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Siege of Kraljevo

April 11, 2023

Siege of Kraljevo
Part of the uprising in Serbia during World War II in Yugoslavia

German soldiers carry a dead comrade killed during the siege of Kraljevo in October 1941
Date9 October 1941 — 31 October 1941
Location
Kraljevo, German-occupied territory of Serbia (modern-day Serbia)
43°43′25″N 20°41′15″E / 43.72361°N 20.68750°E / 43.72361; 20.68750Coordinates: 43°43′25″N 20°41′15″E / 43.72361°N 20.68750°E / 43.72361; 20.68750
Result German forces retain control of Kraljevo
Belligerents
Axis:

Allies:
Chetniks

Yugoslav Partisans
Commanders and leaders
Franz Böhme
  • Ratko Mitrović [sr]
  • Momčilo Radosavljević [sr]
Units involved
  • HQ of 749th Infantry regiment with one battalion
  • 6th and 7th companies of the II Battalion of the 737th Jäger Regiment
  • 670th Artillery Battalion
  • The 522 sapper squad of 714th Jäger Division
  • parts of units retreated from Užice, Požega and Čačak
    		•

    Chetnik Detachments:

    • Jelica
    • Bukovik
    • Ibar
    • Žiča
    • Death
    • Dragačevo Battalion
    • Ljubić Battalion
    • Jovan Kursula Detachment
    Strength
    • 3,000—4,000
    Casualties and losses
    • 130 dead rebels, mostly Chetniks
    • approximately 2,000 civilians

    The siege of Kraljevo was the most important battle during the uprising in Serbia in 1941.[1][better source needed] The siege lasted from 9 to 31 October 1941. The battle was waged between besieging forces of the Chetniks and Yugoslav Partisans against German forces garrisoned in Kraljevo in the German-occupied territory of Serbia (modern-day Serbia).

    The rebel forces had between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers. The battle started on 9 October 1941 when Chetniks attacked German forces near Monastery of Žiča. Several days after the battle began in reprisal for the attack on a German garrison, the German forces committed a massacre of approximately 2,000 civilians in the period between 15 and 20 October, in an event known as the Kraljevo massacre.

    On 23 October most of the Partisan forces left the siege of Kraljevo and regrouped their forces to attack Chetniks in Čačak, Užice and Požega. The rebels organized their last larger attack on Kraljevo on 31 October, using two tanks previously captured from German forces, but failed after suffering heavy casualties.

    In early November most of the Chetnik forces besieging Kraljevo retreated to reinforce their positions in other towns in Western Serbia attacked by communist forces. On 20 November 1941 both rebel formations signed truce only to be soon again defeated by German offensive in December 1941 that forced Partisans to leave Serbia and Mihailović and his Chetniks to flee constant German chases.

    Eventually, Soviet Red Army and Partisan forces captured Kraljevo in autumn 1944, killed at least 240 people in communist purges and established communist regime which lasted for about fifty years. The propaganda created by the winning Partisans was almost completely opposed to real events. The official Partisan historiography considered Chetniks as most responsible for the failed siege, presenting them as deceitful and untrustworthy with minimal combat value. On the other hand, the Partisans were depicted as heroically brave despite all odds at retaking the city.

    Background

    The attack on Kraljevo was one of the battles waged during the anti-Axis uprising in German-occupied Western Serbia, then part of the Axis occupied Yugoslavia. At the beginning of October 1941 military units of Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland and groups of communist rebels established Operational Headquarters (Serbian: Оперативни штаб) after they first captured German-occupied Čačak. The representatives of the Yugoslav Army in this HQ were Major Radoslav Đurić and Captain Jovan Deroko, while communist representatives were Ratko Mitrović and Momčilo Mole Radosavljević.[2] This Operational Headquarters decided to move their troops toward Kraljevo and prepare to capture it.[3]

    Involved forces

    The Axis forces included:[4]

    • the headquarters of 749th Infantry regiment with one battalion
    • 6th and 7th companies of the II Battalion of the 737th Jäger Regiment
    • 670th Artillery Division
    • The 522 sapper squad of 714th Jäger Division
    • parts of units retreated from Užice, Požega and Čačak

    The Yugoslav Army forces had between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers.[5] They were organized in following detachments:

    • the Jelica Chetnik Detachment, commanded by Lieutenant Jovan Bojović, an active officer of the Yugoslav Royal Army[6]
    • the Bukovik Chetnik Detachment under command of Lieutenant Dušan Đokić[7]
    • the Ibar Chetnik Detachment
    • the Chetnik Detachment of Death commanded by Simo Uzelac, and
    • the Žiča Chetnik Detachment was commanded by Dušan Laušević.[8]

    The forces of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia were organized in three units:Dragačevo Battalion, Ljubić Battalion and Jovan Kursula Detachment.

    On the meeting in the village Slatina, the Yugoslav Army reached agreement with communists to act together.[9] The rebel headquarters was Ružić Hill which is about 7 km South-West of Kraljevo.[10] The commander of the rebel forces was Major Radoslav Đurić, while the chief of the staff was Jovan Deroko.[11] Deroko was commander of all rebel forces at the left bank of Western Morava and right bank of Ibar, while Jovan Bojović was commander of all rebel forces on the right bank of Morava and left bank of Ibar.[12]

    On 3 October 1941 German military commander of occupied Serbia Franz Böhme ordered to unconditionally defend Kraljevo.[13] On 7 October Draža Mihailović ordered full battle readiness in villages surrounding Kraljevo.[14]

    Battle

    Clashes near Monastery of Žiča

    The first skirmishes within the battle for Kraljevo began in the early afternoon on 9 October near Monastery of Žiča when the Chetnik unit commanded by Milutin Janković attacked German unit which retreated to Kraljevo after a whole day battle in which Germans used canons to shell the monastery.[15] On 10 October German air forces bombarded the Monastery of Žiča using five airplanes and significantly damaged its church.[16] The battle near monastery lasted until the early morning of 11 October when Germans broke the rebel lines and put the monastery to fire.[17]

    Siege

    On 10 October the rebel forces completely surrounded Kraljevo and began its siege.[18] On 12 October the 717th Jäger Division left Kragujevac to help besieged garrison in Kraljevo and reached Trstenik on the same day.[19] On 13 October they reached Vrnjačka Banja and villages near Kraljevo. On 15 October they clashed with Chetnik forces on the outskirts of Kraljevo.[20] After 45 minutes of artillery barrage, the Jelica Chetnik Detachment commanded by Jovan Bojović on the right wing and Ljubić Partisan Battalion on the left wing attacked North-West German positions in the first hours of 15 October and captured Agriculture School.[21] One platoon of Dragačevo Partisans attacked Kraljevo from the direction of the road toward Raška.[22] After one hour of fighting, rebels reached the court and church buildings in the city center.[23] The German right wing attacked rebels forcing them to retreat and encircling Jelica Chetnik Detachment which was almost completely annihilated.[24] In this battle Jovan Bojović was killed.[25] Miloje Mojsilović succeeded him on the position of commander of Jelica Chetnik Detachment.[26]

    Between 15 and 20 October 1941 German forces killed approximately 2,000 civilians in reprisal for a joint Partisan–Chetnik attack on a German garrison in an event known as the Kraljevo massacre. On 19 October 1941 Chetnik officer Predrag Raković reported his commander in Čačak, Captain Bogdan Marjanović that his men are disturbed by the news about communist violence in Ljubić county and that they threatened with desertion if this violence continues.[27] The rebel artillery shelled western and central part of the town on 19 and 20 October from Partisan held positions on Ružić hill.[28]

    On 28 October 1941 the commander of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland Draža Mihailović received an order from Prime Minister of the Yugoslav Government in exile Dušan Simović who adjured Mihailović to eschew premature actions and avoid reprisals.[29] Two German battalions reinforced with two tanks attacked Partisan positions on Ružić hill in early morning of 21 October.[30] The Partisans flee their positions leaving their two cannons on the hill.[31] The German forces continue with their advances through positions deserted by Partisans and attack Chetnik positions killing many Chetnik soldiers before they retreated back to Kraljevo in early afternoon on the same day.[32]

    The last larger attack on Kraljevo happened on 31 October 1941 when attacking Partisan and Chetnik forces tried to penetrate German positions and enter into city using two tanks. For some time the historiography attributed this action solely to Partisans, but later this was corrected and participation of Chetniks was recognized.[33] About 130 people died on the rebels' side, both Chetnik and Partisan.[34] Most of rebel casualties were on the Chetnik side.[35] During the attack on German positions in the Farming School Chetnik Lieutenant Bojović was killed.[36] Chetnik Lieutenant Sima Uzelac and about a dozen of his soldiers were killed by machine gun while trying to cross barbed wires during their charge on an Axis bunker.[37]

    Retreat of the Communist forces

    The Partisans cancelled their attacks on Kraljevo based on the order of the communist supreme command and their headquarters in Serbia.[38] The first units retreating from the siege were communist units, the Dragačevo Battalion which retreated on 23 October and three out of five companies of the Ljubić Battalion retreated before the end of October and sent to Čačak to fight against the Chetnik forces.[39]

    Conflict among rebels for control over Čačak, Požega and Užice

     
     
    Simo Uzelac (left) who was killed by the Germans and Jovan Deroko (right) whose death at the hands of the Partisans led to an all out Chetnik–Partisan conflict

    In the night between 2 and 3 November 1941 the communist commanders forged a plan to attack Požega, after they managed to resist Chetnik attack on their positions in Užice. The information that about 200 Partisans attacked Chetnik security forces of the Preljina airport was quickly reported to Major Đurić who held positions at the Kraljevo siege on the same night.[40]

    Draža Mihailović ordered on 5 November to Captain Bogdan Marjanović to intensify his actions and quickly capture Čačak, while Deroko was ordered to contact Marjanović and to take 2/3 his troops, artillery and vehicles to capture Čačak, while rest of his troops were ordered to secure area toward Raška and road between Kraljevo and Čačak.[41]

    Not all Chetnik forces left the siege of Kraljevo, but most of Chetniks did leave the siege.[42] Deroko and Chetnik detachment under his command headed toward Čačak through the village of Mrčajevci and easily took over Preljina from Partisans, crossed river Čemernica and positioned his forces that also included artillery on Ljubić hill, near the monument to Tanasko Rajić.[43] The Chetnik Captain Jovan Deroko was commander of the Chetnik artillery on Ljubić.[44] The communist forces forced Chetniks out of Ljubić, captured their artillery and killed Deroko[45] on 6 November 1941.

    Aftermath

    On 20 November 1941, the communist forces and Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland signed truce while the German offensive in December 1941 defeated both parties. The Communists retreated to Montenegro and Bosnia while Mihailović and a small number of his soldiers was forced to flee constant German chases.[46] The Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland and Partisans held each other as morally responsible for Kragujevac and Kraljevo massacres while Mihailović decided to resolve the communist question once for all.[47]

    At the beginning of 1942 some Chetniks legalized with Nedić administration buried Deroko besides the grave of Tanasko Rajić in Ljubić, but communists dig out his body in 1945 and disposed it on unknown location.[48] Eventually, Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav communist forces captured Kraljevo in Autumn 1944 and established a communist regime which lasted for about fifty years. After the regime of communists in Serbia ended the Government of Serbia and its Ministry of Justice established the commission to research atrocities that were committed by members of the Yugoslav Partisan Movement after they gained control over Serbia in Autumn 1944. According to the report of this commission, out of 55,554 registered victims of communist purges in Serbia the new communist regime in Kraljevo killed 240 people while 28 people are missing.[49]

    Historical sources

    Two different parties that participated in the siege of Kraljevo have opposing and conflicting views on the events. Although both communists and Chetniks bravely fought in this battle, the post-war historiography published by Communist party denied Chetnik contribution labeling them with different defamatory expressions.[50]

     
    Memorial cemetery Kraljevo October

    The propaganda of local historiography created by the winning partisans was service of their communist ideology and presented selected parts of the Siege of Kraljevo to create historical consciousness almost completely opposed to real events.[51] For the half of the century the official historiography considered Chetniks as most responsible for failure and lifting the siege of Kraljevo.[52] The Chetniks were presented as deceitful and untrustworthy whose combat value was minimal, while notable examples of brave individuals which were impossible to ignore were neutralized by exerting the Chetniks' betrayal as their persistent behaviour.[53] The Partisans were depicted as heroically brave with almost perfect characteristics who had a role of Promethean heroes whose enemies, before all Chetniks, were forces whose role was menace.[54] The communist interpretation of the conflict with Yugoslav royalists was symbol of defeat of "counter-revolution", "reaction" and "traitors", particularly because this conflict reached its maximum on 7 November 1941 when communists in Čačak organized celebration of the anniversary of the October Revolution.[55]

    In Chetnik interpretation of conflict with Partisans, Deroko received the fame of new Tanasko Rajić.[56] It is important to consider that communists detachment from Čačak left the siege of Požega in period 22–24 October to reinforce communist forces in Užice.[57] Taking in consideration the contemporary situation and conflicts between two rebel groups in Čačak, Požega and Užice, it can be concluded that this broader conflict between two rebel groups caused lifting the siege of Kraljevo.[58]

    References

    1. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 111)
    2. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 114)
    3. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 115)
    4. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    5. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    6. ^ (Mitrović 1975, p. 226):"Четници Јеличког четничког одреда, под непосредном командом поручника Јована Бојовића, активног официра "
    7. ^ Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić, ed. (2003). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 327.
    8. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 287.
    9. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    10. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    11. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    12. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    13. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    14. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 31.
    15. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 32.
    16. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 32.
    17. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 33.
    18. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 117)
    19. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 33.
    20. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 33.
    21. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    22. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    23. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    24. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    25. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    26. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 118)
    27. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
    28. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
    29. ^ (Karchmar 1973, p. 241)
    30. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
    31. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
    32. ^ (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
    33. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 287.
    34. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 281.
    35. ^ Nikolić, Kosta (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 30. . Najveće borbe u celom ustanku vođene su oko Kraljeva. Tamo su zabeležene i najveće ustaničke žrtve, u najvećem broju nacionalnih boraca.
    36. ^ (Đurišić 1982, p. 161)
    37. ^ (Vučković 2004, p. 95):"Lt. Sima Uzelac and a dozen of his soldiers were felled by a machine gun burst while attempting to cross barbed wires during an assault on a bunker. "
    38. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 287.
    39. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 288.
    40. ^ Histoire du vingtième siècle. Institut za savremenu istoriju. 2002. p. 29.
    41. ^ Histoire du vingtième siècle. Institut za savremenu istoriju. 2002. p. 37. Капетан Дероко требало је да дође у везу са капетаном Марјановићем и са 2/3 свог људства, топовима, борним колима, овлада Чачком, а са преосталим људством обезбеди правац према Рашкој и правац Краљево-Чачак. Четничка
    42. ^ Histoire du vingtième siècle. Institut za savremenu istoriju. 2002. p. 37. Четничка опсада Краљева није потпуно напуштена, али главни...
    43. ^ Histoire du vingtième siècle. Institut za savremenu istoriju. 2002. p. 39.
    44. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 220)
    45. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 220)
    46. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 221)
    47. ^ (Glenny & Nairn 1999, p. 493)
    48. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 221)
    49. ^ "Registar Žrtava". www.komisija1944.mpravde.gov.rs. Ministry of Justice, Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
    50. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 112)
    51. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 299. Selectively presented parts of the war drama in the service of ideology have a particularly long and poisonous effect. Such was the case with the presentation of the siege of Kraljevo in the local historiography and publicist writing of Cacak. The thought-out propaganda of the winning partisans created the historical consciousness almost diametrically opposed to real developments and always in conflict with the comparative oral tradition, which did not stop living as a type of social subconsciousness.
    52. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 112)
    53. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 299. Stereotypes were focused on presentation of the perfidious and hidden chetniks' false collaboration with partisans. The chetniks' value in use at the front was reduced to a minimum, and individual examples of bravery which could not be ignored were counterbalanced with a strong presentation of chetniks' treason as a constant of their behaviour.
    54. ^ Timotijević, Miloš (2003). Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić (ed.). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo. p. 299. Perfidy, cowardice, traitorous behaviour and lack of skill and training, as negative characteristics, became features of chetniks. On the other hand, an image of brave heroic partisans possessing almost perfect characteristics was created. .... ....where partisans had the role of the Promethean heroes, and their opponents, before all chetniks, the role of forces jeopardising people.
    55. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 220)
    56. ^ (Rudić & Pavlović 2016, p. 220)
    57. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 114)
    58. ^ (Давидовић 2001, p. 112)

    Sources

    • Давидовић, Горан (2001). Чачани на опсади Краљева октобра 1941. године – Хронологија догађаја. Kraljevo: Научни скуп Краљево октобра 1941.
    • Давидовић, Горан (2003). "Чачани на опсади Краљева октобра 1941". In Драган Драшковић (ed.). Kraljevo oktobra 1941. - zbornik radova. Радомир Ристић. Народни Музеј Краљево, Историјски Архив Краљево.
    • Rudić, Srđan; Pavlović, Lela (1 September 2016). Srpska revolucija i obnova državnosti Srbije: Dvesta godina od Drugog srpskog ustanka: =Serbian Revolution and Renewal of Serbian Statehood: Two Hundred Years since the Second Serbian Uprising. Istorijski institut, Beograd; Međuopštinski istorijski arhiv, Čačak. ISBN 978-86-7743-116-7.
    • Đurišić, Mitar (1982). Partizanski odredi u Srbiji 1941. Narodna knjiga.
    • Mitrović, Dojčilo (1975). Zapadna Srbija 1941 [i.e. hiljadu devetsto četrdeset prve]. Nolit.
    • Vučković, Zvonimir (2004). A Balkan Tragedy – Yugoslavia, 1941–1946: Memoirs of a Guerilla Fighter. East European Monographs. ISBN 978-0-88033-537-9.
    • Karchmar, Lucien (1973). Draz̆a Mihailović and the Rise of the C̆etnik Movement, 1941–1942. Department of History, Stanford University.
    • Glenny, Misha; Nairn, Tom (1999). The Balkans, 1804–1999: nationalism, war and the great powers. Granta. ISBN 978-1-86207-050-9.

    Further reading

    • Dragan Drašković, Radomir Ristić, ed. (2003). Kraljevo in October 1941. Kraljevo: National Museum Kraljevo, Historical Archive Kraljevo.

    April 11, 2023
    siege, kraljevo, neutrality, this, article, disputed, relevant, discussion, found, talk, page, please, remove, this, message, until, conditions, january, 2020, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, part, uprising, serbia, during, world, yugoslaviagerma. The neutrality of this article is disputed Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met January 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Siege of KraljevoPart of the uprising in Serbia during World War II in YugoslaviaGerman soldiers carry a dead comrade killed during the siege of Kraljevo in October 1941Date9 October 1941 31 October 1941LocationKraljevo German occupied territory of Serbia modern day Serbia 43 43 25 N 20 41 15 E 43 72361 N 20 68750 E 43 72361 20 68750 Coordinates 43 43 25 N 20 41 15 E 43 72361 N 20 68750 E 43 72361 20 68750ResultGerman forces retain control of KraljevoBelligerentsAxis GermanyAllies Chetniks Yugoslav PartisansCommanders and leadersFranz BohmeRadoslav Đuric sr Jovan Deroko Jovan Bojovic sr Ratko Mitrovic sr Momcilo Radosavljevic sr Units involvedHQ of 749th Infantry regiment with one battalion 6th and 7th companies of the II Battalion of the 737th Jager Regiment 670th Artillery Battalion The 522 sapper squad of 714th Jager Division parts of units retreated from Uzice Pozega and Cacak 717th Jager DivisionChetnik Detachments Jelica Bukovik Ibar Zica DeathDragacevo Battalion Ljubic Battalion Jovan Kursula DetachmentStrength3 000 4 000Casualties and losses130 dead rebels mostly Chetniks approximately 2 000 civilians The siege of Kraljevo was the most important battle during the uprising in Serbia in 1941 1 better source needed The siege lasted from 9 to 31 October 1941 The battle was waged between besieging forces of the Chetniks and Yugoslav Partisans against German forces garrisoned in Kraljevo in the German occupied territory of Serbia modern day Serbia The rebel forces had between 3 000 and 4 000 soldiers The battle started on 9 October 1941 when Chetniks attacked German forces near Monastery of Zica Several days after the battle began in reprisal for the attack on a German garrison the German forces committed a massacre of approximately 2 000 civilians in the period between 15 and 20 October in an event known as the Kraljevo massacre On 23 October most of the Partisan forces left the siege of Kraljevo and regrouped their forces to attack Chetniks in Cacak Uzice and Pozega The rebels organized their last larger attack on Kraljevo on 31 October using two tanks previously captured from German forces but failed after suffering heavy casualties In early November most of the Chetnik forces besieging Kraljevo retreated to reinforce their positions in other towns in Western Serbia attacked by communist forces On 20 November 1941 both rebel formations signed truce only to be soon again defeated by German offensive in December 1941 that forced Partisans to leave Serbia and Mihailovic and his Chetniks to flee constant German chases Eventually Soviet Red Army and Partisan forces captured Kraljevo in autumn 1944 killed at least 240 people in communist purges and established communist regime which lasted for about fifty years The propaganda created by the winning Partisans was almost completely opposed to real events The official Partisan historiography considered Chetniks as most responsible for the failed siege presenting them as deceitful and untrustworthy with minimal combat value On the other hand the Partisans were depicted as heroically brave despite all odds at retaking the city Contents 1 Background 2 Involved forces 3 Battle 3 1 Clashes near Monastery of Zica 3 2 Siege 3 3 Retreat of the Communist forces 3 4 Conflict among rebels for control over Cacak Pozega and Uzice 4 Aftermath 5 Historical sources 6 References 7 Sources 8 Further readingBackground EditThe attack on Kraljevo was one of the battles waged during the anti Axis uprising in German occupied Western Serbia then part of the Axis occupied Yugoslavia At the beginning of October 1941 military units of Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland and groups of communist rebels established Operational Headquarters Serbian Operativni shtab after they first captured German occupied Cacak The representatives of the Yugoslav Army in this HQ were Major Radoslav Đuric and Captain Jovan Deroko while communist representatives were Ratko Mitrovic and Momcilo Mole Radosavljevic 2 This Operational Headquarters decided to move their troops toward Kraljevo and prepare to capture it 3 Involved forces EditThe Axis forces included 4 the headquarters of 749th Infantry regiment with one battalion 6th and 7th companies of the II Battalion of the 737th Jager Regiment 670th Artillery Division The 522 sapper squad of 714th Jager Division parts of units retreated from Uzice Pozega and CacakThe Yugoslav Army forces had between 3 000 and 4 000 soldiers 5 They were organized in following detachments the Jelica Chetnik Detachment commanded by Lieutenant Jovan Bojovic an active officer of the Yugoslav Royal Army 6 the Bukovik Chetnik Detachment under command of Lieutenant Dusan Đokic 7 the Ibar Chetnik Detachment the Chetnik Detachment of Death commanded by Simo Uzelac and the Zica Chetnik Detachment was commanded by Dusan Lausevic 8 The forces of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia were organized in three units Dragacevo Battalion Ljubic Battalion and Jovan Kursula Detachment Franz Bohme On the meeting in the village Slatina the Yugoslav Army reached agreement with communists to act together 9 The rebel headquarters was Ruzic Hill which is about 7 km South West of Kraljevo 10 The commander of the rebel forces was Major Radoslav Đuric while the chief of the staff was Jovan Deroko 11 Deroko was commander of all rebel forces at the left bank of Western Morava and right bank of Ibar while Jovan Bojovic was commander of all rebel forces on the right bank of Morava and left bank of Ibar 12 On 3 October 1941 German military commander of occupied Serbia Franz Bohme ordered to unconditionally defend Kraljevo 13 On 7 October Draza Mihailovic ordered full battle readiness in villages surrounding Kraljevo 14 Battle EditClashes near Monastery of Zica Edit The first skirmishes within the battle for Kraljevo began in the early afternoon on 9 October near Monastery of Zica when the Chetnik unit commanded by Milutin Jankovic attacked German unit which retreated to Kraljevo after a whole day battle in which Germans used canons to shell the monastery 15 On 10 October German air forces bombarded the Monastery of Zica using five airplanes and significantly damaged its church 16 The battle near monastery lasted until the early morning of 11 October when Germans broke the rebel lines and put the monastery to fire 17 Siege Edit On 10 October the rebel forces completely surrounded Kraljevo and began its siege 18 On 12 October the 717th Jager Division left Kragujevac to help besieged garrison in Kraljevo and reached Trstenik on the same day 19 On 13 October they reached Vrnjacka Banja and villages near Kraljevo On 15 October they clashed with Chetnik forces on the outskirts of Kraljevo 20 After 45 minutes of artillery barrage the Jelica Chetnik Detachment commanded by Jovan Bojovic on the right wing and Ljubic Partisan Battalion on the left wing attacked North West German positions in the first hours of 15 October and captured Agriculture School 21 One platoon of Dragacevo Partisans attacked Kraljevo from the direction of the road toward Raska 22 After one hour of fighting rebels reached the court and church buildings in the city center 23 The German right wing attacked rebels forcing them to retreat and encircling Jelica Chetnik Detachment which was almost completely annihilated 24 In this battle Jovan Bojovic was killed 25 Miloje Mojsilovic succeeded him on the position of commander of Jelica Chetnik Detachment 26 Kraljevo massacre Between 15 and 20 October 1941 German forces killed approximately 2 000 civilians in reprisal for a joint Partisan Chetnik attack on a German garrison in an event known as the Kraljevo massacre On 19 October 1941 Chetnik officer Predrag Rakovic reported his commander in Cacak Captain Bogdan Marjanovic that his men are disturbed by the news about communist violence in Ljubic county and that they threatened with desertion if this violence continues 27 The rebel artillery shelled western and central part of the town on 19 and 20 October from Partisan held positions on Ruzic hill 28 On 28 October 1941 the commander of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland Draza Mihailovic received an order from Prime Minister of the Yugoslav Government in exile Dusan Simovic who adjured Mihailovic to eschew premature actions and avoid reprisals 29 Two German battalions reinforced with two tanks attacked Partisan positions on Ruzic hill in early morning of 21 October 30 The Partisans flee their positions leaving their two cannons on the hill 31 The German forces continue with their advances through positions deserted by Partisans and attack Chetnik positions killing many Chetnik soldiers before they retreated back to Kraljevo in early afternoon on the same day 32 The last larger attack on Kraljevo happened on 31 October 1941 when attacking Partisan and Chetnik forces tried to penetrate German positions and enter into city using two tanks For some time the historiography attributed this action solely to Partisans but later this was corrected and participation of Chetniks was recognized 33 About 130 people died on the rebels side both Chetnik and Partisan 34 Most of rebel casualties were on the Chetnik side 35 During the attack on German positions in the Farming School Chetnik Lieutenant Bojovic was killed 36 Chetnik Lieutenant Sima Uzelac and about a dozen of his soldiers were killed by machine gun while trying to cross barbed wires during their charge on an Axis bunker 37 Retreat of the Communist forces Edit The Partisans cancelled their attacks on Kraljevo based on the order of the communist supreme command and their headquarters in Serbia 38 The first units retreating from the siege were communist units the Dragacevo Battalion which retreated on 23 October and three out of five companies of the Ljubic Battalion retreated before the end of October and sent to Cacak to fight against the Chetnik forces 39 Conflict among rebels for control over Cacak Pozega and Uzice Edit Simo Uzelac left who was killed by the Germans and Jovan Deroko right whose death at the hands of the Partisans led to an all out Chetnik Partisan conflict In the night between 2 and 3 November 1941 the communist commanders forged a plan to attack Pozega after they managed to resist Chetnik attack on their positions in Uzice The information that about 200 Partisans attacked Chetnik security forces of the Preljina airport was quickly reported to Major Đuric who held positions at the Kraljevo siege on the same night 40 Draza Mihailovic ordered on 5 November to Captain Bogdan Marjanovic to intensify his actions and quickly capture Cacak while Deroko was ordered to contact Marjanovic and to take 2 3 his troops artillery and vehicles to capture Cacak while rest of his troops were ordered to secure area toward Raska and road between Kraljevo and Cacak 41 Not all Chetnik forces left the siege of Kraljevo but most of Chetniks did leave the siege 42 Deroko and Chetnik detachment under his command headed toward Cacak through the village of Mrcajevci and easily took over Preljina from Partisans crossed river Cemernica and positioned his forces that also included artillery on Ljubic hill near the monument to Tanasko Rajic 43 The Chetnik Captain Jovan Deroko was commander of the Chetnik artillery on Ljubic 44 The communist forces forced Chetniks out of Ljubic captured their artillery and killed Deroko 45 on 6 November 1941 Aftermath EditOn 20 November 1941 the communist forces and Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland signed truce while the German offensive in December 1941 defeated both parties The Communists retreated to Montenegro and Bosnia while Mihailovic and a small number of his soldiers was forced to flee constant German chases 46 The Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland and Partisans held each other as morally responsible for Kragujevac and Kraljevo massacres while Mihailovic decided to resolve the communist question once for all 47 At the beginning of 1942 some Chetniks legalized with Nedic administration buried Deroko besides the grave of Tanasko Rajic in Ljubic but communists dig out his body in 1945 and disposed it on unknown location 48 Eventually Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav communist forces captured Kraljevo in Autumn 1944 and established a communist regime which lasted for about fifty years After the regime of communists in Serbia ended the Government of Serbia and its Ministry of Justice established the commission to research atrocities that were committed by members of the Yugoslav Partisan Movement after they gained control over Serbia in Autumn 1944 According to the report of this commission out of 55 554 registered victims of communist purges in Serbia the new communist regime in Kraljevo killed 240 people while 28 people are missing 49 Historical sources EditTwo different parties that participated in the siege of Kraljevo have opposing and conflicting views on the events Although both communists and Chetniks bravely fought in this battle the post war historiography published by Communist party denied Chetnik contribution labeling them with different defamatory expressions 50 Memorial cemetery Kraljevo October The propaganda of local historiography created by the winning partisans was service of their communist ideology and presented selected parts of the Siege of Kraljevo to create historical consciousness almost completely opposed to real events 51 For the half of the century the official historiography considered Chetniks as most responsible for failure and lifting the siege of Kraljevo 52 The Chetniks were presented as deceitful and untrustworthy whose combat value was minimal while notable examples of brave individuals which were impossible to ignore were neutralized by exerting the Chetniks betrayal as their persistent behaviour 53 The Partisans were depicted as heroically brave with almost perfect characteristics who had a role of Promethean heroes whose enemies before all Chetniks were forces whose role was menace 54 The communist interpretation of the conflict with Yugoslav royalists was symbol of defeat of counter revolution reaction and traitors particularly because this conflict reached its maximum on 7 November 1941 when communists in Cacak organized celebration of the anniversary of the October Revolution 55 In Chetnik interpretation of conflict with Partisans Deroko received the fame of new Tanasko Rajic 56 It is important to consider that communists detachment from Cacak left the siege of Pozega in period 22 24 October to reinforce communist forces in Uzice 57 Taking in consideration the contemporary situation and conflicts between two rebel groups in Cacak Pozega and Uzice it can be concluded that this broader conflict between two rebel groups caused lifting the siege of Kraljevo 58 References Edit Davidoviћ 2001 p 111 Davidoviћ 2001 p 114 Davidoviћ 2001 p 115 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Mitrovic 1975 p 226 Chetnici Јelichkog chetnichkog odreda pod neposrednom komandom poruchnika Јovana Boјoviћa aktivnog oficira Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed 2003 Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 327 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 287 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 31 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 32 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 32 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 33 Davidoviћ 2003 p 117 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 33 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 33 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 118 Davidoviћ 2003 p 120 Davidoviћ 2003 p 120 Karchmar 1973 p 241 Davidoviћ 2003 p 120 Davidoviћ 2003 p 120 Davidoviћ 2003 p 120 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 287 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 281 Nikolic Kosta 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 30 Najvece borbe u celom ustanku vođene su oko Kraljeva Tamo su zabelezene i najvece ustanicke zrtve u najvecem broju nacionalnih boraca Đurisic 1982 p 161 Vuckovic 2004 p 95 Lt Sima Uzelac and a dozen of his soldiers were felled by a machine gun burst while attempting to cross barbed wires during an assault on a bunker Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 287 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 288 Histoire du vingtieme siecle Institut za savremenu istoriju 2002 p 29 Histoire du vingtieme siecle Institut za savremenu istoriju 2002 p 37 Kapetan Deroko trebalo јe da doђe u vezu sa kapetanom Marјanoviћem i sa 2 3 svog љudstva topovima bornim kolima ovlada Chachkom a sa preostalim љudstvom obezbedi pravac prema Rashkoј i pravac Kraљevo Chachak Chetnichka Histoire du vingtieme siecle Institut za savremenu istoriju 2002 p 37 Chetnichka opsada Kraљeva niјe potpuno napushtena ali glavni Histoire du vingtieme siecle Institut za savremenu istoriju 2002 p 39 Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 220 Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 220 Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 221 Glenny amp Nairn 1999 p 493 Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 221 Registar Zrtava www komisija1944 mpravde gov rs Ministry of Justice Republic of Serbia Retrieved 6 October 2019 Davidoviћ 2001 p 112 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 299 Selectively presented parts of the war drama in the service of ideology have a particularly long and poisonous effect Such was the case with the presentation of the siege of Kraljevo in the local historiography and publicist writing of Cacak The thought out propaganda of the winning partisans created the historical consciousness almost diametrically opposed to real developments and always in conflict with the comparative oral tradition which did not stop living as a type of social subconsciousness Davidoviћ 2001 p 112 Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 299 Stereotypes were focused on presentation of the perfidious and hidden chetniks false collaboration with partisans The chetniks value in use at the front was reduced to a minimum and individual examples of bravery which could not be ignored were counterbalanced with a strong presentation of chetniks treason as a constant of their behaviour Timotijevic Milos 2003 Dragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo p 299 Perfidy cowardice traitorous behaviour and lack of skill and training as negative characteristics became features of chetniks On the other hand an image of brave heroic partisans possessing almost perfect characteristics was created where partisans had the role of the Promethean heroes and their opponents before all chetniks the role of forces jeopardising people Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 220 Rudic amp Pavlovic 2016 p 220 Davidoviћ 2001 p 114 Davidoviћ 2001 p 112 Sources EditDavidoviћ Goran 2001 Chachani na opsadi Kraљeva oktobra 1941 godine Hronologiјa dogaђaјa Kraljevo Nauchni skup Kraљevo oktobra 1941 Davidoviћ Goran 2003 Chachani na opsadi Kraљeva oktobra 1941 In Dragan Drashkoviћ ed Kraljevo oktobra 1941 zbornik radova Radomir Ristiћ Narodni Muzeј Kraљevo Istoriјski Arhiv Kraљevo Rudic Srđan Pavlovic Lela 1 September 2016 Srpska revolucija i obnova drzavnosti Srbije Dvesta godina od Drugog srpskog ustanka Serbian Revolution and Renewal of Serbian Statehood Two Hundred Years since the Second Serbian Uprising Istorijski institut Beograd Međuopstinski istorijski arhiv Cacak ISBN 978 86 7743 116 7 Đurisic Mitar 1982 Partizanski odredi u Srbiji 1941 Narodna knjiga Mitrovic Dojcilo 1975 Zapadna Srbija 1941 i e hiljadu devetsto cetrdeset prve Nolit Vuckovic Zvonimir 2004 A Balkan Tragedy Yugoslavia 1941 1946 Memoirs of a Guerilla Fighter East European Monographs ISBN 978 0 88033 537 9 Karchmar Lucien 1973 Draz a Mihailovic and the Rise of the C etnik Movement 1941 1942 Department of History Stanford University Glenny Misha Nairn Tom 1999 The Balkans 1804 1999 nationalism war and the great powers Granta ISBN 978 1 86207 050 9 Further reading EditDragan Draskovic Radomir Ristic ed 2003 Kraljevo in October 1941 Kraljevo National Museum Kraljevo Historical Archive Kraljevo Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Siege of Kraljevo amp oldid 1144180370, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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