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{{Short description|1941 rebellion in Croatia}}
{{distinguish|Serbian Uprising (disambiguation){{!}}Serb Uprising}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Srb uprising
| partof            = [[World War II in Yugoslavia]]
| image             = 
| caption           = 
| date              = 27 July – September 1941
| place             = [[Lika]] and western [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]], [[Independent State of Croatia]]
| map_type          = NDH
| map_relief        = 
| coordinates       = {{coord|44.371355|16.125526}}
| map_size          = 295
| map_marksize      = 
| map_caption       = Location of the village of [[Srb]] in [[Lika]]
| map_label         = [[Srb]]
| result            = 
| status            = 
| combatants_header = 
| combatant1        = {{flag|Yugoslav Partisans}}<br />{{flag|Chetniks}}
| combatant2        = {{flag|Independent State of Croatia}}
| commander1        = {{plain list |
* {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} Stojan Matić
* {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} Đoko Jovanić
* {{flagicon|Yugoslav Partisans}} Gojko Polovina
* {{flagicon|Chetniks}} Boško Rašeta
* {{flagicon|Chetniks}} [[Stevo Rađenović]]
* {{flagicon|Chetniks}} Pero Đilas
* {{flagicon|Chetniks}} [[Danilo Stanisavljević|Dane Stanisavljević]]
}}
| commander2        = {{plain list |
* {{flagicon|Independent State of Croatia}} [[Mihajlo Lukić]]
* {{flagicon|Independent State of Croatia}} Vladimir Veber
}}
| units1            = 
| units2            = 
| strength1         = 
| strength2         = 
| casualties1       = 
| casualties2       = 
| notes             = 
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Yugoslavia}}
}}

The '''Srb uprising''' ({{lang-sh-Cyrl-Latn|Устанак у Србу|Ustanak u Srbu}}) was a rebellion against the [[Independent State of Croatia]] ({{langx|hr|Nezavisna Država Hrvatska}}, NDH) that began on 27 July 1941 in [[Srb]], a village in the region of [[Lika]]. The uprising was started by the local population as a response to persecutions of [[Serbs]] by the [[Ustaše]] and was led by [[Chetniks]] and [[Yugoslav Partisans]]. It soon spread across Lika and [[Bosanska Krajina]]. During the uprising numerous war crimes were committed against local [[Croats|Croat]] and [[Bosniaks|Muslim]] population, especially in the area of [[Kulen Vakuf]]. As NDH forces lacked the strength to suppress the uprising, the [[Royal Italian Army during World War II|Italian Army]], which was not a target of the rebels, expanded its zone of influence to Lika and parts of Bosanska Krajina.

Until 1991, 27 July was a national holiday in the [[Socialist Republic of Croatia]] called "Uprising Day of the People of Croatia". After the [[independence of Croatia]], 22 June was chosen instead as the [[Anti-Fascist Struggle Day]] and a national holiday, commemorating the earlier creation and resistance activity of the [[Sisak People's Liberation Partisan Detachment|1st Sisak Partisan Detachment]].

==Background==
{{Also|Invasion of Yugoslavia|Independent State of Croatia|Genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia}}
On 6 April 1941, the [[Nazi Germany|German Reich]] invaded the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]. During the [[Invasion of Yugoslavia]], ''[[Ustaše]]'', a Croat fascist and ultranationalist organization aboard, proclaimed the [[Independent State of Croatia]] (NDH) on 10 April 1941, supported by Germany and [[Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)|Italy]].{{sfn|Tanner|2001|p=142}}{{sfn|Goldstein|1999|p=133}} By May 1941, the Ustaše formed the [[Jadovno concentration camp]] in Lika where they incarcerated and executed thousands of ethnic Serbs and other prisoners, which led to the rebellion. The Serbs were the majority in the Croatian Partisans until September 1943, and were absolute majority in the [[Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland]], better known as Chetniks.<ref name=Pavicic>{{Cite news|title=Bit je srbskog ustanka zločin|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/bit-je-srbskog-ustanka-zlocin-437003|first=Josip|last=Pavičić|newspaper=[[Večernji list]]|date=31 July 2012|language=hr|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref>{{better source|date=July 2012}}

Large scale persecutions in the area started in June 1941, including ethnic cleansing of around 1,200 Serbs who were expelled to occupied Serbia by [[Vjekoslav Luburic|Vjekoslav "Maks" Luburić]], whereas in the municipality of [[Srb]], days ahead of the rebellion, Luburić's Ustaše forces murdered 279 Serb civilians in the villages of Suvaja, Osredak and [[Bubanj]].<ref name="nacional.hr">{{cite news|url=http://arhiva.nacional.hr/clanak/113270/ustanak-u-srbu-ratovanje-na-pravoj-strani|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808093034/http://arhiva.nacional.hr/clanak/113270/ustanak-u-srbu-ratovanje-na-pravoj-strani|url-status=live|archive-date=8 August 2016|language=hr|title=Ustanak u Srbu: Ratovanje na pravoj strani|first=Slavko|last=Goldstein|author-link=Slavko Goldstein|date=27 July 2011|newspaper=[[Nacional (weekly)|Nacional]]|access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref>

==Prelude==
In June 1941, the Serbs [[June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina|started an uprising in eastern Herzegovina]]. The uprising was suppressed in early July, but peace was not established. NDH systematically persecuted the Serbian and Jewish populations throughout the country.{{sfn|Redžić|2005|p=13}} The Communists entered into open conflict with the regime after Germany invaded the [[Soviet Union]] on 22 June.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=506}} However, they were not prepared for the July uprising nor did they order it. The rebellion was triggered by three individual rebels. On 26 July, a Home Guard officer was killed while driving from Drvar to Bosanski Petrovac. The NDH authorities then began arresting local peasants. Thus the local KPJ Committee was dragged into launching a full-scale rebellion.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|p=33}}

==Rebellion==
An uprising in Croatia and western Bosnia started on 27 July 1941 with [[Drvar uprising]] in the area of Drvar and Bosansko Grahovo in Bosnian Krajina.{{sfn|Tomasevich|2001|p=506}} The uprising was nominally under the command of the local Communists. However, the Communists were few in numbers and a large number of insurgents were influenced by the Chetniks and local pre-war politicians that spread anti-Croat propaganda and advocated for a Greater Serbia. The rebel groups attacked NDH institutions and ambushed Ustaše and [[Croatian Home Guard (World War II)|Home Guard]] forces sent as reinforcements.{{sfn|Cooke|Shepherd|2013|p=222}} Although they were ideologically on different sides, the [[Chetniks]] and the Communists formed an alliance in order to balance against the increasing power of the Ustaše.{{sfn|Christia|2012|p=203}}

[[File:Mihajlo Lukic.JPG|thumb|upright|General [[Mihajlo Lukić]], the commander of the [[Croatian Home Guard (World War II)|Croatian Home Guard]]]]
On 27 July the Ustaše lost control of [[Drvar]].{{sfn|Redžić|2005|p=13}} In the village of Trubar near Drvar, a Roman Catholic priest, [[Waldemar Maximilian Nestor]], and his parishioners were [[Trubar massacre|killed]] by the insurgents.{{sfn|Jareb|2011|p=764}} The NDH forces encircled Drvar, but lacked the artillery to capture the town.{{sfn|Redžić|2005|p=13}} Eight battalions and several batteries were sent from Zagreb to the Drvar area, where an estimated 4,000 armed insurgents were located.{{sfn|Redžić|2005|p=14}}

On 28 July, in the village of [[Brotnja massacre|Brotnja]] in the municipality of Srb, 37 civilians were killed and their houses were looted and destroyed by Chetniks.{{sfn|Dizdar|Sobolevski|1999|p=122}} From 29 July to 2 August, the town of [[Gračac]] was under siege. Gračac was defended by Ustaše and Home Guard forces, in total about 2,000 soldiers. Actions by the insurgents jeopardized [[Donji Lapac]], which the Ustaše had to leave. The rebels entered the village on 30 July without a fight.{{sfn|Jelić Butić|1986|p=39}} The Italian Army in the area was not a target of attacks, the insurgents even asked them for protection against the Ustaše. According to an Italian assessment, the uprising was primarily directed against the Ustaše regime, while the influence of the Communists had a secondary role.{{sfn|Jelić Butić|1986|p=40}}

On 2 August the rebels looted and burned the Croat village of [[Boričevac massacre|Boričevac]].{{sfn|Cooke|Shepherd|2013|p=222}}{{sfn|Jareb|2011|p=763}} The majority of the population, 2,180 people, fled to [[Kulen Vakuf]], a large village near Drvar, before the insurgents entered. 55 remained in the village, mostly women and elderly, all of whom were killed.{{sfn|Jareb|2011|p=764}} Kulen Vakuf, whose garrison was under the command of captain Vladimir Veber, was encircled by rebel forces.{{sfn|Damjanović|1972|p=154}}

[[Stevo Rađenović]] was labeled by the Italians as the political leader of the Serb resistance movement in Lika.{{sfn|Jelić Butić|1986|p=42}} The rebellion spread to North Dalmatia near the town of [[Knin]], which was directly endangered. The command of the city was completely taken by the Italians. Reports from the Ustaše recorded their dissatisfaction with the actions of the Italians, indicating the Italian authorities were giving refuge and support to the Chetniks.{{sfn|Jelić Butić|1986|pp=37-38}}

{{multiple image
| align     = left
| footer = '''Left:''' [[Đoko Jovanić]], one of the [[Yugoslav Partisans|Partisan]] commanders<br/>'''Right:''' [[Dane Stanisavljević]], one of the Serb rebel commanders
| width1    = 120
| image1    = Djoka Jovanić.jpg
| width2    = 125
| image2    = Dane Cicvara.jpg
}}
General [[Mihajlo Lukić]] of the 3rd Lika Brigade was given the task of suppressing the uprising in Lika and the destruction of the rebel units. On 17 August 2 battalions and a battery of cannons, numbering about 1,300 men, started an attack in order to relief Kulen Vakuf and connect with forces coming from Gračac. The operation ran according to plans and in the first two days NDH forces managed to capture significant territory.{{sfn|Damjanović|1972|p=154}}{{sfn|Đurović|1964|p=173}} On 19 August NDH troops reached Gornji Lapac where they found no resistance. A vanguard of the Ustaše and Home Guard troops, sent towards Boričevac, was ambushed and the offensive was halted.{{sfn|Damjanović|1972|p=155}}{{sfn|Đurović|1964|p=174}} The rebels then strengthened their blockade of Kulen Vakuf and villages along the left bank of the Una River.{{sfn|Đurović|1964|p=175}} On 4 September they attacked and destroyed the village of [[Ćukovi]]. Although the local Muslims were not members of the Ustaše, the village was captured to completely encircle Kulen Vakuf. Veber tried to break through from Kulen Vakuf to [[Bihać]] to evacuate the population during the night on 5–6 September.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|p=106}} He had a Home Guard and Ustaše battalion and Muslim militia at his disposal. As the convoy left Kulen Vakuf, the rebels quickly crossed the Una and seized control of the village.{{sfn|Damjanović|1972|p=196}}

The rebels attacked the retreating column and killed around three hundred refugees. A percentage of the refugees managed to reach Bihać, but about a third were captured. Seventy were immediately killed and 400, mainly women and children, were returned in captivity to Kulen Vakuf and held at the police and railway stations. Another 900, also mostly women and children, were held in a meadow, while about 380 male captives were transferred to another village. A percentage of the prisoners held at the meadow were butchered by the rebels and locals. About 50 tried to escape, but were captured and killed, their bodies thrown into a pit. Then, the Communists and rebels opposing the killings of the captives intervened. Kulen Vakuf was burned to the ground.{{sfn|Hoare|2006|pp=106-07}}

The NDH lacked the forces to suppress the rebellion. The Germans could not divert their troops as all available forces were on the eastern front. The Italians, on the other hand, were able to provide assistance, but agreed to it only to strengthen their own influence over NDH. On 26 August 1941 the NDH government reached an agreement that the Italians re-occupy the 2nd and 3rd zones in order to pacify the insurgents in those areas. In late 1941 the Italians re-occupied several previously NDH-held towns in the Bosnian Krajina. In early October the Italian 5th Corps re-occupied Kulen Vakuf.{{sfn|Redžić|2005|pp=16, 18}}

==Commemoration==
[[File:Spomenik ustanku naroda Hrvatske-Srb.JPG|thumb|upright|Monument to the Uprising of the people of Croatia in Srb]]
In the [[Socialist Republic of Croatia]], the Srb uprising was commemorated as a [[Public holidays in Yugoslavia|national holiday]], the "General People's Uprising Day in Croatia" (''Dan općeg narodnog ustanka u Hrvatskoj'') on 27 July after the proposal was accepted in 1945 by the [[State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia|ZAVNOH]]. Later the name "Uprising Day of the People of Croatia" (''Dan ustanka naroda Hrvatske'') became more prevalent in public. In 1991, after the collapse of the Communist regime, the new Croatian government replaced the former Uprising Day with the [[Anti-Fascist Struggle Day]] on 22 June, the date when in 1941 the [[Sisak People's Liberation Partisan Detachment]] was formed – the first Partisan unit in Croatia.{{sfn|Jareb|2011|pp=751-752}}

Nevertheless, several anti-fascist organizations and the [[Independent Democratic Serb Party]] (SDSS) continued to commemorate this date as the first day of an antifascist uprising. Right-wing organizations and parties such as the [[Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights]] condemn the gathering, calling it a "historical forgery" and "celebration of genocide against Croats",<ref>{{Cite news|title=Srb u Srbu: 27. srpnja je dan pokolja a ne ustanka |url=http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/novosti/hrvatska/clanak/id/138726/srb-u-srbu-27-srpnja-je-dan-pokolja-a-ne-ustanka |newspaper=[[Slobodna Dalmacija]]|date=26 July 2011|language=hr|access-date=19 July 2016}}</ref> and organize [[counter-protest]]s against the commemoration year after year; the commemoration is secured by strong police forces.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/komemoracija-u-srbu-naskup-antifasista-antiprosvjednici-doslis-oznakama-ukrajinskih-neonacistagovori-popraceni-sa-za-dom-spremni/284842/ |title=KOMEMORACIJA U SRBU Naskup antifašista antiprosvjednici došlis oznakama ukrajinskih neonacista, govori popraćeni sa 'Za dom spremni' |date=26 July 2015 |newspaper=[[Jutarnji list]] |language=hr|access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/hrvatska/srb-pod-opsadom-policije-1102196 |title=Uzvicima 'Za dom spremni' prekidali antifašiste u Srbu |date=27 July 2016 |newspaper=[[Večernji list]] |language=hr|access-date=26 September 2016}}</ref>

Former president [[Stjepan Mesić]] was at the 2012 commemoration and called members of the counter-protests the "quasi-patriots".<ref name=Deljanin>{{Cite news|title=Skup u Srbu: Mesić prosvjednicima: Kvazidomoljubi!; Prosvjednici Mesiću - Cigane!|url=http://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Hrvatska/Skup-u-Srbu-Mesic-prosvjednicima-Kvazidomoljubi!-Prosvjednici-Mesicu-Cigane|newspaper=[[Novi list]]|date=28 July 2012 |language=hr|access-date=31 July 2012}}</ref>  The commemoration had been attended by members of the state leadership until about 2012, but they later withdrew amidst the controversy.<ref name=Pavicic/>{{better source|date=July 2012}}

== See also ==
* [[Danilo Stanisavljević]]
* [[Pajica Omčikus]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
;Books and journals
{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Christia
  | first = Fotini
  | title = Alliance Formation in Civil Wars
  | publisher = Cambridge University Press
  | location = Cambridge
  | year = 2012
  | isbn = 978-1-13985-175-6
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=psYgAwAAQBAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Cooke
  | first1 = Philip
  | last2 = Shepherd
  | first2 = Ben H.
  | title = European Resistance in the Second World War
  | publisher = Pen and Sword
  | year = 2013
  | isbn = 9781473833043
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=KpFABAAAQBAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Damjanović
  | first = Danilo
  | title = Ustanak naroda Hrvatske 1941 u Srbu i okolini
  | publisher = Progres
  | year = 1972
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCUsAQAAMAAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last1 = Dizdar
  | first1 = Zdravko
  | last2 = Sobolevski
  | first2 = Mihael
  | title = Prešućivani četnički zločini u Hrvatskoj i u Bosni i Hercegovini: 1941.-1945
  | publisher = Croatian Institute of History
  | location = Zagreb
  | year = 1999
  | isbn = 9789536491285
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=FfBmAAAAMAAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Đurović
  | first = Milinko
  | title = Ustanak naroda Jugolavije, 1941, knjiga peta
  |trans-title=Uprising of the people of Yugoslavia, 1941, volume 5
  | publisher = Vojnoizdavački zavod JNA "Vojno delo"
  | location = Belgrade
  | year = 1964
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tCcyAQAAIAAJ
  }}
* {{cite book
  | last = Goldstein
  | first = Ivo
  | author-link = Ivo Goldstein
  | title = Croatia: A History
  | publisher = C. Hurst & Co.
  | location = London
  | year = 1999
  | isbn = 978-1-85065-525-1
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pSxJdE4MYo4C
  }}
* {{cite book| last = Hoare| first = Marko Attila| author-link = Marko Attila Hoare| title = Genocide and Resistance in Hitler's Bosnia: The Partisans and the Chetniks 1941–1943| year = 2006| publisher = Oxford University Press| location = New York| isbn = 0-19726-380-1| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94bzAAAAMAAJ}}
*{{cite journal|last=Jareb|first=Mario|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/76759?lang=en|language=hr|title=Prilog raspravi o karakteru ustanka od 27. srpnja 1941. godine|trans-title=An addition to the debate about the character of the uprising of 27 July 1941|pages=751–771|journal=Revue d'histoire contemporaine|volume=43|number=3|date=December 2011|publisher=Croatian Institute of History|location=Zagreb, Croatia}}
* {{cite book|first=Fikreta|last=Jelić Butić|title=Četnici u Hrvatskoj, 1941-1945|trans-title=Chetniks in Croatia, 1941-1945|publisher=Globus|year=1986|isbn=9788634300109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tB8gAAAAMAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Redžić|first=Enver|author-link=Enver Redžić|title=Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Second World War|year=2005|publisher=Frank Cass|location=London; New York|isbn=978-0-7146-5625-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pVCx3jerQmYC}}
* {{cite book
  | last = Tanner
  | first = Marcus
  | title = Croatia: A Nation Forged in War
  | publisher = Yale University Press
  | location = New Haven
  | year = 2001
  | isbn = 978-0-300-09125-0
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sfcpsAoSoewC
  }}
*{{cite book|last=Tomasevich|first=Jozo|author-link=Jozo Tomasevich|year=2001|title=War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: Occupation and Collaboration|publisher=Stanford University Press|location=Stanford Univ|isbn=978-0-8047-3615-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fqUSGevFe5MC}}
* {{cite book
  | title = Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavija - Tom V, Knjiga 1, Borbe u Hrvatskoj 1941. god. 
  | publisher = Vojnoistorijski institut
  | location = Belgrade
  | year = 1952
  | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PJfzAAAAMAAJ
  | ref = {{harvid|Zbornik dokumenata|1952}}
  }}
{{Refend}}

{{Serbian minority institutions and organizations in Croatia}}
{{Wars and battles involving Serbs}}
{{Genocide of Serbs}}

[[Category:Serb rebellions]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 1941]]
[[Category:Massacres in the Independent State of Croatia]]
[[Category:Yugoslav Partisan war crimes in World War II]]
[[Category:History of the Serbs of Croatia]]
[[Category:Battles of World War II involving Chetniks]]
[[Category:Battles involving the Yugoslav Partisans]]
[[Category:Rebellions in Croatia]]
[[Category:Rebellions in Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:History of Lika]]