Misplaced Pages

Kozara Offensive: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 14:20, 15 August 2014 editRjwilmsi (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers931,877 editsm →Further reading: Journal cites, Added 1 doi to a journal cite using AWB (10365)← Previous edit Revision as of 04:06, 7 March 2015 edit undoMcc1789 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users11,812 editsNo edit summaryNext edit →
Line 21: Line 21:
The '''Kozara Offensive''', also known as '''''Operation West-Bosnien''''' by the Axis, was fought in 1942 on and around the mountain of ] in ]. It was an important battle of the ] resistance movement in ]. It later became an integral part of ] post-war mythology, which celebrated the courage and martyrdom of outnumbered and outgunned Partisans and civilians.<ref>{{cite book | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1VO4IgMMMhMC | title=Foreign Authority and the Politics of Impartiality in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina | last=Gilbert | first=Andrew | year=2008 | page=29 | publisher=Routledge}}</ref> Certain sources mistakenly identify the Kozara Offensive as part of ]. The '''Kozara Offensive''', also known as '''''Operation West-Bosnien''''' by the Axis, was fought in 1942 on and around the mountain of ] in ]. It was an important battle of the ] resistance movement in ]. It later became an integral part of ] post-war mythology, which celebrated the courage and martyrdom of outnumbered and outgunned Partisans and civilians.<ref>{{cite book | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1VO4IgMMMhMC | title=Foreign Authority and the Politics of Impartiality in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina | last=Gilbert | first=Andrew | year=2008 | page=29 | publisher=Routledge}}</ref> Certain sources mistakenly identify the Kozara Offensive as part of ].


In the spring of 1942, Yugoslav Partisans in central and west ] liberated ], ], ] and ]. On 20 May the ] was founded, and the next day it obtained ]s and a modest ]. The free territory stretched from the river ] south across the mountains Kozara and ]. During the winter, Partisans inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans. Great loss for the Partisans was the death of their capable and distinguished commander, ], known as "Komandant Mladen", who was killed in March 1942, by the Chetniks of ]. In the spring of 1942, Yugoslav Partisans in central and west ] liberated ], ], ] and ]. On 20 May the ] was founded, and the next day it obtained ]s and a modest ]. The free territory stretched from the river ] south across the mountains Kozara and ]. During the winter, Partisans inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans. A great loss for the Partisans was the death of their capable and distinguished commander, ], known as "Komandant Mladen", who was killed in March 1942 by the ] under Rade Radić.


The ] and ] authorities realized that the city of ] and the iron mine in ] were in danger and organized an offensive to destroy the movement. Germans engaged 15,000 soldiers, the ] (the Ustaše) about 22,000 soldiers, ] about 2000 soldiers, and ]s participated with 5 monitor ships. The ] and ] authorities realized that the city of ] and the iron mine in ] were in danger and organized an offensive to destroy the movement. The Germans engaged 15,000 soldiers, the ] (the Ustaše) about 22,000 soldiers, the ] about 2000 soldiers, and the ]s participated with 5 monitor ships.


The Partisan group had about 3,000 soldiers, but recruited reserves from the 60,000 civilians in the free territory. The Partisan group had about 3,000 soldiers, but recruited reserves from the 60,000 civilians in the free territory.


After intensive battle, in the night of 3 July, some partisan units broke the siege, but the main group again came under siege the next night and was mainly destroyed. In Široka Luka about 500 wounded Partisans were killed. It is estimated that during the battle, the Partisans lost about 1,700 soldiers, while the Axis forces lost about 7,000. During and after the battle, many thousands of ] civilians from Kozara were sent to the Ustaše ]. After an intensive battle on the night of 3 July, some partisan units broke the siege, but the main group again came under siege the next night and was mastly destroyed. In Široka Luka about 500 wounded Partisans were killed. It is estimated that during the battle, the Partisans lost about 1,700 soldiers, while the Axis forces lost about 7,000. During and after the battle, many thousands of ] civilians from Kozara were sent to the Ustaše ].


About 900 Partisan soldiers survived and founded the ]. About 900 Partisan soldiers survived and founded the ].


At the same time, the main Partisan group with ] moved from East Bosnia to West Bosnia. After the Axis offensive forces withdrew, parts of lost area were regained in September 1942. At the same time, the main Partisan group with ] moved from East Bosnia to West Bosnia. After the Axis offensive forces withdrew, parts of the lost area were regained in September 1942.


Approximately 25,000 ] were killed in the operation, mostly in concentration camps.<ref name="oxford">{{cite book|last=Bosworth |first=R.J.B.|title=The Oxford Handbook of Fascism|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-929131-1|page=431}}</ref> Approximately 25,000 ] were killed in the operation, mostly in concentration camps.<ref name="oxford">{{cite book|last=Bosworth |first=R.J.B.|title=The Oxford Handbook of Fascism|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-929131-1|page=431}}</ref>

Revision as of 04:06, 7 March 2015

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Kozara Offensive" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Kozara Offensive
Part of World War II in Yugoslavia

Battle of Kozara Memorial near Prijedor
Date10 June – August 1942
LocationKozara mountain, northwestern Bosnia
Result Axis victory; Partisan force severely damaged
Belligerents
Axis:
 Germany
 Independent State of Croatia
 Hungary		 Allies:
Partisans
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Friedrich Stahl Kosta Nađ
Strength
some 15,000 German troops
22,000 Independent State of Croatia troops
5 Hungarian monitors		 3,000 troops aided by local volunteers and recruits
Casualties and losses
7,000 casualties 25,000 civilians and fighters killed (1,700 killed in action)
World War II in Yugoslavia
1941

Uprisings

  • Uprising in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Uprising in Croatia

1942

1943

1944

1945

The Kozara Offensive, also known as Operation West-Bosnien by the Axis, was fought in 1942 on and around the mountain of Kozara in northwestern Bosnia. It was an important battle of the Yugoslav Partisan resistance movement in World War II. It later became an integral part of Yugoslav post-war mythology, which celebrated the courage and martyrdom of outnumbered and outgunned Partisans and civilians. Certain sources mistakenly identify the Kozara Offensive as part of Operation Trio.

In the spring of 1942, Yugoslav Partisans in central and west Bosnia liberated Bosanski Petrovac, Drvar, Glamoč and Prijedor. On 20 May the 1st Krajina Assault Brigade was founded, and the next day it obtained tanks and a modest air force. The free territory stretched from the river Sava south across the mountains Kozara and Grmeč. During the winter, Partisans inflicted heavy casualties on the Germans. A great loss for the Partisans was the death of their capable and distinguished commander, Mladen Stojanović, known as "Komandant Mladen", who was killed in March 1942 by the Chetniks under Rade Radić.

The German and Ustaše authorities realized that the city of Banja Luka and the iron mine in Ljubija were in danger and organized an offensive to destroy the movement. The Germans engaged 15,000 soldiers, the Independent State of Croatia (the Ustaše) about 22,000 soldiers, the Chetniks about 2000 soldiers, and the Hungarians participated with 5 monitor ships.

The Partisan group had about 3,000 soldiers, but recruited reserves from the 60,000 civilians in the free territory.

After an intensive battle on the night of 3 July, some partisan units broke the siege, but the main group again came under siege the next night and was mastly destroyed. In Široka Luka about 500 wounded Partisans were killed. It is estimated that during the battle, the Partisans lost about 1,700 soldiers, while the Axis forces lost about 7,000. During and after the battle, many thousands of Serbian civilians from Kozara were sent to the Ustaše Jasenovac concentration camp.

About 900 Partisan soldiers survived and founded the Fifth Krajina Brigade.

At the same time, the main Partisan group with Josip Broz Tito moved from East Bosnia to West Bosnia. After the Axis offensive forces withdrew, parts of the lost area were regained in September 1942.

Approximately 25,000 Serbs were killed in the operation, mostly in concentration camps.

See also

References

  1. ^ Redžić, Enver (2005). Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Second World War. p. 215.
  2. ^ Battle of Kozara Memorial
  3. ^ Bosworth, R.J.B. (2009). The Oxford Handbook of Fascism. Oxford University Press. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-19-929131-1.
  4. Gilbert, Andrew (2008). Foreign Authority and the Politics of Impartiality in Postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina. Routledge. p. 29.

Further reading

  • Krzak, Andrzej (2010). "Guerilla Operations in Yugoslavia on the Basis of the Battle of Kozara". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 23 (3): 477–89. doi:10.1080/13518046.2010.503150.
World War II in Yugoslavia
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
Croatia
Macedonia
Serbia
Slovenia
Strategic bombing
see also
Factions in the Yugoslav Front
People of the Yugoslav Front
Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero of Yugoslavia in the Battle of Kozara

Categories: