serbian august serbian commander world war outbreak war held rank captain reserves axis powers invaded yugoslavia april leader region joined movement anti axis movement long range goals engage marginal resistance activities limited periods pursued war tactical selective collaboration occupation authorities yugoslav partisans engaged cooperation axis powers degree establishing operating auxiliary forces axis control collaborated extensively italians germans actions yugoslav partisans january february overall command captain participated muslim population immediately participated largest axis anti partisan operations war fought alongside italian german croatian troops following november concluded formal collaboration agreement germans participated anti partisan offensive operation february travelled london represent wedding king peter yugoslavia returning yugoslavia anticipation allied landing yugoslav coast decided break fight germans short lived captured partisans months later war tried collaboration war crimes sentenced death executed august early life born belgrade wealthy banking family point employed french civil engineering company attained rank captain reserves world war invasion occupation outbreak world war government regent prince paul yugoslavia declared neutrality despite aim securing southern flank pending attack soviet_union adolf_hitler began placing heavy pressure sign pact join axis delay yugoslav government signed pact march days later coup état deposed prince paul declared year old prince peter yugoslavia age following subsequent german led invasion yugoslavia yugoslav capitulation days later went hiding forests soon returned belgrade aware activities left capital officers soldiers form detachment area region november muslim forces forces attacked quickly advanced town commanded situation defenders difficult personally engaged defence town november stopped advance forces forced retreat november took attack forces summer fought partisans muslims december montenegro met conference village near conference dominated commander major resolutions expressed agenda focused restoring pre war status quo yugoslavia implemented initial stages dictatorship laid claim parts territory yugoslavia neighbors conference represented chief staff major previously encouraged wage campaign terror muslim population living borders montenegro conference decided destroy muslim villages district bosnia january issued orders district muslim organisations according historian produced detailed plan avoided muslim population district instead instructions given responsible commanders delays movement forces bosnia participate anti partisan case white offensive alongside italians enabled expand planned operation include district district bosnia combined force assembled divided detachments commander commanded force consisting force formed detachments ordered detachments placed overall command early february advance northwest preparation involvement combined force large numbers muslim population targeted areas report dated february reported forces command killed muslim combatants old people women children destroyed property livestock grain hay seized reported operations executed exactly according orders commanders units carried tasks muslim villages mentioned districts entirely burnt houses remained undamaged property destroyed cattle corn hay certain places collection fodder food ordered set warehouses reserved food units remained terrain order purge search wooded areas establish strengthen organization liberated territory operations complete muslim population undertaken regardless sex age orders operation stated kill muslim fighters communists kill women children according instructions included ensure written evidence killing non combatants february commander copy written orders issued detachments received additional orders kill muslims encountered february commander told battalion commanders kill accordance orders highest commanders according historian professor despite claims previous actions muslim aggressive activities circumstances point partial achievement previous directive clear muslims case white drawn closer collaboration axis second phase took place river valleys late february largest anti partisan war despite fact anti axis movement long range goals engage marginal resistance activities limited periods involvement significant examples tactical selective collaboration axis occupation forces instance participating received italian support included operating auxiliary forces italian control offensive fought alongside italian forces fought alongside german croatian troops partisans february second phase jointly held town river alongside italian troops reinforced german troops additional combined force held town attacks partisans seven day period attack launched battalions 1st february followed repeated attacks february unable capture town critical bridge partisans eventually crossed river downstream aware collaboration germans troops trial denied aware claiming controlled communications links kept information fighting germans supplied troops ammunition highly critical described bold reckless tactics indicating largely responsible failure hold partisans september immediately following italian capitulation garrisoned surrendered colonel bill bailey major troops unable control surrendered italians partisan formations arrived shortly afterward able convince italians join collaboration germans september united_states lieutenant colonel lieutenant territory military commander serbia british brigadier november american liaison officer captain conducted tour inspection areas including tour witnessed fighting partisans relative freedom movement americans assumed controlled territory moved despite praise expressed leader collaborating germans time hosting visiting americans mid november major chief detachments based near near november representative concluded formal collaboration agreement german representative german military commander southeast europe general der lieutenant general agreement signed november covered large portion territory military commander serbia bounded river river river agreement special german liaison officer assigned advise tactics ensure cooperation facilitate arms ammunition supply british prime minister winston_churchill read text agreement significant influence changing attitude british early december participated operation series german operations alongside 7th volunteer mountain division parts croatian infantry division 24th partisans avoided decisive engagement operation concluded december december posted notices local serbs join december shortly conclusion operation colonel issued order day commending enthusiasm fighting partisans allowed arms captured break mid february officer accompanied bailey coast south evacuated royal_navy passage german occupied territory probably facilitated accommodation germans point invited meal german garrison commander nearby town declined offer travelled cairo london represented king peter wedding march british government decided withdraw support companions allowed return yugoslavia british mission headed armstrong safely evacuated occupied territory detained british thoroughly searched local authorities suspected robbery occurred yugoslav cairo short time money jewelry letters carrying men flown landed improvised airfield northwest shortly landing coincided armstrong departure demanded armstrong held hostage belongings returned airfield refused armstrong allowed depart incident removed post minister army navy air_force result dismissal government king peter attempted independently contact allies italy hope reaching understanding common fight enemy attempts failed announced august commanders eastern bosnia eastern longer orders forming independent resistance movement fight collaborating early september issued proclamation people explaining reasons attacking germans october proposed change policy greet ask taken command russian general tried arrange non aggression pact partisans subsequently deployed days september attacked croatian infantry division railway line capturing villages taking hundreds prisoners formally relieved command asked commanders act partisans concerned trying link feared british landing adriatic coast attacked forces september capturing stronghold defeating remaining withdrew far returning area hope linking small detachments british troops landed support partisan operations instead captured partisans trial execution defendants tried military court belgrade july august accused conducting massacre participating muslim population collaboration occupying forces serbian puppet government commission crimes partisans found guilty offences executed firing squad august
Vojislav Lukačević