Was Yugoslav General Draža Mihailović a heroic resistance leader or a wartime collaborator?
In short: Draža Mihailović led the Chetniks, a royalist guerrilla force, during the German occupation of Yugoslavia in World War II. Initially celebrated by the Allies, his movement became mired in complex ideological conflicts, shifting alliances, and accusations of collaboration, eventually leading to his execution by communist authorities in 1946.
Born in 1893, Mihailović was a career military officer who fought in the Balkan Wars and World War I. Following the 1941 German invasion of Yugoslavia, he established the Chetnik movement at Ravna Gora. His primary strategic goal was to preserve his forces for a future uprising, fearing that premature action would trigger brutal German reprisals against Serbian civilians. This cautious approach put him at odds with the communist Partisans led by Josip Broz Tito, who advocated for immediate, open resistance against the occupiers.
The relationship between Mihailović and Tito deteriorated rapidly by late 1941. As the two movements competed for influence and survival, Mihailović sought to prevent a communist takeover of post-war Yugoslavia. His forces engaged in open conflict with the Partisans, and in some instances, local Chetnik commanders established tactical arrangements with Italian or German-backed forces to secure supplies or combat their communist rivals. While Mihailović maintained contact with the Yugoslav government-in-exile and received initial British support, Allied confidence eventually waned due to his inaction against the Axis and reports of collaboration.
By 1944, the Allies shifted their support entirely to Tito. After the war, Mihailović went into hiding but was captured in March 1946. Tried by the new communist government, he was convicted of high treason and war crimes, then executed by firing squad in July. The legacy of his actions remains a subject of intense historical debate. In May 2015, the Supreme Court of Cassation of Serbia overturned his conviction, ruling that the original trial was politically and ideologically motivated, highlighting the enduring controversy surrounding his role in the conflict.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Draža Mihailović
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