Schmider, Klaus Fighting Tito's Partisans

The Axis war against the Yugoslav insurgency, 1941-44

An account of the successes and failures of the Axis powers' counter-insurgency efforts in Yugoslavia during the Second World War. In April 1941, German and other Axis forces invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and overran it in a very short time. Following this brief campaign, the country was dismembered and partitioned among Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Bulgaria. Almost immediately thereafter, remnants of the Royal Yugoslav Army under Colonel Mihailovic began organizing a resistance against the occupation. When the Germans launched "Operation Barbarossa" against the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Communist Party of Yugoslavialed by Josip Broz Titofollowed suit, and the Yugoslav Partisans were born. There followed a campaign of incredible complexity and brutality, during which, at times, more than twelve different factions fought both against and alongside one anothera conflict that claimed up to one million lives out of a total pre-war population of 15 million. In this study of this complex and bloody conflictwhich was simultaneously a liberation movement and a civil warhistorian Klaus Schmider draws upon primary sources as well as the latest research from the various warring parties. He thus provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of this bitter strugglefrom its beginnings in April 1941 to the arrival of the Red Army in 1944.