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163-569: During the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813) the civil security and intelligence work was not organized in a separate institution, but was carried out within the military-administrative service of the Revolutionary Serbia. The suppression of espionage conducted by Ottoman Empire and other countries ( Habsburg Empire , Russian Empire and at one point in time France as well) was very challenging for military and police authorities of

326-762: A failed uprising . After an uprising at a Turkish estate in the same year, the Ottoman authorities massacred the local population and publicly impaled 200 prisoners in Belgrade. In March 1815, the Serbs held several meetings and organized to resist again. This led to the Second Serbian Uprising in April, led by Miloš Obrenović . The uprising eventually succeeded in turning Serbia into a semi-autonomous state. Invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as

489-516: A "thorough cleansing of the Turks". After the Serbs finally stormed the fortress of Belgrade, Archbishop Leontii reported that the commander was killed "as well as all other Muslim inhabitants"; Turkish women and children were baptized. The slaughter was accompanied by widespread destruction of Turkish and Muslim property and mosques. A significant portion of those killed were not of actual Turkish descent, but were local Slavs who had converted to Islam over

652-404: A cavalry regiment, a Bersaglieri motorcycle battalion, three Border Guard battalions, one Finance Guard battalion, a motorised artillery regiment of three battalions, a military police battalion, and a tank company equipped with Fiat M13/40 light tanks. The Librazhd Sector included a motorised artillery regiment of four battalions, a bicycle-mounted Bersaglieri regiment, a cavalry regiment,

815-455: A compromise, informed Hitler that evening that Hungary would abide by the treaty, though it would likely cease to apply should Croatia secede, and Yugoslavia cease to exist. Upon the proclamation of an Independent State of Croatia in Zagreb on 10 April, this scenario was realized, and Hungary joined the invasion, its army crossing into Yugoslavia the following day. The invasion was spearheaded by

978-466: A further 600 aircraft from France, Africa, and Sicily into Romania and Bulgaria in a period of ten days. The fighter and reconnaissance craft were sent to fields in Arad , Deva , and Turnu Severin . On 12 February Britain broke off diplomatic relations with Romania on the grounds that it was an enemy-occupied country. Two events in early November 1940 convinced Hitler of the need to station troops, especially

1141-516: A government and parliament that returned land to the people, abolished forced labour , and reduced taxes. Serbia's military successes continued over the years, spurred on by the Russian Empire 's involvement in the parallel Russo–Turkish War . However, disagreements arose between Karađorđe, who sought an absolute monarchy , and other leaders who wanted to limit his power because some of his colleagues abused their privileges for personal gain. After

1304-510: A hostile state. Hitler took the coup as a personal insult, and was so angered that he was determined, in his words, "to destroy Yugoslavia militarily and as a state" ( Jugoslawien militärisch und als Staatsgebilde zu zerschlagen ) and to do so "with pitiless harshness" and "without waiting for possible declarations of loyalty of the new government". Hungary had joined the Tripartite Pact on 20 November 1940. On 12 December, it also concluded

1467-552: A large Ottoman force attacked 3,000 rebels led by commander Stevan Sinđelić on the hill of Čegar , near the town of Niš . Due to the lack of coordination between the commanders, the reinforcement of other detachments failed. Despite their numerical superiority, the Ottoman forces lost thousands of men in numerous attacks on the Serbian positions. Eventually, the rebels were overwhelmed, and their positions were overrun. To prevent his men from being captured and impaled , Sinđelić fired into

1630-555: A large part of the Serbian population as well as liberals and Communists. Military officers (predominantly Serbs) executed a coup d'état on 27 March 1941, forced the Regent to resign, and declared 17-year-old King Peter II to be of age. Upon hearing news of the coup in Yugoslavia, Hitler called his military advisers to Berlin on 27 March. On the same day as the coup he issued Führer Directive 25 , which called for Yugoslavia to be treated as

1793-615: A machine gun battalion, a motorised anti-aircraft battalion (less one battery), an engineer battalion, a company of Blackshirts, and a company of L3/35 tankettes. The Yugoslav forces consisted of more than 33 divisions of the Royal Yugoslav Army ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Vojska Kraljevska Jugoslavije , VKJ), four air brigades of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Vazduhoplovstvo Vojske Kraljevine Jugoslavije , VVKJ) with more than 400 aircraft, and

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1956-540: A major social break with the past. The poll tax on non-Muslims ( jizya ) was also abolished. The Battle of Deligrad in December 1806 was a decisive victory for the Serbs, which boosted the morale of the outnumbered rebels. To avoid total defeat, Ibrahim Pasha negotiated a six-week armistice with Karađorđe. By 1807, the demands for self-government within the Ottoman Empire had evolved into a war of independence, supported by

2119-581: A manufacturing licence. The sole operator was 3 vazduhoplovni puk (3rd bomber regiment) composed of two bomber groups; the 63rd Bomber Group stationed at Petrovec airfield near Skopje and the 64th Bomber Group stationed at Milesevo airfield near Priština . Other auxiliary airfields had also been prepared to aid in dispersal. During the course of hostilities, the State Aircraft Factory in Kraljevo managed to produce six more aircraft of this type. Of

2282-510: A motorised anti-aircraft battalion, a sapper assault battalion and a road construction battalion. VI Corps included four motorised artillery regiments with a total of sixteen battalions, two machine gun battalions (one motorised, one pack animal) and a motorised anti-aircraft regiment. XI Corps included one motorised artillery regiment comprising four battalions, three machine gun battalions (one motorised, one pack animal and one static), and six Blackshirt legions of battalion size. The Motorised Corps

2445-654: A navigational error) and one Rogozarski R 313 fighters, 69 Dornier Do 17 K (including 40 plus licence-built), 61 Bristol Blenheim Mk I (including some 40 licence-built) and 40 Savoia Marchetti SM-79 K bombers. Army reconnaissance units consisted of seven Groups with 130 obsolete Yugoslav-built Breguet 19 and Potez 25 light bombers. There were also some 400 trainer and auxiliary aircraft. The Naval Aviation units comprised 75 aircraft in eight squadrons equipped with, amongst other auxiliary types, 12 German-built Dornier Do 22 K and 15 Rogozarski SIM-XIV-H locally designed and built maritime patrol float-planes. The aircraft of

2608-578: A population of around 368,000 prior to 1804. Belgrade , which was the seat of the eponymous pashalik became the second largest Ottoman city in Europe, with over 100,000 inhabitants, surpassed only by Constantinople . During the Austro-Turkish War of 1788, the eastern Šumadija region was occupied by the Austrian-Serbian Free Corps and Hajduks , which led to the occupation of most of

2771-453: A proper record was kept. Furthermore, the department was in charge of drafting new bills with aim to protect the state. After introduction of 6 January Dictatorship in 1929 by King Alexander I and subsequent change of the name of the country to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a series of laws and regulations on state administration were enacted. According to the 1929 Law on Internal Administration,

2934-498: A quick cessation of hostilities, and fifth column activities by groups of Croatians, Slovenians, and ethnic Germans . The latter has been questioned by scholars who have suggested that the fifth column had little effect on the ultimate outcome. The invasion ended when an armistice was signed on 17 April 1941, based on the unconditional surrender of the Yugoslav army, which came into effect at noon on 18 April. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia

3097-486: A rival of Slobodan Milošević , Ivan Stambolić , was detained by the police. Soon after, he was gone missing during his every-day jogging routine. His remains were uncovered in 2003, in Fruška Gora . After a yearlong trial in special court in Belgrade, a judge found Radomir Marković and Milorad Ulemek, guilty of planning and carrying out the assassination of Ivan Stambolić. The State Security Directorate ceased to exist when

3260-594: A shortage of coal. Hungarian officials tried to meet all German demands without going further than the governments had agreed. Even sabotage was used on occasion to prevent having to give the Germans more support than required. On 18 January 1941 an agreement was reached to store German supplies in Hungarian warehouses under Hungarian guard, with only a German officer in Budapest to serve as a liaison. These supplies were to be used in

3423-726: A strength of 1,875 officers and 29,527 other ranks, including some 2,000 pilots, had over 460 front-line aircraft of domestic (notably the IK-3 ), German, Italian, French, and British origin, of which most were modern types. Organized into 22 bomber squadrons and 19 fighter squadrons, the main aircraft types in operational use included 73 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E , 47 Hawker Hurricane Mk I (with more being built under licence in Yugoslavia), 30 Hawker Fury II , 11 Rogožarski IK-3 fighters (plus more under construction), 10 Ikarus IK-2 , 2 Potez 63 , one Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-4 (captured in early April due to

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3586-542: A successful offensive at Novi Pazar , Serbian forces were later defeated at the Battle of Čegar . In March 1809, Hurşid Paşa was sent to the Sanjak of Smederevo to suppress the rebellion. The Ottoman force was composed of soldiers from various nearby pashaliks, mostly from Bosnia and Albania ( Scutari , Yanina ), including soldiers such as Samson Cerfberr of Medelsheim , Osman Gradaščević , and Reshiti Bushati . On 19 May 1809,

3749-439: A system of 50 auxiliary airfields that had previously been prepared. However, many of these airfields lacked facilities and had inadequate drainage which prevented the continued operation of all but the very lightest aircraft in the adverse weather conditions encountered in April 1941. Despite having, on paper at any rate, a substantially stronger force of relatively modern aircraft than the combined British and Greek air forces to

3912-649: A total of 22 divisions and 666 aircraft to the operation. The Hungarian 3rd Army also participated in the invasion, with support available from over 500 aircraft. During the April War, the Führer Headquarters (FHQ) was codenamed Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) and consisted of the Führersonderzug (Special Führer 's Train) codenamed "Amerika" stationed in Mönichkirchen alongside the special train "Atlas" of

4075-462: A total of 22 divisions to the operation, comprising around 300,000 troops. The Italian 2nd Army (Italian: 2° Armata ) was commanded by Generale designato d’Armata (acting General) Vittorio Ambrosio , and consisted of one fast (Italian: celere ) corps ( Celere Corps ), one motorised corps ( Motorised Corps ) and three infantry corps ( V Corps , VI Corps , and XI Corps ), and was assembled in northeastern Italy, attacking from Istria and

4238-468: A treaty with Yugoslavia calling for "permanent peace and eternal friendship". The Hungarian leadership was split after Germany's War Directive 25 was delivered on 27 March 1941. Regent Miklós Horthy and the military favoured taking part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and mobilized the following day. Prime Minister Pál Teleki sought to prevent German troops passing through Hungary and cited the peace treaty with Yugoslavia as an impediment to co-operation with

4401-455: A villa owned by the Pirzio Biroli family at Brazzacco, near Moruzzo , in order to be close to the front. Germany attacked Yugoslavia from bases in three countries besides itself: Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. German troops entered each of these countries under different pretenses and at different times. The first country to receive a German military mission was Romania. Ostensibly to train

4564-479: Is Saint Michael the Archangel ( Aranđelovdan ). First Serbian Uprising From 1805 : [REDACTED] Ottoman Empire [REDACTED] Ayans [REDACTED] Pashalik of Scutari Pashalik of Yanina From 1813 : Second Serbian Uprising : The First Serbian Uprising ( Serbian : Prvi srpski ustanak ; Serbian Cyrillic : Први српски устанак ; Turkish : Birinci Sırp Ayaklanması )

4727-522: Is necessary to avoid even the slightest semblance of military occupation of Romania." In the second half of October, the Romanian leader, Ion Antonescu , asked that the military mission be expanded. The Germans happily obliged the request, since the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești were vital to their war effort. Romania was also an important launching point for an attack on the Soviet Union, which made

4890-673: The 1st and 2nd Armies, defended the region between the Iron Gates and the Drava River . The 1st Army Group with the 4th and 7th Armies, composed mainly of Croatian troops, was in Croatia and Slovenia defending the Italian, German (Austrian) and Hungarian frontiers. The strength of each "Army" amounted to little more than a corps , with the Army Groups consisting of the units deployed as follows: On

5053-597: The April War or Operation 25 , was a German -led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II . The order for the invasion was put forward in " Führer Directive No. 25", which Adolf Hitler issued on 27 March 1941, following a Yugoslav coup d'état that overthrew the pro-Axis government. The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of

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5216-655: The Biscaccianti Blackshirt group which incorporated two Blackshirt regiments with a total of five battalions, the regimental-sized Agostini Blackshirt Forest Militia, and the Briscotto group, a regimental-sized formation consisting of one Alpini battalion and two Finance Guard battalions. The Zara garrison numbered about 9,000 men under the overall command of Generale di Brigata (Brigadier) Emilio Giglioli. The garrison consisted of two main groupings and an assortment of supporting units. The two main groupings were

5379-906: The Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army , as well as conducting intelligence activities directed to the diplomatic mission of the self-proclaimed Independent State of Croatia in Madrid. From the very beginning of World War II and establishment of Yugoslav Partisans , committees of the People's Liberation were set up as governing bodies in liberated territories and included bodies in charge of order and security. In September 1941, first Partisan intelligence and counter-intelligence services were established, while in October 1941 there were first intelligence officers in partisan headquarters appointed. In September 1943,

5542-630: The Dalmatian coast . On the same day, Hungarian forces entered Yugoslav Bačka and Baranya , but like the Italians they faced practically light resistance. A Yugoslav attack into the northern parts of Italian-controlled Albania met with initial success, but was ultimately repelled into Dalmatia. Scholars have proposed several theories to explain the sudden collapse of the Royal Yugoslav forces , including poor training and equipment, generals eager to secure

5705-678: The Devshirme system, which required Christian families to provide sons for the Ottoman military. The Serbs lived in wide areas in the western Balkans; a high percentage of them, experienced fighters, had fought under their own officers in the Serbian Freicorps of the Austrian army. They came from the Sanjak of Smederevo (also known in historiography as the Pashalik of Belgrade), a border district containing

5868-511: The Julian March along the border with Slovenia and Croatia. The 2nd Army was supported by a motorised engineer regiment including three bridging battalions, a chemical battalion, fifteen territorial battalions, and two garrison battalions. V Corps support units included three motorised artillery regiments comprising thirteen battalions, four machine gun battalions (two motorised and two pack animal), three Blackshirt legions of battalion size,

6031-536: The Kingdom of Greece only to be forced back into Italian-occupied Albania . German dictator Adolf Hitler recognised the need to go to the aid of his ally, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini . Hitler did this not only to restore diminished Axis prestige, but also to prevent Britain from bombing the Romanian Ploiești oilfields from which Nazi Germany obtained most of its oil. In 1940 and early 1941, Hungary , Romania , and Bulgaria all agreed to adhere to

6194-612: The Krušik defence company who had disclosed secret and confidential information to a foreign state. The main missions of the Security Intelligence Agency are: The Security Intelligence Agency is headed by the Director and is subdivided into directorates: There are also six regional centers ( regionalni centri ) located in largest cities as well as 28 territorial centers (teritorijalni centri ) in smaller towns spread throughout

6357-672: The Luftwaffe , in Bulgaria. The first was false reports that the British were constructing an airfield on Lemnos , from which they could bomb Ploiești . The second was the beginning of British air raids originating from Greek bases against Italian shipping on 6 November. Planning for the German invasion of Greece from Bulgaria began on 12 November. Already on 13 November, the Soviets were (incorrectly) accusing

6520-632: The Ministry of Internal Affairs . The State Security Directorate established in 1991 the Special Operations Unit whose numerous members have been implicated and some sentenced, for war crimes during the Yugoslav Wars , as well as for criminal activities. On 3 October 1999, a vehicle column of Serbian Renewal Movement , one of largest opposition parties at the time, was attacked while moving down Ibar Highway . Four party officials were killed in

6683-574: The Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria . These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania , Hungary and the Ostmark (modern-day Austria , then part of Germany). Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks until 11 April, when the Italian Army attacked towards Ljubljana (in modern-day Slovenia ) and through Istria and Lika and down

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6846-471: The Second Serbian Uprising in 1815. Serbia had been under Ottoman rule since the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Over the centuries, the Serbs experienced oppression, heavy taxation, and cultural assimilation under the Ottoman Empire . By the 18th century, the conditions for Serbs living under Ottoman rule had become increasingly harsh. In addition to high taxes, they faced discrimination and the imposition of

7009-742: The Tripartite Pact and thus join the Axis. Hitler then pressured Yugoslavia to join as well. The Regent, Prince Paul , yielded to this pressure, and declared Yugoslavia's accession to the Pact on 25 March 1941. This move was highly unpopular with the Serb -dominated officer corps of the military, Serbian organizations such as National Defense and the Chetniks Association , the Serbian Orthodox Church ,

7172-637: The beglerbeg of Rumelia Eyalet . He left Serbia for Plovdiv to fight against the Vidin rebels of Pazvantoğlu. During Mustafa Pasha's absence, Pazvantoğlu's troops captured Požarevac and besieged the Belgrade Fortress . In November 1797, the Obor knez Aleksa Nenadović , Ilija Birčanin and Nikola Grbović arrived in Belgrade with their troops. They successfully forced the besieging Janissary troops to retreat to Smederevo . On 30 January 1799, Selim III allowed

7335-462: The gunpowder magazine of his entrenchment, causing an explosion that killed all the rebels and Ottoman troops in the vicinity. Afterwards, Hurshid Pasha ordered the construction of a tower made from the skulls of Serbian revolutionaries. The resulting Skull Tower stands ten feet tall and contains 952 Serbian skulls embedded in 14 rows on all four sides. In July 1810, Russian troops arrived in Serbia for

7498-695: The 1878 Berlin Congress, Serbia became an independent country. King Milan Obrenović implemented reforms in 1882 related to the security and intelligence institutions. The civil security and intelligence work has been institutionalized for the first time by 1899 Law on amendments of the Organization of the Central State Administration. Law stipulated establishment of the Department for Secret Police Work ( Odeljenje za poverljive policijske poslove ) within

7661-518: The Armed Forces Operations Staff ( Wehrmachtführungsstabes , WFSt). "Atlas" did not arrive at Mönichkirchen until 11 April, well after operations were underway, and "Amerika" only arrived the following day. Mönichkirchen was chosen because a nearby rail tunnel could provide shelter in the event of air attack. Both trains returned to Berlin on 26 April. After the Italian invasion in the northwest began, King Victor Emmanuel III moved to

7824-639: The British had declared that "if Hungary were to permit German troops to pass through Hungarian territory against Yugoslavia, Britain would break off diplomatic relations, indeed might declare war on us." The first German troops began their passage through Hungary on 8 October. Despite some official denials, the troops movements were reported by Reuters and the American ambassador received a full report. According to contemporary British intelligence, three divisions had passed through Hungary to Romania by 2 November. On 20 November, Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki signed

7987-726: The Dahije with only Belgrade under their control. The Istanbul government ordered the pashas of the neighbouring Pashaliks not to help the Dahije. At first the Serbs fought on the side of the Sultan against the Janissaries, but later they were supported by an Ottoman official and the Sipahi cavalry corps. Despite their small numbers, the Serbs achieved significant military victories, capturing Požarevac and Šabac and launching successful attacks on Smederevo and Belgrade in quick succession. In July 1804,

8150-462: The Dahije, who had revoked the privileges granted to the Serbs by Selim III. Among those present were Stanoje Glavaš , Atanasije Antonijević , and Tanasko Rajić . They elected Đorđe Petrović , a cattle trader known as Karađorđe, as their leader. Karađorđe, a former member of the Freikorps during the Austro-Turkish War and an officer in the national militia, had considerable military experience. Serbian forces quickly took control of Šumadija , leaving

8313-401: The Danube from Lake Balaton to Barcs , and twelve brigades (nine on the front and three in reserve) for an offensive in Bačka ( Bácska ). The Danube Flotilla was to cover the flanks, and the air force was to stand by for orders. The "Carpathian Group", composed of Eighth Corps , the 1st Mountain Brigade and the 8th Border Guard ( Chasseur ) Brigade, was mobilized on the Soviet border, with

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8476-439: The Danube from Romania on 28 February, a day before Bulgaria joined the pact. The greater part of the 12th Army, augmented by VIII. Fliegerkorps , crossed the Danube on 2 March. They were welcomed by the Russophile population, who believed that Germany and the Soviet Union were allied. The 12th Army was originally deployed solely for an attack on Greece. After receiving Directive No. 25, which projected an invasion of Yugoslavia in

8639-420: The Danube. Bekir demanded the surrender of the Dahije. Meanwhile, Karađorđe sent his commander, Milenko Stojković , to the island. The Dahije refused to surrender, so Stojković attacked and captured them. He had them beheaded on the night of 5–6 August 1804. After destroying the power of the Dahije, Bekir Pasha wanted the Serbs disbanded. However, since the Janissaries still held important towns such as Užice ,

8802-403: The Department for People's Protection ( Odeljenje za zaštitu naroda ), better known as OZNA, was established within the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia as well as within Partisan units with task to unite intelligence and counter-intelligence work and set up an intelligence service. The Department for Protection of the People - OZNA ( Odeljenje za zaštitu naroda )

8965-468: The Department for State Protection was divided into two sections (First Section – for suppressing internal anti-state and destructive propaganda and conducting actions along with the intelligence service; Second Section – for suppressing external anti-state propaganda and conducting actions along with the intelligence service) and three subsections (Subsection for police supervision of foreigners and passenger traffic, Administrative Subsection and Subsection for

9128-402: The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1946, subsequent reorganisation of state bodies and state administration followed, according to which a "military" and "civil" part of the OZNA separated. Civilian sections transferred from the Secretariat of National Defence to the Secretariat of Internal Affairs and was renamed State Security Directorate while part which remained under the auspices of

9291-466: The German 2nd Army with elements of the 12th Army , First Panzer Group , and an independent panzer corps combined with overwhelming Luftwaffe support. The 19 German divisions included five panzer divisions , two motorised infantry divisions and two mountain divisions. The German force also included three well-equipped independent motorised infantry regiments and was supported by over 750 aircraft. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed

9454-459: The Germans of having troops in neutral Bulgaria. On 18 November, Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria met with Hitler and promised to participate in an attack on Greece, but only at the last moment. Shortly thereafter a secret German team under Colonel Kurt Zeitzler entered Bulgaria to establish fuel depots, arrange for troop billeting and scout the terrain. They were soon followed by hundreds of Luftwaffe personnel to establish air observation stations. By

9617-443: The Germans to begin operations, with the use of Hungarian territory and communications, on 12 April and the Hungarians to complete mobilization by 6 April and begin their offensive on the 15th. A meeting of the Supreme Defense Council was convened for 1 April to discuss Werth's request. After a long debate, it approved his mobilization plan, but refused to place Hungarian troops under German command and restricted Hungarian operations to

9780-459: The Germans. On 1 April, Yugoslavia redesignated its Assault Command as the Chetnik Command , named after the Serb guerrilla forces from World War I , which had resisted the Central Powers . The command was intended to lead a guerrilla war if the country was occupied. Its headquarters was transferred from Novi Sad to Kraljevo in south-central Serbia on 1 April. On 2 April, the German ambassador having already been recalled for "talks",

9943-401: The Head of department, the department had secretary and lower ranking officials, as well as an independent archive that stored "all the acts of confidential nature under the special surveillance and care of the Head of Department". In accordance with the King Aleksandar Obrenović 's 1900 Decree, the Department for Secret Police Work was merged into Police Department ( Policijsko odeljenje ) of

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10106-466: The Hungarian legation in Berlin had granted over 6,500 transit visas to Germans traveling to Romania. On 30 September, shortly after the signing of the Tripartite Pact, Ribbentrop and General Keitel asked the Hungarian foreign minister, István Csáky , who was in Vienna, to grant the Germans use of transit facilities for German military "study groups" to pass through to Romania. They were still awaiting final confirmation on 3 October. The arrangement agreed

10269-492: The Italians. On 14 and 15 April, King Peter and the government flew out of the country, and the Yugoslav Supreme Command was captured by the Germans near Sarajevo . The surrender was signed on 17 April and came into effect at noon on 18 April. Following the Belgrade Coup on 27 March 1941, the Yugoslav armed forces were put on alert, although the army was not fully mobilised for fear of provoking Hitler. The VVKJ command decided to disperse its forces away from their main bases to

10432-431: The Janissaries to return, calling them local Muslims from the Sanjak of Smederevo. At first, the Janissaries accepted the authority of Hadži Mustafa Pasha. However, in Šabac , a Janissary named Bego Novljanin demanded a surcharge from a Serb and murdered him when he refused to pay. Fearing the worst, Hadži Mustafa Pasha marched to Šabac with a force of 600 men to ensure that the Janissary was brought to justice and that order

10595-402: The Janissaries were employed by or took refuge with Osman Pazvantoğlu , a renegade opponent of Selim in the Sanjak of Vidin . Pazvantoğlu launched a series of raids against the Serbs without the Sultan's permission, causing much instability and fear in the region. In 1793, the Serbs defeated Pazvantoğlu at the Battle of Kolari. In the summer of 1797, Mustafa Pasha was appointed by the Sultan as

10758-415: The Janissaries. In 1805, negotiations between the Porte and the Serbs broke down over the Porte's inability to accept an agreement guaranteed by a foreign power and the Serbs' refusal to lay down their arms. Fearing a Christian uprising, the Porte issued a decree on 7 May 1805, ordering the rebels to disarm and rely on regular Ottoman troops to protect them from the Dahije. The Serbs, however, summarily ignored

10921-418: The Janissary command did not subside. In 1793 and 1796, Selim issued firmans that gave the Serbs more rights. These included the collection of taxes by the obor-knez (dukes), freedom of trade and religion, and the establishment of peace. Selim also ordered the removal of some unpopular Janissaries from the Belgrade Pashalik, as he saw them as a threat to the central authority of Hadži Mustafa Pasha. Many of

11084-404: The Ministry of Internal Affairs, established in 1920, with task to conduct intelligence and counter-intelligence work, control, security and keeping of records on foreigners, dealing with immigrant issues and repatriation, suppression of anti-state propaganda, control of foreign military defectors, monitoring and control of associations, various gatherings and manifestations and other issues on which

11247-414: The Ministry of Internal Affairs, with field of work encompassing intelligence and counterintelligence activities, suppression of anti-state propaganda and outlaw activities, suppression of terrorism. In terms of organization, the secret polices of France and Austria-Hungary served as role models for the Department for Secret Police Work. Jovan Milovanović was named the first head of the department. Apart from

11410-410: The Ministry of Internal Affairs. After the end of World War I and formation of a new state, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes , short-lived Department for Public Security ( Odeljenje za javnu bezbednost ) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was in charge of performing civil security and intelligence work. It was succeeded by the Department for State Protection ( Odeljenje za državnu zaštitu ) of

11573-429: The Mobile Corps held in reserve. These arrangements were agreed to by Werth, he later claimed, "on the basis of the authorization received" on 28 April—although this was not the government's view of what had been authorized. Werth applied for permission to mobilize on 1 April, since a mobilization order had to be approved by the cabinet and issued by the regent over the signature of the minister of defense. Werth expected

11736-499: The NGO sector. Schneider was expelled from Serbia. In December 2023, a Bulgarian spy active in Bosilegrad, who was collecting information about Serbian police and military forces stationed in the south of Serbia, was arrested. On two occasions during January 2024, BIA agents arrested Serbian citizens who were collecting data, secrets and installing surveillance devices with the aim of threatening

11899-578: The OZNA used illegal practices which included occasional mass murders of the "enemies of the people" having a notion of conducting the "revolution". The "enemies of the people" included not only local anti-communist forces but also notable individuals who did not support the communists, collaborators with the Axis powers during the occupation, wealthy individuals, and the Serbian Orthodox Church clergy as well as representatives of other religions. This period

12062-574: The Ottoman Pasha and took control of the Pashalik of Belgrade , ruling it independently of the Ottoman Sultan . This led to a period of tyranny, during which the Janissaries suspended the rights previously granted to the Serbs by the Sultan. They also raised taxes, imposed forced labour , and made other changes that negatively affected the Serbs. In 1804, the Janissaries feared that the Sultan would use

12225-635: The Ottoman Empire took advantage of the Russian retreat to reconquer Serbia in 1813. As part of this effort, Wallachia was also recaptured and secured by the Ottomans under the loyalist Phanariote John Caradja , along with its Great Banship ( Oltenia ). In July 1813, an Ottoman–Wallachian force, including "several hundreds of Caradja's Romanians" arriving in through Oltenia, moved up the Timok River and killed Veljko at Negotin . The Ottoman forces burned villages along

12388-518: The Ottoman Empire, the Serbs expected reprisals from the Turks for their support of the Austrians. Sultan Selim III had entrusted the sanjaks of Smederevo and Belgrade to battle-hardened Janissaries who had fought against Christian forces during the Austro-Turkish War and other conflicts. Although Selim granted authority to the peaceful Hadži Mustafa Pasha in 1793, tensions between the Serbs and

12551-457: The Ottoman Turks were suppressed with great violence and repression. In February 1804, the Janissaries executed seventy-two Serbs and displayed their heads on the citadel of Belgrade. These actions led to equally brutal reprisals when the situation was reversed. The liberation of Belgrade was followed by a massacre of Turks. The event was described by the Serbian historian Stojan Novakovic as

12714-534: The Ottomans were consistently defeated. In December 1806, the rebels, led by Petar Dobrnjac , captured Belgrade and gained control of the entire Pashalik. The rebels sent the Belgrade merchant Petar Ičko as their envoy to the Ottoman government in Constantinople . He succeeded in obtaining a favourable treaty named after him, the Ičko's Peace, which granted a measure of Serbian autonomy. However, Serbian leaders rejected

12877-629: The Porte promised a general amnesty and certain autonomous rights. The Serbs were granted control over the administration of their own affairs and the collection and payment of a fixed tribute. The reaction in Serbia was strong, with particular concern over the reoccupation of fortresses and towns and the expectation of feared reprisals. During the rebellion, some of the leaders abused their privileges for personal gain. Disagreements arose between Karađorđe and other leaders as Karađorđe sought absolute power while his dukes sought to limit it. After retaking Belgrade,

13040-528: The Porte, which were considered discriminatory on the basis of religious affiliation. Karađorđe declared himself the hereditary supreme leader of Serbia but agreed to cooperate with the Governing Council, which also served as the supreme court. During the Ottoman-Russian War of 1809, Karađorđe was initially willing to support Russia, but their cooperation proved ineffective. Although Karađorđe launched

13203-599: The Press). Upon the invasion of Yugoslavia and signing of capitulation on 17 April 1941, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia continued to act within the Yugoslav government-in-exile . Intelligence service of the government-in-exile continued its work within diplomatic missions in allied and neutral countries. The work was primarily oriented towards maintaining relations with homeland and providing financial help to

13366-416: The Romanian armed forces, its real purpose was to protect Romania's petroleum resources and prepare for an attack on the Soviet Union. The Wehrmacht entered Bulgaria more circumspectly, first with the intention of providing aerial defense against any force attacking Romania's oilfields and later with that of invading Greece in support of Italy. German troops did not enter Hungary until the attack on Yugoslavia

13529-656: The Russian Empire. Combining patriarchal peasant democracy with modern national aspirations, the Serbian Revolution attracted thousands of volunteers among Serbs from across the Balkans and Central Europe. It eventually became a symbol of the nation-building process in the Balkans and provoked unrest among Christians in both Greece and Bulgaria . After a successful siege with 25,000 men in late 1806, Karađorđe proclaimed Belgrade

13692-555: The Russo-Ottoman War ended in 1812, the Ottoman Empire took advantage of these circumstances and reconquered Serbia in 1813. Although the uprising was unsuccessful, the Serbs were the first Christian population in Ottoman history to rise up against the Sultan and succeed in creating a short-lived independent state. Their uprising eventually became a symbol of the nation-building process in the Balkans and inspired unrest among neighbouring Balkan peoples. The uprising soon resumed with

13855-707: The SDB was domestic security; identifying and obstructing activities of the "domestic enemy" (i.e. the "bourgeois rightwing", clericalists, members of the Cominform , nationalists, and separatists ). Intelligence work abroad was deemed less important and was under federal control. In 1991, in the midst of the break-up of Yugoslavia, the State Security Service of Serbia was transformed into the State Security Directorate - RDB ( Resor državne bezbednosti ) as part of

14018-413: The Sanjak into pashaliks, immediately suspending Serbian autonomy and significantly increasing taxes. Land confiscation and the introduction of forced labour, known as chiflik , prompted many Serbs to flee to the mountains. The Serbs petitioned the Sultan to inform him of the tyranny they were suffering, upon learning of this and in an attempt to prevent a rebellion, the Dahije decided to act first. At

14181-515: The Sanjak of Smederevo by the Habsburg Monarchy (1788–1791). From 15 September to 8 October 1789, an Austrian force besieged the fortress of Belgrade . The Austrians held the city until 1791, when they returned it to the Ottomans under the terms of the Treaty of Sistova . The withdrawal was a disappointment for the Serbs, according to historian Theodor N. Trâpcea. After the return of the sanjak to

14344-653: The Secretariat of the National Defence formed the Counterintelligence Service - KOS ( Kontraobaveštajna služba ). Directorate for State Security - UDB ( Uprava državne bezbednosti ) was centralized at the federal level (through the Federal Secretariat of Internal Affairs) as well as at the level of secretariats of the internal affairs of six constituent republics and two autonomous provinces. It had

14507-482: The Security Intelligence Agency was established, on 27 July 2002. For the first time in Serbian history, civil security and intelligence work was separated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In May 2018, the Law on the Security Intelligence Agency was amended, which gave additional powers to the director and it additionally defined details related to the work of the agency's employees. In March 2019, Prva uprava department of

14670-595: The Security and Information Agency was awarded the Order of Merit for Defense and Security, second degree. During 2019, the BIA intercepted the handover of funds by a Russian intelligence lieutenant colonel to a retired Serbian officer. In November 2023, the BIA exposed the activities of high-ranking Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Šnajder, who, as part of intelligence activities, collected information from Serbians active in politics, business and

14833-487: The Serbs against them, which led to the assassination of many Serbian chiefs . An assembly chose Karađorđe to lead the uprising, and the rebel army quickly defeated and took over towns throughout the sanjak, technically fighting for the Sultan. Sultan Selim III , fearing their power, ordered all the Pashaliks in the region to crush them. The Serbs marched against the Ottomans and, after major victories in 1805–06, established

14996-508: The Serbs were unwilling to stop without guarantees. In May 1804, Serbian leaders under Dorđe Petrović met in Ostružnica to continue the uprising. Their goals were to seek protection from Austria , to petition Sultan Selim for greater autonomy, and to request Russian protection from the Russian ambassador in Istanbul. The Russian government maintained a neutral policy toward the Serbian revolt until

15159-505: The Serbs, leading some to flee with their families into the woods while others organised themselves into self-defence units, as uncoordinated resistance erupted throughout the region. The events in Serbia were being closely monitored by neighbouring Christian states such as Wallachia , an Ottoman client-state bordering Serbia to the northeast, and ruled by the Phanariote Prince Constantine Ypsilantis (who

15322-600: The Slovenes did not feel abandoned, defences were built on Yugoslavia's northern border when the natural line of defence was much further south, based on the rivers Sava and Drina. The only effective opposition to the invasion was from wholly Serbian units within the borders of Serbia itself. The Germans, thrusting north-west from Skopje , were held up at Kacanik Pass and lost several tanks (P39, Buckley C "Greece and Crete 1941" HMSO 1977). In its worst expression, Yugoslavia's defenses were badly compromised on 10 April 1941, when some of

15485-476: The Sultan, fearing that the Serbian movement might get out of control, sent Bekir Pasha , former Pasha of Belgrade and now Pasha of Bosnia Eyalet , to officially help the Serbs, but in reality to keep them under control. Alija Gušanac , the Janissary commander of Belgrade, faced with both Serbs and imperial authority, allowed Bekir Pasha into the city. The Dahije had previously fled east to Ada Kale , an island in

15648-620: The Tripartite Pact after a meeting with Hitler in Berchtesgarden . At the meeting, Hitler spoke of his intention to aid Italy against Greece, thereby preparing the Hungarians for his future demands. On 13 December 1940—the day after the Hungaro-Yugoslav Non-Aggression Pact and the day Hitler issued Führer Directive No. 20 —major German troop movements began. The Germans had initially promised to supply 180 locomotives for

15811-566: The Tripartite Pact. At the time Germany informed Romania that she would not be expected to participate in an attack on Greece, but that Germany wanted to use Romanian territory to provide a base for a German attack. On 24 November, Antonescu met with Wilhelm Keitel , chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht , to discuss common defense. As a result of this meeting, the 16th Panzer Division was sent to Romania in late December. The 12th Army and First Panzer Group, along with heavy bridging equipment for

15974-576: The United States of America in the months just preceding the invasion. Fully mobilized, the Yugoslav Army fielded 28 infantry divisions, three cavalry divisions, and 35 independent regiments. Of the independent regiments, 16 were in frontier fortifications and 19 were organized as combined regiments, or "Odred", around the size of a reinforced brigade. Each Odred had one to three infantry regiments and one to three artillery battalions, with three organised as "alpine" units. The German attack, however, caught

16137-786: The Yugoslav Army; the XLI Panzer Corps from Romania towards Belgrade, the XLVI Panzer Corps from Hungary across the Drava , the LI Infantry Corps from Austria towards Zagreb , and the XLIX Mountain Corps from Austria towards Celje . By the end of that day, the Yugoslav Army was disintegrating, and was in retreat or surrendering right across the country, with the exception of the forces on the Albanian frontier. Italy and Hungary joined

16300-662: The Yugoslav airline Aeroput , consisting mainly of six Lockheed Model 10 Electras , three Spartan Cruisers , and one de Havilland Dragon were mobilised to provide transport services to the VVKJ. The KJRM was equipped with one elderly ex-German light cruiser (suitable only for training purposes), one large modern destroyer flotilla leader of British design, three modern destroyers of French design (two built in Yugoslavia plus another still under construction), one seaplane tender , four modern submarines (two older French-built and two British-built) and 10 modern motor torpedo boats (MTBs), of

16463-415: The army still mobilizing, and only some 11 divisions were in their planned defense positions at the start of the invasion. The Yugoslavs had delayed full mobilisation until 3 April in order not to provoke Hitler. The units were filled to between 70 and 90 percent of their strength as mobilization was not completed. The Yugoslav Army was about 1,200,000 in total as the German invasion commenced. The VVKJ had

16626-479: The campaign against Greece. On 27 March 1941, Hitler informed the Hungarian ambassador, Döme Sztójay , and gave an official proposal to Hungary for participation in the attack on Yugoslavia. Hitler confidentially told Miklós Horthy that Germany fully recognizes the Hungarian territorial claims in relation to Yugoslavia and that he can take Bačka and Banat, and added "take as much as you want". Horthy mostly agreed and accepted Hitler's suggestions. A Hungarian response

16789-634: The capital of Serbia on 8 January 1807, after the surrender of the remaining fortifications on St. Stephen's Day. The Serbian efforts were supported by the Imperial Russian Army , which had established itself in Wallachia during the parallel Russo-Turkish War. This allowed the Serbian rebels to concentrate on the Timok Valley , deep in the Sanjak of Vidin. A local rebel named Hajduk Veljko pledged his allegiance to Karađorđe. Earlier rebellions against

16952-445: The capital of the rebellion. The second major clash was the Battle of Mišar in 1806, where the rebels defeated an Ottoman army from Bosnia led by the Sipahi commander Suleiman-Pasa. The rebels also defeated Osman Pazvantoğlu and another Ottoman army sent from the southeast at Deligrad. Despite repeated efforts and the support of Ottoman commanders, including Ibrahim Bushati and Ali Pasha 's two sons, Muktar Pasha and Veli Pasha ,

17115-404: The centuries. The massacre sparked a debate within the rebel faction. The older generation of rebels viewed the massacre as a sin, but the prevailing principle was the removal of all Muslims. In 1808, Sultan Selim was executed by Mustafa IV , who was subsequently deposed by Mahmud II . During this political crisis , the Ottomans were willing to offer significant autonomy to the Serbs. However,

17278-416: The country. The following is a list of heads of the Security Intelligence Agency and its predecessors: Day of the Security Intelligence Agency is celebrated on 17 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the first security and intelligence service of Serbia. On that day in 1899, the Department for Secret Police Work is founded. The patron saint ( krsna slava ) of the Security Intelligence Agency

17441-476: The decree. Selim responded by ordering Hafiz Pasham, the Pasha of Niš, to march against the Serbs and take Belgrade. In 1805, the first major battle took place at Ivankovac , where the Serbs defeated the Sultan's army and forced it to retreat towards Niš. It was the first time that the Serbs defeated the Sultan's army and not a Muslim rebel force. In November of the same year, the fortress of Smederevo fell and became

17604-666: The development of security and intelligence functions, since the Ministry of Internal Affairs was, among other missions, in charge of the civil security and intelligence work. During the rule of Prince Miloš Obrenović great attention was devoted to the organization of security and intelligence activities. The security and intelligence authorities were engaged in secret procurement of weaponry and war equipment from abroad, protection from top secret disclosure, gathering of political and diplomatic notifications, revealing of misinformation on Serbia and its Prince, as well as in channeling of foreign political views towards Prince's policy. Following

17767-571: The direction of Belgrade on 8 April, the force was redeployed in three groups: one along the Turkish border, one along the Greek border and one along the Yugoslav border. Motorized transport was brought in from Romania to achieve this feat in a few days. Although German troops had been refused the right to transit Hungary for the invasion of Poland in 1939, they were permitted to pass through Hungary as civilians on their way to Romania in 1940. In September 1940

17930-452: The end of December over a thousand German troops in civilian clothing were active in Bulgaria, although the latter's government continued to deny it. Bombers and dive-bombers were also gradually moved into Bulgaria, beginning in November. By the end of March 1941, the Luftwaffe had 355 aircraft in the country. On 17 February 1941, Bulgaria signed a non-aggression pact with Turkey , paving

18093-550: The end of January 1804, throughout the Sanjak, between 70 and 150 knezes (village leaders), livestock merchants and Orthodox priests were executed by the Dahije in an event known as the Slaughter of the Knezes . According to contemporary sources from Valjevo , the severed heads of the leaders were displayed on the central square as a warning to those who might plot against the Dahije's rule. Janissary atrocities fueled fear and anger among

18256-423: The eve of invasion, clothing and footwear were available for only two-thirds or so of the potential front-line troops and only partially for other troops; some other essential supplies were available for only a third of the front-line troops; medical and sanitary supplies were available for only a few weeks, and supplies of food for men and feed for livestock were available for only about two months. In all cases there

18419-506: The following missions: "organising service, undertaking measures and performing governing tasks with the aim of detecting and preventing activities oriented towards undermining and disrupting constitutionally determined economic, political and legal order and gathering information to this effect." The UDB was a "political police", answerable to the Communist party organization from which it received its guidelines and to which it reported. The UDB

18582-421: The four Janissaries referred to themselves as Dahije . As a result, Belgrade was captured and the Sanjak of Smederevo was divided among them independently of the Ottoman government, and in defiance of the Sultan, despite the dispatch of a new Pasha from Constantinople. The Janissaries enforced a system of arbitrary abuse unparalleled in the entire history of Ottoman misrule in the Balkans. The leaders divided

18745-442: The ground offensive on 11 April. The Italian part in the ground offensive began when their 2nd Army attacked from northeastern Italy towards Ljubljana and down the Dalmatian coast, meeting virtually no resistance. On the same day, the Hungarian 3rd Army crossed the Yugoslav border and advanced toward Novi Sad , but like the Italians, they met no serious resistance. On 12 April, German troops captured Belgrade, and Ljubljana fell to

18908-548: The guarantor of peace in the region. Negotiations between the Serbs and the Ottomans began in May 1804, mediated by the Austrian governor of Slavonia . As Trâpcea notes, the Serbs made only modest demands, seeking autonomy within the borders of the Pashalik. This autonomy was to be under the control of a Serbian knez with the power to collect taxes for the Sublime Porte . In addition, the Serbian leaders demanded further restrictions on

19071-446: The hard pressed Yugoslav Army by strafing attacking troop and mechanized columns in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia (sometimes taking off and strafing the troops attacking the very base being evacuated). After a combination of air combat losses, losses on the ground to enemy air attack on bases and the overrunning of airfields by enemy troops, after 11 days the VVKJ almost ceased to exist. However, continued domestic aircraft production during

19234-475: The impending disaster, Karađorđe sought help from the Habsburgs and Napoleon , but to no avail. At this point, the Serbian rebels shifted to a defensive strategy, focusing on holding their territories rather than making further gains. Meanwhile, Russia, preoccupied with a French invasion , prioritized signing a final peace treaty and acted against Serbia's interests. In particular, the Serbs were not informed of

19397-637: The invasion and resultant fighting into two phases. The first phase encompasses the Luftwaffe ' s devastating air assault on Belgrade and airfields of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force of 6 April, and an initial thrust of the German XL Panzer Corps from Bulgaria towards Skopje that commenced the same day. This was followed by the assault of the German XIV Panzer Corps from Bulgaria towards Niš on 8 April. On 10 April, four more thrusts struck

19560-624: The invasion comprising the Srem , Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as the Croatian lands. Along with Italy 's stalled invasion of Greece on 28 October 1940, and the German-led invasion of Greece (Operation Marita) and invasion of Crete (Operation Merkur), the invasion of Yugoslavia was part of the German Balkan Campaign (German: Balkanfeldzug ). In October 1940, Fascist Italy had attacked

19723-410: The invasion supplied the VVKJ with an additional eight Hurricane Is, six Dornier Do 17 Ks, four Blenheim Is, two Ikarus IK 2s , one Rogozarski IK-3 and one Messerschmitt Bf 109 from the local aeronautical industry's aircraft factories and workshops. At the beginning of the April war, the VVKJ was armed with some 60 German designed Do 17Ks, purchased by Yugoslavia in the autumn of 1938, together with

19886-645: The main attack on Subotica ( Szabadka ), with a secondary operation east of the river Tisza . Because of Romania's request that Hungarian troops not operate in the Banat , Paulus modified the Hungarian plan and kept their troops west of the Tisza. This final plan "was put down in map form", according to Paulus' account, and must have been telephoned to Berlin immediately so as to make into Operational Order No. 25, issued by Walther von Brauchitsch that same day. This final plan committed one Hungarian corps of three brigades west of

20049-506: The main invasion routes, massacred or displaced their inhabitants, and enslaved many women and children. Karađorđe and other rebel leaders fled the country, and the exiles scattered throughout the Austrian Empire , Wallachia, and Russia. As a clause of the Treaty of Bucharest, the Ottomans agreed to grant a general amnesty to the participants of the uprising. However, as soon as Turkish rule

20212-603: The movements of the Serbian Army, working on the behalf of the Albanian service. In February 2024, the BIA discovered the representative office of a foreign organization that was acting as an intelligence and subversive agent in Serbia, conducting classic espionage activity. Four Serbian citizens were arrested. In July 2024, the BIA in cooperation with the Military Security Agency and the Serbian police arrested employees of

20375-490: The negotiations and only learned of the final terms from the Ottomans. This second Russian retreat occurred at the height of Karađorđe's power and the rise of Serbian expectations. The Treaty of Bucharest , signed in May 1812, contained Article 8, which dealt with the Serbs. According to the treaty, Serbian fortifications were to be destroyed unless they were of value to the Ottomans. Pre-1804, Ottoman installations were to be reoccupied and garrisoned by Ottoman troops. In return,

20538-521: The occupation of territory abandoned by the Yugoslavs. On 2 April Germany responded that the Paulus–Werth agreement was final, and German staff officers began arriving in Budapest that day. That same day the British informed Hungary that she would be treated as an enemy state if Germany made use of her territory or facilities in an attack on Yugoslavia. On the morning of 3 April, Pál Teleki committed suicide;

20701-412: The older vessels, there were six ex-Austrian Navy medium torpedo boats, six mine-layers, four large armoured river monitors and various auxiliary craft. The Yugoslav Army was organized into three army groups and the coastal defense troops. The 3rd Army Group was the strongest with the 3rd, 3rd Territorial, 5th and 6th Armies defending the borders with Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. The 2nd Army Group with

20864-481: The period of existence of the socialist Yugoslavia. The Ministry of Justice established in 2005 the commission to research atrocities that were committed by members of the Yugoslav Partisan Movement after they gained control over Serbia in autumn 1944. The report of this commission presented a list of 59,554 registered killings after communist takeover in Serbia. After the adoption of Constitution of

21027-589: The planned crossing of the Danube, followed in January 1941. By January 1941 the total number of German effectives in Romania was 170,639. Those elements of the 12th Army that were to invade Yugoslavia from Romania assembled near Timișoara (Temeschwar). Between November 1940 and February 1941, the Luftwaffe gradually moved 135 fighters and reconnaissance aircraft into Romania (in 22–26 squadrons). In early April 1941 they moved

21190-533: The presence of German troops a violation of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939. By the middle of November, the 13th Motorised Infantry Division had been assembled in Romania and reinforced by the 4th Panzer Regiment , engineers and signal troops, as well as six fighter and two reconnaissance Luftwaffe squadrons, and some antiaircraft artillery. A total of seventy batteries of artillery were moved into Romania. On 23 November, Romania signed

21353-783: The regent immediately cancelled the mobilization order already given except for the Border Guard and the Mobile Corps, which prompted Werth to resign. Horthy then authorized the mobilization of the Fourth and Fifth Corps and the Mountain Brigade, and Werth withdrew his resignation. This occurred so late in the day that zero hour for mobilization to begin was given as midnight of 5 April. On the morning of 3 April, German units, including tanks and aircraft, bound for Romania passed openly through Budapest. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed

21516-448: The regimental-sized Fronte a Terra (Land Front), which comprised three static machine gun battalions and a bicycle-mounted Bersaglieri battalion, and the battalion-strength Fronte a Mare (Sea Front), which consisted of two machine gun companies, an anti-aircraft battery, a coastal artillery battery and a naval artillery battery. Supporting units consisted of an artillery regiment of three battalions, two independent artillery battalions,

21679-420: The remaining embassy staff were ordered to leave the capital and to warn the embassies of friendly nations to likewise evacuate. That sent the unmistakable message that Yugoslavia was about to be invaded. On 3 April, Hitler issued War Directive 26 detailing the plan of attack and command structure for the invasion as well as promising Hungary territorial gains. The same day Teleki killed himself. Horthy, seeking

21842-547: The revolutionary state. Revolutionary authorities targeted infiltrated Ottoman spies and Serbs who provided information to Ottomans. In 1808 the Governing Council of Revolutionary Serbia issued order to preventively banish from Belgrade and other Serbian cities all individuals that are potentially involved in espionage for the enemy purposes, while police and judicial authorities "were to pay special attention to malevolent people, outlaws, spies and similar". The founding of Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1811 had great significance for

22005-399: The second time. This time they provided military cooperation by sending weapons, ammunition and medical supplies. Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov also participated in planning joint actions. Russian support raised hopes of a Serbian victory. In August 1809, an Ottoman army marched on Belgrade, causing a mass exodus of people across the Danube. Among them was the Russian agent Radofinikin. Faced with

22168-533: The small Royal Yugoslav Navy ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Kraljevska Jugoslovenska Ratna Mornarica , KJRM) centred around four destroyers and four submarines based on the Adriatic coast and some river monitors on the Danube . The VKJ was heavily reliant on animal-powered transport , was only partly mobilised at the time of the invasion, and had only 50 tanks that could engage German tanks on an equal basis. The VVKJ

22331-663: The south, the VVKJ could simply not match the overwhelming Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica superiority in terms of numbers, tactical deployment and combat experience. The bomber and maritime force hit targets in Italy, Germany (Austria), Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Greece, as well as attacking German, Italian and Hungarian troops. Meanwhile, the fighter squadrons inflicted not insignificant losses on escorted Luftwaffe bomber raids on Belgrade and Serbia, as well as upon Regia Aeronautica raids on Dalmatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. The VVKJ also provided direct air support to

22494-586: The staged accident and party president Vuk Drašković was injured. In a 2007 ruling by the Belgrade District Court former State Security officer and unit's commander Milorad Ulemek , was sentenced to 15 years in prison, former Head of the State Security Directorate Radomir Marković received eight years while other members of the unit were sentenced to 14 years in prison. On 25 August 2000, former president of Serbia and once

22657-656: The suggestion of some dukes, including Jakov and Matija Nenadović, Milan Obrenović, and Sima Marković. Their purpose was to check Karađorđe's powers. Boža Grujović, the first secretary, and Matija Nenadović, the first president, envisioned the Council as the government of the new Serbian state. The revolutionary government was responsible for organizing and supervising various aspects of government, including administration, economy, army supply, law and order, justice, and foreign policy. In addition to abolishing forced labour and reducing taxes, they also abolished all feudal obligations in 1806, emancipating peasants and serfs and marking

22820-436: The summer of 1804 due to the recent Russo-Turkish friendship, which was a response to the growing influence of France. At the beginning of the uprising, the Russian envoy in Montenegro refused to deliver the message when the Serbs asked for help and instructed the Serbs to petition the Sultan. However, in the summer of 1804, after the meeting in Ostružnica, the Russian government changed its policy to be recognized by Istanbul as

22983-425: The talks did not lead to an agreement between the two parties, as they could not agree on the exact borders of Serbia. Karađorđe's 1809 proclamation in the capital, Belgrade , is considered the culmination of the first phase. The proclamation called for national unity and invoked Serbian history to call for the establishment of religious freedom and a written rule of law . It also urged Serbs to stop paying taxes to

23146-477: The transfers, but later the Hungarians were complaining that only 130 had arrived. On 24 December, István Horthy , President of Hungarian State Railways (HSR), demanded negotiations before implementing requested German increases, but Ambassador Otto von Erdmannsdorf informed him that it had all been settled in Vienna by Keitel and Csáky. The German traffic was so large that on 28 December the HSR had to suspend travel on all its trains for several days on account of

23309-443: The treaty and may have poisoned Ičko for his dealings with the Ottomans. In 1805, the Serbian rebels established a rudimentary government to administer the lands under Serbian control. The government was divided into the Narodna Skupština (People's Assembly), the Praviteljstvujušči Sovjet (Ruling Council), and Karađorđe himself. The Ruling Council was established on the recommendation of Russian Foreign Minister Chartorisky and at

23472-459: The units in the Croatian-manned 4th and 7th Armies mutinied, and a newly formed Croatian government hailed the entry of the Germans into Zagreb the same day. The Serbian General Staff were united on the question of Yugoslavia as a "Greater Serbia", ruled, in one way or another, by Serbia. On the eve of the invasion, there were 165 generals on the Yugoslav active list. Of these, all but four were Serbs. Professor Jozo Tomasevich and others divide

23635-511: The various models often lacked proper repair and maintenance facilities. The only mechanized units were six motorized infantry battalions in the three cavalry divisions, six motorized artillery regiments, two tank battalions equipped with 110 tanks, one of which had Renault FT models of First World War origin and the other 54 modern French Renault R35 tanks, plus an independent tank company with eight Czech T-32 (Š-I-D) tank destroyers. Some 1,000 trucks for military purposes had been imported from

23798-441: The way for its adherence to the Tripartite Pact, which was signed by Prime Minister Bogdan Filov in Vienna on 1 March. When Ivan V. Petrov, member of the National Assembly from Yablanitsa , asked why the Assembly had not been consulted, Filov pointed out that the constitution only required parliamentary approval prior to ratification. The signing was ratified by a vote in the Assembly of 140 to 20. The first German troops crossed

23961-429: Was already planned and Hungary's participation had been secured. King Carol II of Romania , starting from the cession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, proposed in a letter to Adolf Hitler on 2 July 1940 that Germany send a military mission to Romania. The Romanian government asked that a mission be sent urgently on 7 September 1940, the day after Carol's abdication. The decision to aid Romania

24124-415: Was also characterized by the strong presence of armed anti-communist operating in western Serbia representing a serious challenge to the new communist authorities. In combating armed anti-communist groups, the OZNA murdered prisoners without any investigation or trial, sometimes also murdering the civilians associated with them. The majority of the atrocities committed by OZNA were hidden from the public during

24287-432: Was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804, to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt against the Dahije , who had seized power in a coup d'état . It later evolved into a war for independence , known as the Serbian Revolution , after more than three centuries of Ottoman Empire rule and brief Austrian occupations. In 1801, the Janissary commanders assassinated

24450-745: Was equipped with a range of aircraft of Yugoslav, German, Italian, French and British design, including less than 120 modern fighter aircraft . Formed after World War I , the VKJ was still largely equipped with weapons and material from that era, although some modernization with Czech equipment and vehicles had begun. Of about 4,000 artillery pieces, many were aged and horse-drawn, but about 1,700 were relatively modern, including 812 Czech 37mm and 47mm anti-tank guns. There were also about 2,300 mortars, including 1600 modern 81mm pieces, as well as twenty-four 220 and 305mm pieces. Of 940 anti-aircraft guns, 360 were 15 mm and 20 mm Czech and Italian models. All of these arms were imported, from different sources;

24613-582: Was established on 13 May 1944 as central intelligence and counter-intelligence service within the National Committee for Liberation of Yugoslavia. The division of OZNA for Central Serbia was established in June 1944, divisions for Vojvodina and Kosovo were set up in August that year while in October a special division was established for the City of Belgrade. OZNA missions included intelligence work directed abroad and towards occupied territory, counter-intelligence protection of liberated territory and military counter-intelligence work. During its two-year existence,

24776-409: Was hammered out in council and delivered the following day (28 March). On 30 March, General Friedrich Paulus arrived in Budapest and met with Henrik Werth , chief of the Hungarian general staff, and Major General László Deseő . The Hungarians proposed they mobilize five divisions for the attack on Yugoslavia. Two were to be held in reserve, while the First , Fifth and Mobile Corps were to conduct

24939-434: Was little or no possibility of replenishment. Beyond the problems of inadequate equipment and incomplete mobilization, the Yugoslav Army suffered badly from the Serbo-Croat schism in Yugoslav politics. "Yugoslav" resistance to the invasion collapsed overnight. The main reason was that none of the subordinate national groups, including Slovenes and Croats, were prepared to fight in defence of a Serbian Yugoslavia. Also, so that

25102-506: Was mainly responsible for intelligence work abroad and coordinating republics' security services. Republics' state security services - SDBs ( Službe državne bezbednosti ), functioning within republic's secretariats of internal affairs, carried bulk of security work from then forward. This was the first time since the establishment of the socialist Yugoslavia that republics, therefore Serbia as well, gained control and greater influence over their respective security services. Of primary interest to

25265-520: Was re-established in Serbia, villages were burned and thousands were sent into slavery. Belgrade became the scene of brutal vengeance. On 17 October 1813 alone, 1,800 women and children were sold into slavery. Various acts of violence and confiscation of property also took place. Islamized Serbs and Albanians in particular participated in such actions. Under direct Ottoman rule, all Serbian institutions were abolished. In 1814, tensions continued and Hadži Prodan, one of Karađorđe's former commanders, launched

25428-432: Was restored. The Janissaries not only decided to support Bego Novljanin, but Pazvantoğlu also attacked the Belgrade Pashalik in support of the Janissaries. On 15 December 1801, Belgrade Vizier Hadži Mustafa Pasha was executed by Kučuk-Alija , one of four Janissaries originally from the Sanjak of Vidin (modern north-western Bulgaria ). Alongside Haji Mustafa Pasha. Mehmed Foça-oğlu, Aganli-Bayraktar and Mülla Yusuf ,

25591-412: Was secretly hostile to Ottoman rule). During the early stages of the rebellion, the Belgrade Pashalik was visited by Ypisilantis' agents, including Dositei Filitti . On 14 February 1804, a group of leading Serbs gathered at Marićević Gully , in the small village of Orašac (near Aranđelovac ) to support a call for a general uprising. The meeting was held after the massacre and the resentment against

25754-402: Was so deeply rooted in the political system that one of its tasks was the preparation of "political security assessments". After the ousting of Aleksandar Ranković from power in 1966, process of transformation and decentralization of UDB began. The Federal State Security Service - SSDB ( Savezna služba državne bezbednosti ) was established within the Federal Secretariat for Internal Affairs and

25917-413: Was supported by a cavalry regiment, three Border Guard battalions, a Finance Guard battalion and two military police (Italian: Carabinieri Reali ) battalions. The XVII Corps included the Diamanti Blackshirt group which incorporated six Blackshirt regiments comprising two battalions each, the Albanian-raised Skanderbeg Blackshirt regiment of two battalions, another Blackshirt regiment of two battalions,

26080-407: Was supported by a motorised artillery regiment consisting of three battalions, and a motorised engineer battalion. In Albania, the elements of the Italian 9th Army (Italian: 9° Armata ) that were involved in the campaign were commanded by Generale d’Armata (General) Alessandro Pirzio Biroli , and consisted of two infantry corps and some sector troops assembled in northern Albania. XIV Corps

26243-407: Was taken on 19 September, and Hungary was asked to provide transit to German soldiers on 30 September. The first troops entered Romania on 10 October. They entered Bucharest two days later (12 October) to shouts of Heil! The official explanation for the presence of German troops was that they were there to train the Romanian army. Hitler's directive to the troops on 10 October had stated that "it

26406-410: Was that six trains would pass through Hungary at night carrying German soldiers in sealed cars. They would not be allowed out, and they would not have any rail transportation officers (RTOs) or supply officers with them. According to György Barcza , the Hungarian ambassador in London, answering the British government's query, it was Romania that had made the request. In his notes, Barcza indicated that

26569-405: Was then occupied and partitioned by the Axis powers. Most of Serbia and the Banat became a German zone of occupation while other areas of Yugoslavia were annexed by neighboring Axis countries, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Albania and Bulgaria. Croatia became the Independent State of Croatia ( Serbo-Croatian Latin : Nezavisna Država Hrvatska , or NDH), an Axis puppet state created during

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