World War II in Yugoslavia: Liberation (1944-45)


Figure 1.--Belgrade was the capital of Yugoslvia and its liberation capped a bloody chapter of World War II (October 1944). The T-34 tanks here are part of the Red army force commanded by General Zdanov. The standard Red Star symbol is not shown. Instead General Zdanov had ordered animal symbols applied. The campaign would last several months longer. The Germans and their Yugoslav allies retreated north, but by this time, the fall of Rome, the Normandy landings, and the success of Soviet Operation Bagration meant tht the Germans were defeated and the victorious Allied and Soviet forces were posed on the borders of the Reich.

Unlike the rest of Eastern Europe, the Yugoslavs were actually liberated rather than exchanging NAZI for Soviet tyranny. It was the Communist Partisans that suceeded in liberting Yugoslavia, but largely because the Soviet Red rmy and the Western Allies sucessfully demolished the German war machine. Even so, the war in Yigoslavia was the most complicated of all the World war II beligerants, because it was three wars in one. The first war was the war between the Facscist occupiers (Germny and Italy) and Yugoslavia. The second war was the vicious war between the the various ethnic groups in Yugoslavia (Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Serbs, and others) as well as the NAZI Holocaust aginst the Jews). The third war was over the future of the country fought out between the different resistanbce groups, primarily the multi-ethnic Communist Partisans and the Serb-dominted Royalist Chetniks. the Partisans emerged the victors becuse they were able to generate broad multi-ethnic appeal and they were able to obtain support from both the Soviets and Western Allies. The Partisans managed to liberate substantial areas of the country (1943). It was the Allied destruction of the German 7th Army in France (July 1944) and the Soviet destruction of Army Group Center in Poland (June-August 1944) that made possible the liberation of the Balkans. With the Reich itseld threatened, OKW ordered a withdrawl from the Balkans as the Red Army advance into Romania threatened to cut off German forces (September 1944). Even Hitler could not disagree. The withdrawl began in secret from Greece, but was in full swing by October. There were not any major battles as the Germans were intent on one thing, withdrawing north and getting back to the Reich. The Germans fought only if attacked by the Partisans or were in danger of being cut off. he Partisans with Red Army assiatance liberated Belgrade (October 20). The Yugoslav Partisans were thus able to expel the Axis from Serbia (Fall and Winter 1944) and the north of Yugoslavia (Spring 1945. The Red Army provided some limited assistance, especilly with the liberation of Belgrade and unlike the rest of Eastern Europe, withdrew after the war. The Partisans linked up with the advancing Allied forces bryond the borders of pre-War Yugoslabia (May 1945). The Partisans had moved into Trieste and parts of the southern Austrian provinces of Styria and Carinthia. The Partisans withdrew from Trieste (June 1945).

Three Way War

Even so, the war in Yigoslavia was the most complicated of all the World war II beligerants, because it was three wars in one. The first war was the war between the Facscist occupiers (Germny and Italy) and Yugoslavia. The second war was the vicious war between the the various ethnic groups in Yugoslvia (Croats, Muslims, Slovenes, Serbs, and others) as well as the NAZI Holocaust aginst the Jews). The third war was ovr the future of the country fought out between the different resistannce groups, primarily the multi-ethnic Communist Partisans and the Serb-dominted Royalist Chetniks.

Partisan Importance

Tito Communist-dominated Partisans emerged as the primary resistance force. The Partisans emerged the victors becuse they were able to generate broad multi-ethnic appeal and they were able to obtain support from both the Soviets and Western Allies.

Military Situation 1943

The Partisans during 1943 managed to gain control over large parts of of Yugoslavia. This occured because of German reverses in the East. Defeats at Stalingrad )January 1943) and Kirsk (July 1943) substantially rediced German military power and the ability of the Whermacht to support operations in non-critical areas. The Axis defeat in Tunisia furher weakened the Whemacht and epleted its startegic reserve. And if this was not bad enough, the Italian surrender (September 1943) substantially reduced Axis forces in Yugoslavia. The Germans were left with reduced forces to control a much larger area of the Balkans. In addition, the Germans moved the 13th Waffen SS Mountain Handzar Division along with other Eastern units to France to help strenthen the man the Atlantic Wall for the planned Allied Cross-Chanel invasion. This further wekened the German capability to control the expanding Partisan military capability znd the area they controlled.

Military Situation (1944)

It was the Allied destruction of the German 7th Army in France (July 1944) and the Soviet destruction of Army Group Center in Poland (June-August 1944) that made possible the liberation of the Balkans. With the Reich itseld threatened, OKS ordered a withdrawl from the Balkans as the Red Army advance into Romania threatened to cut off German forces (September 1944). Even Hitler could not disagree. At the same time, Tito flew to Moscow and conferred with Stalin to discuss the libertion of Yugoslvia and military support from the Soviet Union.

Anti-Fascist Committee of Peoples' Liberation of Yugoslavia

The Antifašističko Vijece Narodnog oslobođenja Jugoslavije (Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia--AFCPLY) was convened in Bihać, modern day Bosnia and Herzegovina (November 25, 1942). The Council was a front group for Tito's Communist Partisans. At the time, the Germans still dominated most of Europe, but had finally begun to experience serious defeats in both North Africa and the East. The situation council reconvened a year later in Jajce, also in Bosnia and Herzegovina (November 29, 1943). By this time, the military sitiation had changed substantially with major Soviet and Allied victories. The Council set itself up as the basis for the post-War political organization of the country. The Council set up a federation which became the basis of the Yugolslav state. The date became celebrated as Republic Day. And the Partisans which became the Peoples' Liberation Army (NOV) finally with the surrender of the Italians found themselves able to confront the overwealmed German firces in Yugosalvia. Tito proclaimed the the Anti-Fascist Committee of Peoples' Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) ss the supreme representative of the Yugoslav people.

German Withdrawl (September-October 1944)

It was the Allied destruction of the German 7th Army in France (July 1944) and the Soviet destruction of Army Group Center in Poland (June-August 1944) that made possible the liberation of the Balkans. The Red Army began pushing into Romnia, Bulgaria, and Hungary (August 1944). The Germans finally decided to evacuate the Greek mainland so that they would not be cut off in the Balkans by the advancing Red Army. With the Red Army adavncd into the Balkns and the Reich itself threatened, OKW ordered a withdrawl from the Balkans as the Red Army advance into Romania and Bulgaria threatened to cut off German forces. Even Hitler conceded the point and approved the order (August 26). On the same day, Bulgaria withdrew from the Axis and declares its neutrality. The Germans attempted to keep the evacuation secret as units were quietly shifted north. The Germans succeeded in airlifting some combat units off Crete, but British aircraft carriers moving into the eastern Meditteranean meant that German garisons on other Greek islands were isolated. The Germans begin the evacuation of the Aegean Islands (Septembe 2). The British landed unopposed on the Greek Island of Kythera off the Peloponnese (September 10). On the same day the Red Army entered Sofia, making the German position in Greece increasingly perilous. The Germans ecacuated Rhodes (September 12). The Eighth Army’s Greek Mountain Brigade took Rimini on the Adriatic coast (September 21). On the same day, German Army Group F began to evacuate the Peloponnes peninsula. Army Group E began the evacuation of western Greece (September 27). Tito and Stalin agree to allow the Red army to enter Yugoslavia (September 28). The Germans would not surendered the last of the Greek islands under their control until the end of the War (May 1945). The German withdrawl had began in secret from Greece, but was in full swing by October. There were not any major battles as the Germans were intent on one thing, withdrawing north and getting back to the Reich. The Germans fought only if attacked by the Partisans or were in danger of being cut off.

Partisan Offensive (1944)

Milovan Đilas headed a part of a military- and party-mission to the Soviet Union (March 1944). Tito himself hving experienced Stalin's purges up close and personal sent Đilas, his most trusted lieutenant. Đilas met the Soviet Nomenclatura. Among others he met with Georgi Dimitrov, Vyacheslav Molotov, and Joseph Stalin. He ran into trouble with Stalin over the issue of Red Army soldiers raping Yugoslav women. The meeting helped set the prameters for the final liberation of Yugoslavia and the role and support of the Red Army. [Djilas, pp. 33–58.] The military situation in the Balkans was changing dramtically (1944). The Soviets liberated Romania and Bulgaria. This put them in position to attack into Yugoslavia. NAZI reverses on the Eastern Front and the D-Day landings in the West forced the Wehrmacht to begin withdrawing from Greece and Yugoslavia. The Allied victories in Italy also provided air bases which could support the Partisans. Much of the Partisan struggle had been fought in Bosnia since the fall of the Republic of Užice in 1941. The Partisans began the liberation of Serbia (mid-1944). Tito signed an agreement with the Soviet Union allowing 'temporary' entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory (September 28, 1944). which allowed the Red Army to assist in operations in Yugoslavia. This freed the Partian's right flank. The Parisans launched a massive general offensive which succeeded in breaking through the thinly held German lines. The joint Partisan-Red Army offensive liberated Belgrade (October 20, 1944). The Yugoslav Partisans were thus able to expel the Axis from most of Serbia (Fall and Winter 1944). The liberation of northern Yugoslavia was achieved (Spring 1945. The Red Army provided some limited assistance, especially with the liberation of Belgrade and unlike the rest of Eastern Europe, withdrew after the war. The Patisans soon controlled eastern Yugoslavia (Serbia, Vardar Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as parts of Croatia--the Dalmatian coast (December 1944).

Tito and Stalin

Josip Broz (Јосип Броз) who would become known as Tito (Тито) like many other European Communists sought refufge in the Soviet Union during the inter-War era. What they did not know that it was more dangers to be there than in the hands of Capitalist states. After being there for some time, Stalin put him in charge of purging the Ugoslav Communist Party. The Soviet Union at the time was in the throws of Stalin's Great Terror. We do not know if Tito met Stalin personally, but the NKVD would have peapred a very detailed personal dossier for Stalin's inspection. Khrushchev in his memoirs says only, "Tito had been well known, and well liked, in the Comintern before World War II." Khrushchev, p. 375.] It would have been nice to think that the Eastern European Communists that Stalin chose would have come out of the experience under Stalin's tutelage wanting to do Communism more humanely. Far too many chose to emulare Stalin, albeit on a smaller scale. Soviet Armies liberated Romania and Bulgaria. They also helped Tito to liberate Belgrade. The Soviets did not, however, drive deeper into Yugoslavia. They remained on the east banks of the rivers Danube and Drava. We do not have details on these decesion here. Apparently Tito did not want the Soviets to participate further in the liberation of Yugoslavia. Stalin appears to have acceeded to Tito's wishes. Perhaps he decided the Red Army could best be deployed elsewhere. The Red Army insttead of driving into Yugoslavia Moved into Hungary and Austria. We do not yet have details on the dynamic between the two. Tito still appears quite loyal to Moscow at this point. After the War, of course, the split between the two rocked the Communist world. Khrrushchev who in position to winess the split as it developed in his Secret Speech at the conclusion of the 20th Party Congress laid the blame enirely on Stalin. [Khrushchev]

Northern Yugoslavia: Final JNA Offesive (1945)

The NAZIs by the end of 1944 only held Slovenia and much of Croatia. The Croatian NDH NAZI puppet state had been a firm ally. As the Partisans renamed the People's Liberation Army (JNA) were gaining in strength, the Wehrmacht had been declining in strength, forced to abandon much of their heavy equipmrent and armor as they retreated back toward the Reich. The JNA final offensive defeated the combined Ustaše and Wehrmacht forces, The Partisans broke through at Syrmia. They took Sarajevo (April 1945). The remainder of Croatia and Slovenia fell (mid-May 1945). They then liberated Rijeka and Istria which had been part of Italy before the war. Finally they moved on Trieste, taking it (May 2), arriving a day before the Allies. Trieste would prove a bone of contention in the post-War settlement. The surviving Croatian forces started their retreat from Osijek (April 13). This military retreat soon became a general population exodus. Croatians who had supported the Utashe and NAZIs feared reprisals from the Partisans. No one knows with any accuracy the dimension ofthis exodus. Itvmay have been as much as one third of the Croatian population (about 1.5 million people). Onlyabout 0.2 million were armed soldiers. Pavelic and his government along with political supporters fled Zagreb (May 3). JNA units liberated Zagreb (May 8). [Springer] The Partisans linked up with the advancing Allied forces bryond the borders of pre-War Yugoslabia (May 1945). The Partisans had moved into Trieste and parts of the southern Austrian provinces of Styria and Carinthia. The Partisans withdrew from Trieste (June 1945).

Attrocities


Casualties

One source claims that Tito's Partisans suffered heavy losses in liberting Yugoslavia. This is a complicated topic. There is no doubt that Yugoslavia suffered greviously in the War. No country excepot Poland was so brutalized. Yugoslav losses were somwwhat similar to the Soviet Union--perhps as much as over 10 percent of the pr-War population, possibly even more. The official government Yugoslav estimates for war dead is 1.7 million (0.3 million military and 1.4 million civilians). This figure is widely cited in World War II histories. It has, however, been challenged by many World War II historians. The issue of World war II losses as with evrything else associated with War in the Balkans is complicated. We have seen casulty estimates of 1.0-1.7 mllion people. Military deaths have been estimated at 0.30-0.45 million. Civilian deaths have been estimated at 0.6-1.4 million people. The military death estimate is complicatd because the fighting was done largely by guerilla bands. The Ooyal Yugoslav Army collapsed with a few weeks after the German invasion (April 1944). They were thus only ca small part of total casualties abd POWs were not as ruthlessy treated as Soviet and Polish POWs. Gurilla operations narrows the destinction between military and civilian casualties. The military deaths wevnot just inflicted by the Germans and Axis allies or suffered by the prtisans slone. Another complication is that the fighting was ot just between Yugoslav forces and the Axis (Germans, Italians, Hungarians, and Bulgarians). There was considerble fighting between theParticans and Chetniks. The available figures are just rough estimates. And the ability of gurilla forces to maintain records was extemely limited. Thus the estimates must be seen as extremely tenuous. As best we can tell, most of the Partisan caulaties occurred during 1942-early 1944). The casualties during the liberation were more limited because the Germans were withdrawing. This was, however, the period in which Chetnik and Ustashe casualties increased. This needs to be confirmed. We do not yet have casualty figures for each of the different Yugoslave military and para-military forces.

Consequences

Unlike the rest of Eastern Europe, the Yugoslavs were actually liberated rather than exchanging NAZI for Soviet tyranny. It was the Communist Partisans that suceeded in liberting Yugoslavia, but largely because the Soviet Red Army and the Western Allies sucessfully demolished the German war machine. The ability of Tito's Partisans to liberate the country itself anf the fact that the Rd rmy and NKVD did not control the country after the War must have been a factor in the break between Tito and Stalin (1948).

Sources

Djilas, Milovan. Translated by Michael B. Petrovich. Conversations with Stalin (Rupert Hart-Davis: Soho Square London, 1962).

Khrushchev, Nikita. Edward Crankshaw, intro, commentary, and notes. Strobe Talbott, trans. and ed. Khrushchev Remembers (Little Brown: Boston, 1970), 639p. Curiously, in his memoirs, Khrushchev changes tghe story presented in his Secret Spech and places the blame for the rift with Tito more on the Yugoslavs.

Springer, Zvonko. "D-DAY's 50th Anniversary" (February 23, 1994).







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Created: 7:12 PM 11/11/2014
Last updated: 7:12 PM 11/11/2014