User:Antidiskriminator/Drafts of articles/Ustashe war crimes in Sandžak in 1941

Ustashe war crimes in Sandžak in 1941

Croatian invasion of Sandžak

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Background

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Ideologues of Ustaše movement considered Sandžak as integral part of NDH.[1] Ustaše had territorial pretensions toward the whole territory of Sandžak because they considered Muslims as ethnic Croats.[2] Besides Sandžak, territorial pretensions of Croatia included Montenegro and Serbia too, because the intention was to occupy towns in Montenegro and to establish a common border with Albania and Bulgaria (that encompassed parts of Yugoslavia they occupied).[3]

On the other hand, Muslims from Sandžak requested annexation of Sandžak, which they considered as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to NDH. They sent delegations to Zagreb to present this kind of requests, trough Sarajevo.[4]

German authorities approved Croatian aspirations to take control over Sandžak and to establish a corridor between Serbia and Montenegro because they needed local quislings to control territories they occupied in order to release their own troops and recruit additional ones for planned invasion on Soviet Union.[5] Also, this corridor would be aimed against Serbia and Montenegro and against reestablishment of Yugoslavia.

On 30 April in a letter to Ante Pavelić Sarajevo requested annexation of Sandžak to NDH and invited him to send Ustaše to every district of Sandžak.[5]

Invasion

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Based on German approval, the Croatian government ordered to Ustaše and Croatian Home Guard to take control over the territory of Sandžak by 5 May 1941.[6] To accomplish this task Ustaše forces from Sarajevo were dispatched to Sandžak.[7]

On 5 May 1941 a request in the name of Muslims from Sanjak was sent to Ante Pavelić and vice-president of the Government of NDH.[7] At the beginning of May 1941, although Sandžak was not officially part of NDH, Pavelić ordered that all Croats of Muslim religion from Sanjak will be given Croatian citizenship.[7]

Out of those forces and some local Muslim reactionaries, Ustaše forged local civil administration in Pljevlja in Montenegro (and Priboj, Sjenica and Nova Varoš).[8]

As soon as Ustaše took over control over Pljevlja, they interned Montenegrin refugees from NDH. They also requested interning of all Montenegrins who came to live in Pljevlja after 1918. On 6 May they appointed a new civil governor of Pljevlja.[9] They laid off all Serbs and Montenegrins from civil service and began with harassment of Serb and Montenegrin population.[10][11]

Many Serbs, Montenegrins and Jews who stayed on their land were killed either individually or in mass murders, stripped of their property and forced to pay a quarter of everything they produce to local ex aghas and quislings, like in Ottoman period, while use of Cyrillic script was forbidden.[12][13]

By noon on 8 May 1941 Ustaše forces accomplished their order to capture Sandžak. Ustaše prepared additional forces of 150 men in Novi Pazar for eventual move to Kosovska Mitrovica.[14]

Plans of NDH authorities to annex Sandžak was opposed by Italians.[15] On 8 May 1941 Italian forces took over military administration of Pljevlja from Ustaše.[5] It was agreed that Ustaše should retreat from Sandžak, but this plans were cancelled, which was considered by Ustaše as sign of weakness of Italian position, so they continued with their efforts to annex Sandžak to NDH.[14]

On 15 May 1941 a group of Muslims from Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje and Prijepolje wrote to Pavelic and expressed the loyalty to NDH allegedly in the name of all Muslims of Sandjak.[16]

That way, besides German and Italian forces, on the territory of Sandžak operated Ustaše forces established on its territory.[5] Because of the unstable situation in Montenegro, Ustaše remained in Sandžak until beginning of September 1941.[17]

When Ustaše were forced to leave territory of Sandžak at the end of 1941, Muslims who were allied with them and Muslim Militia[14] were left alone and allied with occupying Axis forces,[18] When Ustaše were forced to leave parts of eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina later in 1941(?) they massacred local Serb population. Italian commission recorded over 100 Serb women and children killed by Ustaše.[19]

Đurišić's raids of revenge

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Muslims themselves gave the reason for Chetnik's attack on them.[20]

In 1942 and particularly in 1943 many innocent villagers suffered because of the raids of revenge against Muslims of Sandžak conducted by Chetniks commanded by Pavle Đurišić.[21]

Aftermath

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On 27 October 1941 NDH signed the contract which defined borders with Italy and gave up its territorial pretensions on Sandžak. [10]

References

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  1. ^ Goldstein, Ivo (2008). Hrvatska: 1918-2008. EPH. p. 239. ISBN 9789533000961. Ustaški su ideolozi smatrali i Sandžak integralnim dijelom NDH
  2. ^ Basta, Milan (1986). Rat je završen 7 dana kasnije. OOUR. p. 107. Ustaše su imale pretenzije da NDH pripoje i Sandžak sa svih njegovih 9 srazova, tumačeći svoj zahtjev time što se Muslimani, navodno...
  3. ^ Bulajić, Milan (2006). Jasenovac-1945-2005/06: 60/61.-godišnjica herojskog proboja zatočenika 22. aprila 1945 : dani sećanja na žrtve genocida nad jermenskim, grčkim, srpskim, jevrejskim i romskim narodima. Pešić i sinovi. p. 52. ISBN 978-86-7540-069-1. ... piše: "da Hrvatska ima jednu drugu nameru, a to je da se okupiraju gradovi u Crnoj Gori i Sandžak i granice spoje sa Bugarskom,
  4. ^ Tepić, Ibrahim (1998). Bosna i Hercegovina od najstarijih vremena do kraja Drugog svjetskog rata. Bosanski kulturni centar. p. 347. ISBN 9789958700002. Ne gubeći nadu da će Sandžak ući u sastav NDH, ustaške vlasti budno su pratile sitauciju i dočekivale poslanstva koja su sandžački Muslimani, preko Sarajeva, slali u Zagreb, tražeći "da Sandžak, koji ie sastavni dio Bosne i Hercegovine, uđe u sklop Države Hrvatske".
  5. ^ a b c d Đurović, Milinko (1964). Ustanak naroda Jugolavije, 1941: zbornik. Pišu učesnici. Vojno delo. p. 14. S obzirom na pripreme za napad na Sovjetski Savez, Nemci su žurili da uspostave kvislinšku vlast pre povlačenja sa teritorije Sandžaka, što je išlo u prilog ustašama, koji su težili pripajanju Sandžaka kvislinškoj tvorevini NDH. Cite error: The named reference "Đurović1964" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ Istorijski zapisi. Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore c. 1975. p. 266. ... Санџаку обнови војно стратегијски коридор против Србије и Црне Горе и против поновног успостављања Југославије. По одобрењу немачких окупацијских власти и наређењу владе НДХ, усташке и домобранске оружане формације из састав бјеловарске пјешачке пуковније од 29 априла до 5 маја 1941
  7. ^ a b c Kovačić, Davor (2009). Redarstveno--obavještatjni sustav Nezavisne Državne Hrvatske od 1941. do 1945 godine. Hrvatski institut za povijest. p. 53. ISBN 978-953-6324-74-3. Cite error: The named reference "Kovačić2009" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Istorijski zapisi. Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore c. 1975. p. 266. ... Од тих снага, као и муслиманске санџачке реакције, усташе су поставиле и цивилну власт у Пљевљима, Прибоју
  9. ^ Jovanović, Batrić (1984). Trinaesto julski ustanak. NIO "Pobjeda," OOUR Izdavačko-publicistička djelatnost. p. 35. Усташе су протерале досељене Црногорце са целе територије своје државе. Одмах по доласку у Пљевља усташе су затра- жиле да се протјерају Црногорци досељени у пљеваљски крај...
  10. ^ a b Pantelić, Ivan (1988). RUKOVOđENJE narodnooslobodilačkom borbom i revolucijom u Srbiji 1941-1945: zbornik radova sa tematske rasprave održane 11. i 12. maja 1988. Vojnoizdavački i novinski centar. p. 104. из државне службе, а затим су почеле да злостављају српско и црногорско становни- штво и напредне Муслимане Cite error: The named reference "Pantelić1988" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ Gledović, Bogdan; Drulović, Čedo; S̆alipurović, Vukoman (1970). Treća proleterska sandžačka brigada: zbornik sećanja. Vojnoizdavački zavod. p. 10. Одмах после окупације, усташе и муслиманска реакција почели су са прогонима Срба и Црногораца.
  12. ^ Борковић, Милан; Srbije, Institut za istoriju radničkog pokreta (1976). Srbija u ratu i revoluciji: 1941-1945. Srpska književna zadruga. p. 381. ...у срезовима у којима су усташе биле на власти, Срби, Јевреји, Црногорци и напредни људи немилосрдно су злостављани, појединачно или масовно убијани, док је њихова имовина пљачкана а куће паљене. Они који нису протерани у Србију или Црну Гору него су остали на својој земљи морали су као и у турско доба да дају четвртину рада бившим агама и беговима и квислиншким функционерима
  13. ^ Istorijski zapisi. Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore c. 1975. p. 266.
  14. ^ a b c Srbije, Institut za istoriju radničkog pokreta (1972). NOR i revolucija u Srbiji, 1941-1945: naučni skup posvećen 30-godišnjici ustanka, održan na Zlatiboru 25-26 septembra 1971. Institut za istoriju radničkog pokreta Srbije. p. 465. Cite error: The named reference "Srbije1972" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ Ramet 2006, p. 115: "Although the NDH authorities were permitted to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina, their desire to annex also the Sandzak of Novi Pazar ran aground as result of Italian opposition, ..."
  16. ^ Knežević, Danilo (1969). Prilog u krvi: Pljevlja 1941-1945. Opštinski odbor SUBNOR-a. Тако је 15. маја група Муслимана из Шьевал>а, Бяјелог ПоЛ)а и При]епол>а, наводно, у име Муслимана Санцака, предала Анти ПавелиЬу писмо у коме му је изражавала оданост као и НДХ, ...
  17. ^ Jovanović, Batrić (1984). Trinaesto julski ustanak. NIO "Pobjeda," OOUR Izdavačko-publicistička djelatnost. p. 35. ...из Санџака због тадашње по њих неповољне ситуације у Црној Гори, па су усташе остале у Санџаку све до почетка септембра 1941. године.
  18. ^ Ćuković, Mirko (1964). Sandžak: Na osnovu sakupljenog i obrađenog materijala knjigu napisao Mirko Ćuković. Nolit. p. x. Тако рећи сасвим одбијене, усташе су биле принуђене још у другој половини 1941. године да се одрекну Санџака и да га за увек напусте. Муслиманска реакција, која је била везала све своје наде за усташе, наједном се нашла усамљена и разуме се , сасвим је пришла окупатору.
  19. ^ Dedijer, Vladimir; Miletić, Antun (1990). Genocid nad Muslimanima, 1941-1945. Svjetlost. p. 186. ISBN 9788601015258. Talijanski delegati koji su posetili Foču utvrdili su komisijski da su ustaše poubijali preko 100 srpskih žena i dece,...
  20. ^ Redžić, Vučeta (2002). Građanski rat u Crnoj Gori: Dešavanja od sredine 1942. godine do sredine 1945. godine. Stupovi. p. 60. Повод за напад четника на муслимане пружили су им они сами.
  21. ^ Lampe, John R. (28 March 2000). Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country. Cambridge University Press. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-521-77401-7. Djurisic concentrated on raids of revenge against the Sandzak Muslims, many of them innocent villagers

Sources

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Further reading

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