german auxiliary paramilitary force impose law order territory military commander serbia german military occupation world war formed yugoslav regiments created approval german military authorities long period controlled territory known leader serbian puppet government eventually gained control operations assisted germans imposing brutal occupation regimes occupied europe helped guard execute prisoners concentration camp belgrade leaders rank file sympathetic movement germans occasions reason october closed belgrade transferred control member fleeing administration quickly withdrawal west small number members captured british near italian yugoslav border history background following axis invasion occupation yugoslavia april established territory military commander serbia military government occupation territory included serbia proper addition northern area german occupants established military government exploit key rail transport routes passed valuable resources particularly non metals military commander serbia appointed serbian puppet governments carry administrative german direction supervision august germans appointed general replace short lived commissioner administration formation established basis understanding reached german military commander serbia general der lieutenant general serbia und der general police august maintenance law order occupied territory formed february yugoslav regiments law formally creating force issued march took role functions initially commanded sources vary strength germans initially set maximum strength quickly reached strength initially included groups frontier border guard equipped arms ammunition captured germans europe organised largely static force split regions belgrade battalion region region divided districts included companies branch created specifically service known formed region german minority march numbered thousand intended maintain law order guard borders monitor people requirements offer assistance protection areas health care cultural educational economic life royalist rapidly loyal lacked sufficient officers initial successes developed effective military force took overall control days formation decision strongly opposed operations military paramilitary units partisans operating territory late prior formation serbian participated german led drove partisans area routinely executed captured partisans frequently took murdered hostages towns villages included members assisted german troops round hostages shot october july concentration camp established suburbs belgrade initially guarded sole responsibility eventually transferred behaved violently inmates survivors camp stated executions camp carried executed included children total people killed camp closed october increasingly unpopular population time went despite limited independence actively engaged jews communist serbs killing people groups delivering germans execution engaged execution hostages control initiative clashed formations times specifically serbian loyal march suggested germans incorporated control force idea firmly rejected appointed german approved mayor chief police belgrade chief included responsibility germans considered june replaced colonel brother minister education july consisted men august september tried placed command german refusal contributed resignation threatened resign times previously similar reasons occasion germans took seriously offered audience adolf_hitler basis remained post october transferred arrested officers suspected having links end germans attempt eliminate senior officers arrested purge lieutenant colonel father unit commanders elder passing information arms ammunition october executed germans commanders men rank file sympathetic units regularly disarmed staging mock battles disguise transfers needed weapons ammunition forces provided financial assistance funds april units praised german commanders fighting partisans near eastern bosnia june germans rounded executed civilians suspicion collaborating partisans involved crimes actively involved committing atrocities serbian civilians delays september met hitler berlin promised given command return belgrade called military commander serbia general der arrangements transfer command advised received orders november finally given command late reached maximum strength men february leadership avoiding direct confrontations spring summer declined strength men return partisans serbia proper began casualties example march august lost men killed wounded missing august units responding general openly withdrawal capture days fall regime october transferred command general head principal administration immediately placed remaining troops command renamed serbian shock corps homeland command joined withdrawal formations region northeastern bosnia arrangement resulted difficult uneasy alliance began pressures withdrawal days december participated formations unsuccessful attempt capture partisan held city northeastern bosnia failure mutual resulted effective mid january members rejoined germans returning serbia advantage amnesty transported austria labour battalions direction allowed gap area join forces formations concerned departure describing troops worst troops world remnants remained overall command command december crossed river surrendered british near italian yugoslav border fortunately interned prisoners war senior officers repatriated yugoslavia face trial uniform journal wore pattern olive green uniform earlier pattern green grey case officers colour enlisted ranks obtained stores secured invasion review serbian state guard official gazette published end journal edited contributors included books police force occupation holocaust sources examining perpetrators victims isbn serbia secret war propaganda college station isbn bosnia quiet revolution wouldn quietly new_york isbn serbia history london publishers isbn hitler new disorder second world war yugoslavia new_york isbn isbn regime milan serbia serbs world war london isbn thomas yugoslavia new_york isbn thomas peter publishing isbn war revolution yugoslavia stanford isbn war revolution yugoslavia occupation collaboration stanford isbn journals serbia croatia germany civil war revolution balkans canadian papers
Serbian State Guard