Srb uprising

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Srb uprising was the uprising against the genocide policy of Independent State of Croatia in Srb, a village in the Gračac municipality in Lika region, by the local population, aided by the Chetniks and the communist Yugoslav Partisans, in July 1941. Controversy around the uprising stems from divergent views about the nature of the event among members of the academic community. Opinions range from its classification as a "Chetnik" rebellion against Ustaše, with retaliations against local civilians ("Greater Serbia");[citation needed] to "Partisan strategy" (with Serbs as the backbone of antifascist movement);[citation needed] to guerrilla struggle with civilian casualties.[1] Official Croatia (political establishment, including its Presidents) for the moment adheres to the Partisan version, by which the uprising was an antifascist event, raised by Serbs on the margins of Ustaše genocide, with Chetnik retaliations against Ustaše security forces, but also the local Croatian civilians.[1]

Background

On 6 April 1941, the German Reich invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the Invasion of Yugoslavia, Ustaše, a Croat nationalist organization aboard, proclaimed the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) on 10 April 1941, supported by Germany and Italy.[2][3]

By May 1941, the Ustaše formed the Jadovno concentration camp in Lika where they incarcerated and executed thousands of ethnic Serb and other prisoners, which led to the rebellion. The Serbs became the majority in the Croatian Partisans until September 1943, and were absolute majority in the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland, better known as Chetniks.[4][better source needed] Large scale persecutions in the area started in June 1941, including ethnic cleansing of 1,200 Serbs and their expulsion to Serbia by Ustase commander Vjekoslav Luburic, whereas in the municipality of Srb, days ahead of the rebellion, Vjekoslav Luburic forces murdered 279 Serbian civilians in villages of Suvaja, Osredak[disambiguation needed] and Bubanj.[1]

The rebellion

In June 1941, the Serbs started an uprising in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were later joined by Communists that entered into open conflict with the regime after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. An uprising in Croatia and western Bosnia started on 27 July 1941 in the area of Drvar and Bosansko Grahovo in Bosnian Krajina.[5] The Chetniks and the Communists formed an alliance in order to balance against the increasing power of the Ustaše.[6] 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 Home Guard forces sent as reinforcements.[7]

On 27 July the Ustaše lost control of Drvar.[8] In the village of Trubar near Drvar, Roman Catholic priest Waldemar Maximilian Nestor and his parishioners were killed by the insurgents.[9] The NDH forces then encircled Drvar, but lacked the artillery to capture the town.[8] Eight battalions and several batteries were sent from Zagreb to the Drvar area, where an estimated 4,000 armed insurgents were located.[10]

On 28 July, in the village of Brotinja in the Srb municipality, 37 civilians were killed and their houses were looted and destroyed by Chetniks.[11] 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 of the insurgents jeopardized Donji Lapac, which the Ustaše had to leave. The rebels entered the village on 30 July without a fight.[12] 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.[13]

On 2 August the rebels looted and burned the Croat village of Boričevac.[7][14] The majority of the population, 2,180 people, fled to Kulen Vakuf, a large village near Drvar, before the insurgents entered Boričevac. 55 remained in the village, mostly women and elderly, all of whom were killed.[9] Kulen Vakuf, whose garrison was under the command of captain Vladimir Veber, was encircled by rebel forces.[15]

Stevo Rađenović was labeled by the Italians as the political leader of the Serb resistance movement in Lika.[16] 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 that the Italian authorities were giving refuge and support to the Chetniks.[17]

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.[15][18] 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.[19][20] The rebels then strengthened their blockade of Kulen Vakuf and villages along the left bank of the Una River.[21] 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 in order to completely encircle Kulen Vakuf. Veber tried to breakthrough from the surrounded Kulen Vakuf to Bihać and evacuate the population during the night on 5-6 September.[22] 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.[23]

The rebels attacked the retreating column and killed around three hundred refugees. A part of the refugees managed to reach Bihać, but about a third of them were captured. 70 of them were immediately killed and 400, mainly women and children, were returned in captivity to Kulen Vakuf and held at the police station and railway station. Another 900, also mostly women and children, were held in a meadow, while about 380 male captives were transferred to another village. The prisoners held at the meadow were butchered by the rebels and locals. About 50 tried to escape, but were captured and killed, while their bodies were thrown into a pit. Then the Communists and rebels opposing the killings intervened and stopped the further slaughter of captives. Nevertheless, Kulen Vakuf was burned to the ground.[24]

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.[25] In the autumn of 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.[26]

Commemoration

Monument to the Uprising of the people of Croatia in Srb

In the Socialist Republic of Croatia, the Srb uprising was commemorated as the Day of the Antifascist Struggle on 27 July. With creation of the independent Croatia in 1991, the new Day of the Antifascist Struggle was 22 June.[27] Nevertheless, Croatian authorities, under organization of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) still commemorate this day as a first day of an antifascist uprising. Some politicians in Croatia, including President of the Croatian Party of Rights condemned this commemoration.[28] The "anti-gathering" in Srb is organized every year as sign of protest to the commemoration. The commemoration was always attended by members of the state leadership. Former president Stjepan Mesić was at the 2012 commemoration and called members of the "anti-gathering" the "quasi-patriots".[29] However, for the first time, members of the state leadership weren't present at the commemoration in 2012.[4][better source needed]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Goldstein, Slavko (27 July 2011). "Ustanak u Srbu: Ratovanje na pravoj strani". Nacional (in Croatian).
  2. ^ Tanner 2001, p. 142.
  3. ^ Goldstein 1999, p. 133.
  4. ^ a b Pavičić, Josip (31 July 2012). "Bit je srbskog ustanka zločin". Večernji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  5. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 506.
  6. ^ Christia 2012, p. 203.
  7. ^ a b Cooke & Shepherd 2013, p. 222.
  8. ^ a b Redžić 2005, p. 13.
  9. ^ a b Jareb 2011, p. 764.
  10. ^ Redžić 2005, p. 14.
  11. ^ Dizdar & Sobolevski 1999, p. 122.
  12. ^ Jelić Butić 1986, p. 39.
  13. ^ Jelić Butić 1986, p. 40.
  14. ^ Jareb 2011, p. 763.
  15. ^ a b Damjanović 1972, p. 154.
  16. ^ Jelić Butić 1986, p. 42.
  17. ^ Jelić Butić 1986, p. 37-38.
  18. ^ Đurović 1964, p. 173.
  19. ^ Damjanović 1972, p. 155.
  20. ^ Đurović 1964, p. 174.
  21. ^ Đurović 1964, p. 175.
  22. ^ Hoare 2006, p. 106.
  23. ^ Damjanović 1972, p. 196.
  24. ^ Hoare 2006, p. 106-107.
  25. ^ Redžić 2005, p. 16.
  26. ^ Redžić 2005, p. 18.
  27. ^ Jakovina, Tvrtko (27 July 2010). "Ustanak u Srbu: što se dogodilo 27. srpnja 1941.?". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  28. ^ "Srb u Srbu: 27. srpnja je dan pokolja a ne ustanka". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). 26 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  29. ^ "Skup u Srbu: Mesić prosvjednicima: Kvazidomoljubi!; Prosvjednici Mesiću - Cigane!". Novi list (in Croatian). 28 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.

References

Books and journals
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