Prior to being invaded by Nazi Germany, the Yugoslav government was working on forging a pact with Germany. That pact was rejected by Yugoslav antifascists, who guided by general Dušan Simović demonstrated on 26 March 1941, and forced the government to withdraw. Angered by what he perceived as treason, Hitler invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia without warning on 6 April 1941. Eleven days later Yugoslavia capitulated.
Most Chetniks in Yugoslavia collaborated with the Axis occupation to one degree or another in order to fight the rival Partisan resistance, whom they viewed as their primary enemy, by establishing modus vivendi or operating as "legalised" auxiliary forces under Axis control.[89][90][91][92] Some units engaged in marginal[93] resistance activities and avoided accommodations with the enemy.[89][94] Over a period of time, and in different parts of the country, the Chetniks were drawn progressively[93][95] into collaboration agreements: first with the Nedić forces in Serbia, then with the Italians in occupied Dalmatia and Montenegro, with some of the Ustaše forces in northern Bosnia, and after the Italian capitulation also with the Germans directly.[96] While Chetnik collaboration reached "extensive and systematic"[97][98] proportions, the Chetniks themselves referred to this policy of collaboration[98] as "using the enemy".[96]
Ethnic Germans
Although they are of German ethnicity, it is important to note that officially Yugoslavia was their country. Volksdeutschecollaborators were the most common in the former territory of Yugoslavia.[citation needed] They were the founding stone for the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen which later expanded to include other ethnic groups.
Soldiers of the division are noted to have reportedly brutally punished civilians accused of, or proven to be working with partisans in both Occupied Serbia and the Independent State of Croatia, going so far as to level entire villages with no buildings being exempt from destruction.[116]
Due to the collaboration, Josip Broz Tito, leader of the post-war Communist regime, declared the rights of ethnic Germans to be null and seized all of their property as well as expelling hundreds of thousands of them with no fair trial.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian Muslims)
The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian), manned by Bosniaks and commanded by German officers,[99] was created in February 1943 and operated until December 1944.[100] The division participated in anti-guerrilla operations in Yugoslavia.[6]
Croatia
Main article: Independent State of Croatia
Ante Pavelić's Independent State of Croatia was a puppet state and ally of Nazi Germany. The Croatian extreme nationalists, Ustaše, killed several hundred thousands, primarily Serbs, in the Jasenovac concentration camp.
The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian), created in February 1943, and the 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama, created in January 1944, were manned by Croats and Bosniaks as well as local Germans. Earlier in the war, Pavelić formed a Croatian Legion for the Eastern front and attached it to the Wehrmacht. Volunteer pilots were also joining the Luftwaffe as Pavelić did not want to get his army directly involved for both propaganda reasons (Domobrans/Home Guards were a "chieftain of Croatian values, never attacking and only defending") and due to a safeguard need for political flexibility with the Soviet Union.Pavelić sought to eliminate an inferiority complex among the leadership as well as attempt to get favoritism from the Germans by proclaiming Croats as descendants from Goths. The "Poglavnik" also stated that "Croats are not Slavs, but Germanic by blood and race".[121] Nazi German leadership was indifferent to this claim.
Serbia
Main article: Government of National Salvation
Serbian collaborationist organizations Serbian State Guard, Serbian Volunteer Corps (party militia of the extreme right-wing Yugoslav National Movement "Zbor" had a few thousand members and helped guard and run concentration camps.
Serbian collaborationist organizations the Serbian State Guard and the Serbian Volunteer Corps, the party militia of the extreme right-wing Yugoslav National Movement "Zbor", lead by Dimitrije Ljotić, had over 30,000 members and helped guard and run concentration camps, and fought the Yugoslav Partisans alongside the Germans. There was over 1000 Serbs in the mainly Volksdeutsche Waffen-SS Prinz Eugen division by 1944.[122] Civilians collaborated to deport Jews to work camps in The General Government, resulting in Serbia being the second fully "judenfrei" country in Europe.[123]
Most Chetniks in Yugoslavia collaborated with the Axis occupation to one degree or another in order to fight the rival Partisanresistance, whom they viewed as their primary enemy, by establishing modus vivendi or operating as "legalised" auxiliary forces under Axis control.[124][125][126][127] Some units engaged in marginal[128] resistance activities and avoided accommodations with the enemy.[124][129] Over a period of time, and in different parts of the country, the Chetniks were drawn progressively[128][130] into collaboration agreements: first with the Nedić forces in Serbia, then with the Italians in occupied Dalmatia and Montenegro, with some of the Ustaše forces in northern Bosnia, and after the Italian capitulation also with the Germans directly.[131] While Chetnik collaboration reached "extensive and systematic"[132][133] proportions, the Chetniks themselves referred to this policy of collaboration[133] as "using the enemy".[131]
Serbia
Otdel'niy Russkiy Korpus - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russisches Schutzkorps - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russisches Schutzkorps Serbien - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Serbische Freiwilligenkorps - See Srpski Dobrovoljački Korpus
Srpski Dobrovoljački Korpus
Albanians
In April 1943, Heinrich Himmler created 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) manned by Albanian and Kosovar Albanian volunteers. By June 1944, the military value was deemed low in lieu of partisan aggression and by November 1944 it was disbanded. The remaining cadre, now called Kampfgruppe Skanderbeg, was transferred to the Prinz Eugen Division where they successfully participated in actions against Tito's partisans in December 1944. The emblem of the division was a black Albanian eagle.[6] Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist and anti-communist organization which collaborated with the Axis Powers during their occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia. Their agenda was the creation of "Great Albania."
Slovenia
The Slovene Home Guard was a collaborationist force formed in September 1943 in the area of the Province of Ljubljana (then a part of Italy). It functioned like most collaborationist forces in Axis-occupied Europe during World War II, but had limited autonomy, and at first functioned as an auxiliary police force that assisted the Germans in anti-Partisan actions. Later, it gained more autonomy and conducted most of the anti-partisan operations in the Province of Ljubljana. Much of the Guard's equipment was Italian (confiscated when Italy dropped out of the war in 1943), although German weapons and equipment were used as well, especially later in the war. Similar, but much smaller units, were also formed in the Littoral (Primorska) and Upper Carniola (Gorenjska).
White Russian Emigres
The Russian Protective Corps was an armed force composed of anti-communist White Russian émigrés that was raised in the German-occupied territory of Serbia during World War II.
Montenegro
The Italian governorate of Montenegro was established as an Italian protectorate with the support of Montenegrin separatists known as Greens. The Lovćen Brigadewas the militia of the Greens who collaborated with the Italians. Other collaborationist units included local Chetniks, police, gendarmerie and Sandžak Muslim militia.[134]
Macedonia
In Bulgaria-annexed Yugoslav Macedonia, the Ohrana was organized by the occupation authority as auxiliary security forces.
Most Chetniks in Yugoslavia collaborated with the Axis occupation to one degree or another in order to fight the rival Partisan resistance, whom they viewed as their primary enemy, by establishing modus vivendi or operating as "legalised" auxiliary forces under Axis control.[89][90][91][92] Some units engaged in marginal[93] resistance activities and avoided accommodations with the enemy.[89][94] Over a period of time, and in different parts of the country, the Chetniks were drawn progressively[93][95] into collaboration agreements: first with the Nedić forces in Serbia, then with the Italians in occupied Dalmatia and Montenegro, with some of the Ustaše forces in northern Bosnia, and after the Italian capitulation also with the Germans directly.[96] While Chetnik collaboration reached "extensive and systematic"[97][98] proportions, the Chetniks themselves referred to this policy of collaboration[98] as "using the enemy".[96]
Ethnic Germans
Although they are of German ethnicity, it is important to note that officially Yugoslavia was their country. Volksdeutschecollaborators were the most common in the former territory of Yugoslavia.[citation needed] They were the founding stone for the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen which later expanded to include other ethnic groups.
Soldiers of the division are noted to have reportedly brutally punished civilians accused of, or proven to be working with partisans in both Occupied Serbia and the Independent State of Croatia, going so far as to level entire villages with no buildings being exempt from destruction.[116]
Due to the collaboration, Josip Broz Tito, leader of the post-war Communist regime, declared the rights of ethnic Germans to be null and seized all of their property as well as expelling hundreds of thousands of them with no fair trial.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnian Muslims)
The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian), manned by Bosniaks and commanded by German officers,[99] was created in February 1943 and operated until December 1944.[100] The division participated in anti-guerrilla operations in Yugoslavia.[6]
Croatia
Main article: Independent State of Croatia
Ante Pavelić's Independent State of Croatia was a puppet state and ally of Nazi Germany. The Croatian extreme nationalists, Ustaše, killed several hundred thousands, primarily Serbs, in the Jasenovac concentration camp.
The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian), created in February 1943, and the 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama, created in January 1944, were manned by Croats and Bosniaks as well as local Germans. Earlier in the war, Pavelić formed a Croatian Legion for the Eastern front and attached it to the Wehrmacht. Volunteer pilots were also joining the Luftwaffe as Pavelić did not want to get his army directly involved for both propaganda reasons (Domobrans/Home Guards were a "chieftain of Croatian values, never attacking and only defending") and due to a safeguard need for political flexibility with the Soviet Union.Pavelić sought to eliminate an inferiority complex among the leadership as well as attempt to get favoritism from the Germans by proclaiming Croats as descendants from Goths. The "Poglavnik" also stated that "Croats are not Slavs, but Germanic by blood and race".[121] Nazi German leadership was indifferent to this claim.
Serbia
Main article: Government of National Salvation
Serbian collaborationist organizations Serbian State Guard, Serbian Volunteer Corps (party militia of the extreme right-wing Yugoslav National Movement "Zbor" had a few thousand members and helped guard and run concentration camps.
Serbian collaborationist organizations the Serbian State Guard and the Serbian Volunteer Corps, the party militia of the extreme right-wing Yugoslav National Movement "Zbor", lead by Dimitrije Ljotić, had over 30,000 members and helped guard and run concentration camps, and fought the Yugoslav Partisans alongside the Germans. There was over 1000 Serbs in the mainly Volksdeutsche Waffen-SS Prinz Eugen division by 1944.[122] Civilians collaborated to deport Jews to work camps in The General Government, resulting in Serbia being the second fully "judenfrei" country in Europe.[123]
Most Chetniks in Yugoslavia collaborated with the Axis occupation to one degree or another in order to fight the rival Partisanresistance, whom they viewed as their primary enemy, by establishing modus vivendi or operating as "legalised" auxiliary forces under Axis control.[124][125][126][127] Some units engaged in marginal[128] resistance activities and avoided accommodations with the enemy.[124][129] Over a period of time, and in different parts of the country, the Chetniks were drawn progressively[128][130] into collaboration agreements: first with the Nedić forces in Serbia, then with the Italians in occupied Dalmatia and Montenegro, with some of the Ustaše forces in northern Bosnia, and after the Italian capitulation also with the Germans directly.[131] While Chetnik collaboration reached "extensive and systematic"[132][133] proportions, the Chetniks themselves referred to this policy of collaboration[133] as "using the enemy".[131]
Serbia
Otdel'niy Russkiy Korpus - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russisches Schutzkorps - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russisches Schutzkorps Serbien - See Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Russkiy Okhranniy Korpus
Serbische Freiwilligenkorps - See Srpski Dobrovoljački Korpus
Srpski Dobrovoljački Korpus
Albanians
In April 1943, Heinrich Himmler created 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) manned by Albanian and Kosovar Albanian volunteers. By June 1944, the military value was deemed low in lieu of partisan aggression and by November 1944 it was disbanded. The remaining cadre, now called Kampfgruppe Skanderbeg, was transferred to the Prinz Eugen Division where they successfully participated in actions against Tito's partisans in December 1944. The emblem of the division was a black Albanian eagle.[6] Balli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist and anti-communist organization which collaborated with the Axis Powers during their occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia. Their agenda was the creation of "Great Albania."
Slovenia
The Slovene Home Guard was a collaborationist force formed in September 1943 in the area of the Province of Ljubljana (then a part of Italy). It functioned like most collaborationist forces in Axis-occupied Europe during World War II, but had limited autonomy, and at first functioned as an auxiliary police force that assisted the Germans in anti-Partisan actions. Later, it gained more autonomy and conducted most of the anti-partisan operations in the Province of Ljubljana. Much of the Guard's equipment was Italian (confiscated when Italy dropped out of the war in 1943), although German weapons and equipment were used as well, especially later in the war. Similar, but much smaller units, were also formed in the Littoral (Primorska) and Upper Carniola (Gorenjska).
White Russian Emigres
The Russian Protective Corps was an armed force composed of anti-communist White Russian émigrés that was raised in the German-occupied territory of Serbia during World War II.
Montenegro
The Italian governorate of Montenegro was established as an Italian protectorate with the support of Montenegrin separatists known as Greens. The Lovćen Brigadewas the militia of the Greens who collaborated with the Italians. Other collaborationist units included local Chetniks, police, gendarmerie and Sandžak Muslim militia.[134]
Macedonia
In Bulgaria-annexed Yugoslav Macedonia, the Ohrana was organized by the occupation authority as auxiliary security forces.