Independent State of Croatia

During World War II, in April 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was invaded. The forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy set up the Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Dr?ava Hrvatska, NDH), encompassing most of Croatia.

Uprising

The anti-fascist movement emerged early in 1941, under the command of the Communist party, led by Josip Broz Tito, as in other parts of Yugoslavia. The Croatian Partisans (partizani) began what would come to be known as the War of Liberation in Yugoslavia on June 22, 1941, when their first armed unit was formed in Brezovica near Sisak. The Partisans first engaged in combat on June 27th in Srb in Lika.

Related Topics:
Communist - Josip Broz Tito - Yugoslavia - Partisans - June 22 - Sisak - June 27 - Lika

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Another faction among the rebels were the Chetniks (?etnici), the Serbian royalists. The first Chetnik armed unit in Croatia was formed on June 28 (on the day of Vidovdan, a Serb Orthodox holiday).

Related Topics:
Chetniks - June 28 - Vidovdan - Serb Orthodox

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With increasing atrocities by Usta?e, the Partisans gradually received support from an increasing amount of population. At first they were isolated guerilla units formed in the areas of the atrocities ? this is why Partisans were often quoted as being a movement composed mostly of Serbs. Shortly after the Communists started their uprising, the Usta?e incarcerated much of the left-wing inteligentsia in Zagreb, and in an oft-quoted incident of July 9th, 1941, killed Bo?idar Ad?ija, Otokar Ker?ovani, Ognjen Prica and other Croatian communists.

Related Topics:
Inteligentsia - Zagreb - July 9 - Bo?idar Ad?ija - Otokar Ker?ovani - Ognjen Prica

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the end of 1942, the news about the Usta?a atrocities in Jasenovac and elsewhere had also spread among the Croatian population. Noted writers Vladimir Nazor and Ivan Goran Kova?i? escaped from the Ustasha-held territory to join the Partisans, and were followed by many more.

Related Topics:
1942 - Jasenovac - Vladimir Nazor - Ivan Goran Kova?i?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On July 13, 1943 a Democratic Republic of Croatia under the leadership of Andrija Hebrang was declared in those areas occupied by the Croatian Partisan forces. In 1943, the Partisans formed new political councils ZAVNOH and ZAVNOBiH (the "state anti-fascist council of people's liberation" of Croatia and of Bosnia and Herzegovina) that would later function as the interim government.

Related Topics:
July 13 - 1943

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Serbian royalist guerilla the Chetniks who were ostensibly formed to protect the Serbs from the Usta?a, in turn committed atrocities against Croats in retaliation. Later in the war, both Usta?e and ?etnici collaborated with the Axis powers and fought together against the Partisans.

Related Topics:
Chetniks - Partisans

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~