko Dapčević

Peko Dapčević
Dapčević in 1953
Birth name	Petar Dapčević
Nickname(s)	Peko
Born	(1913-06-25)25 June 1913 Cetinje, Montenegro
Died	13 February 1999(1999-02-13) (aged 85) Belgrade, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
Allegiance	International Brigades Yugoslav Partisans Yugoslav People's Army
Years of service	1937–1939 1941–1955
Rank	Colonel general
Unit	XV International Brigade 1st Proletarian Corps First Yugoslav Army
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II
Awards	Order of Freedom Order of the People's Hero Order of the Hero of Socialist Labour Order of National Liberation Order of the War Banner Order of Kutuzov, 1st class Order of Suvorov,1st class
Spouse(s)	Milena Dapčević

Petar "Peko" Dapčević (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Петар Пеко Дапчевић; 25 June 1913 – 13 February 1999) was a Yugoslav communist who fought as a volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, joined the Partisan uprising in Montenegro, and became commander of the Yugoslav 1st Proletarian Corps, 1st and 4th Armies.

Dapčević led the Partisan troops that, along with Soviet Red Army under General Vladimir Zhdanov, liberated Belgrade on October 20, 1944. He was the first person to be proclaimed as honorary citizen of Belgrade. He was also among the founders of FK Partizan, the football section of the Partizan Sports Society.

In 1953, Dapčević was named Chief of the Yugoslav General Staff, but was demoted as a result of being indirectly involved in the Milovan Đilas troubles with the party.

Biography

Born in the area of Cetinje known as Ljubotinj, his father Jovan was an Orthodox deacon. He had one sister named Danica who was a public school teacher, and brothers Milutin (an officer in the Royal Yugoslav Army), Dragutin (Major of Yugoslav Armies) and Vlado who was a revolutionary, dissident and anti-revisionist.

Dapčević died at the age of 85 in Belgrade.