The Russian Protective Corps (german: Russisches Schutzkorps, russian: Русский охранный корпус, sr, Руски заштитни корпус / Ruski zaštitni korpus) was an armed force composed of
anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
White Russian émigrés that was raised in the
German occupied territory of Serbia during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Commanded for almost its whole existence by Lieutenant General
Boris Shteifon
Boris Aleksandrovich Shteifon (russian: Борис Александрович Штейфон; 6 December 1881 – 30 April 1945) was a general lieutenant in the Imperial Russian Army, who subsequently served as a general in the Russian anti-comm ...
, it served primarily as a guard force for factories and mines between late 1941 and early 1944, initially as the "Separate Russian Corps" then Russian Factory Protective Group. It was incorporated into the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
on 1 December 1942 and later clashed with the
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
-led
Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
and briefly with the
Chetniks
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
. In late 1944, it fought against the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
during the
Belgrade Offensive, later withdrawing to
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
and Slovenia as the Germans retreated from the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. After Shteifon′s death in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
, on 30 April 1945, Russian Colonel
Anatoly Rogozhin took over and led his troops farther north to surrender to the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
in southern
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. Unlike most
other Russian formations that fought for Nazi Germany, Rogozhin and his men, who were not formally treated as Soviet citizens, were exempt from
forced repatriation to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and were eventually set free and allowed to resettle in the West.
Background and formation
Before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
In the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
there were approximately 15,000
White Russian émigré
An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate".
French Huguenots
Many French Huguenots fled France followi ...
s in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
- their families had fled there in the aftermath of the 1917
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
. On 6 April 1941,
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
*Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...
forces
invaded
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
. Poorly equipped and poorly trained, the
Royal Yugoslav Army
The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the land warfare military service branch of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (originally Kingdom of Serbs ...
was quickly defeated. The Axis powers then dismembered Yugoslavia, with Serbia being reduced to its pre-1912 borders and placed under German military occupation. The Germans selected General
Milan Nedić
Milan Nedić ( sr-Cyrl, Милан Недић; 2 September 1878 – 4 February 1946) was a Yugoslav and Serbian army general and politician who served as the chief of the General Staff of the Royal Yugoslav Army and minister of war in the R ...
, a pre-war politician who was known to have pro-Axis leanings, to lead the
collaborationist Government of National Salvation
The Government of National Salvation ( sr, Влада народног спаса, Vlada narodnog spasa, (VNS); german: Regierung der nationalen Rettung), also referred to as Nedić's government (, ) and Nedić's regime (, ), was the colloquial na ...
in the
German-occupied territory of Serbia. Over the course of the
uprising in Serbia in the summer of 1941, communist-led partisans killed approximately 300 Russian émigrés and injured many more, sometimes in acts of vengeance. In response, local Russians began to organize themselves into self-defense units. At the time, there were an estimated 10,000 Russian men within the former borders of Yugoslavia, the majority of whom lived in occupied Serbia.
The Russian Protective Corps, founded in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
under the command of General
Mikhail Skorodumov on 12 September 1941, was initially known as the "Separate Russian Corps" (german: Das Abgesonderte Russische Korps; ru , Отдельный русский корпус). It was established by an order of the German Military Commander in Serbia, ''
General der Flieger
''General der Flieger'' ( en, General of the aviators) was a General of the branch rank of the Luftwaffe (air force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level (OF-8), eq ...
''
Heinrich Danckelmann
Heinrich Dankelmann (2 August 1887 – 30 October 1947) was a Luftwaffe General who served as the third Military Commander for the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia from 23rd of July to 20th of October 1941. During his tenure as comman ...
, with the agreement of the Nedić regime. The key German personality involved in organising the Corps was Danckelmann's chief of staff, ''
Oberst
''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...
'' Erich Kewisch. Recruitment and screening of volunteers was carried out by Major General
Vladimir Kreyter, a White Russian émigré in German service who was the head of the Russian Intelligence Office (german: Vertrauensstelle, link=no) in Serbia. The corps drew its initial manpower from émigré White Russians and officers of the
Russian Imperial Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
, which had been defeated by the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
in the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
twenty years earlier. The émigrés had been living in occupied Serbia, and sided with the Germans because of their opposition to
communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
, and because they believed that their only hope of a non-communist Russia lay in a German victory in World War II. Skorodumov's concept of the Corps was that once the Corps had fulfilled its obligation to Serbia, the land that had taken its members in, they would go to Russia to fight. The force was renamed the "Russian Factory Protective Group" (german: Weissrussischer Werkschutz, link=no) on 2 October.
Skorodumov was elderly, ill, and not well known to the rank-and-file of White Russian émigrés.
Two days after the formation of his Corps, the Gestapo arrested him,
[
]
and command passed to Lieutenant General
Boris Shteifon
Boris Aleksandrovich Shteifon (russian: Борис Александрович Штейфон; 6 December 1881 – 30 April 1945) was a general lieutenant in the Imperial Russian Army, who subsequently served as a general in the Russian anti-comm ...
, who was said to have had "warm and friendly relations with
ilan Ilan may refer to:
Organization
*ILAN, Israeli umbrella organization for the treatment of disabled children
Given name
*Ilan (name), a Hebrew/Israeli name
* Ilan Bakhar, a retired Israeli footballer
*Ilan Araújo Dall'Igna, a Brazilian footballer ...
Nedić". The Germans envisaged a force 3,000-strong and organized into three regiments, tasked with protecting factories, other industrial concerns, and mines that were producing materials to support the German war-effort. The Corps initially consisted of a single regiment, organized into four battalions. Major General Egorov commanded the 1st Battalion, Colonel Shatilov the second, Colonel Endrzheevskiy the third, and Colonel Nestrenko the fourth. A second regiment was set up on 18 October, commanded by Colonel Zhukov. At first, the group was an independent force reporting to the German
plenipotentiary general for economic affairs,
NSFK-''
Obergruppenführer
' (, "senior group leader") was a paramilitary rank in Nazi Germany that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and adopted by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) one year later. Until April 1942, it was the highest commissio ...
''
Franz Neuhausen
Franz Neuhausen (13 December 1887 – 14 April 1966) was a wealthy industrialist who became the special Plenipotentiary#Nazi Germany, plenipotentiary for economic affairs in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia during most of the ...
.
Operations
General
Although its ultimate aim was to help defeat the communist forces in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, the Corps was used almost exclusively to fight the Partisans in areas of occupied Yugoslavia, initially in a defensive role. At its maximum strength, it was composed of one cavalry regiment and four infantry regiments. Between the autumn of 1941 and the spring of 1944, the Corps was primarily responsible for protecting weapons factories, mines, roads, and railroads throughout occupied Serbia in accordance with priorities established by the
German High Command. The Corps never operated as a unified force, the regiment being its largest operational unit. The regiments were later assigned to act as auxiliaries to German or Bulgarian occupying forces. During its existence, it was reinforced with younger émigrés and former Soviet
prisoners-of-war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...
(POW). Russian émigrés living in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, the Axis
puppet
A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
(NDH) and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
also came to Belgrade to join the force. It was armed by the Germans with weapons captured from the Royal Yugoslav Army, and its command language was
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
. Throughout its existence it maintained good relations with the Nedić administration.
While guarding facilities, members of the Corps were largely assigned to manning brick
bunker
A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...
s, protecting the railway in the
Ibar River
The Ibar ( sr-cyrl, Ибар, ), also known as the Ibër and Ibri ( sq, Ibër, Ibri), is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro, northern Kosovo and central Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, in Roža ...
valley, the
Bor,
Trepča,
Majdanpek
Majdanpek ( sr-cyr, Мајданпек; ro, Maidan) is a town and municipality located in the Bor District of the Southern and Eastern Serbia, eastern Serbia, and is not far from the border of Romania. According to 2011 census, the municipality ...
, and
Krupanj
Krupanj ( sr-cyr, Крупањ, ) is a town and municipality located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. The municipality has a total population of 17,295 inhabitants, while the town has a population of 4,429 inhabitants (2011 census).
Ge ...
mines, as well as the borders of the occupied territory along the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
and
Drina
The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...
rivers. They were often deployed alongside various Serbian collaborationist forces such as the
Serbian State Guard
The Serbian State Guard ( sr, Srpska državna straža, italics=yes, SDS; sr-Cyrl, Српска државна стража; german: Serbische Staatsgarde/Serbische Staatswache) was a collaborationist paramilitary force used to impose law and ...
(SDS) and the
Serbian Volunteer Corps (SDK), with whom they were most closely allied. The Corps also closely cooperated with the Croatian fascist
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...
when operating in the neighbouring NDH. Members of the Corps also plundered peasants in the areas within which they operated.
Early actions
The Corps was initially used to guard mines at Krupanj in the west of the territory, and later at Bor in the west and Trepča in the south. The 1st Regiment was initially deployed in
Loznica
Loznica ( sr-cyrl, Лозница, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. It lies on the right bank of the Drina river. In 2011 the city had a total population of 19,572, while the administrative ar ...
,
Ljubovija
Ljubovija ( sr-cyr, Љубовија, ) is a small town and municipality located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. As of 2011, the population of the municipality is 14,469 inhabitants.
Settlements
Aside from the town of Ljubovija, the mun ...
and other towns along the
Drina
The Drina ( sr-Cyrl, Дрина, ) is a long Balkans river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps whic ...
river, which formed the western border of the occupied territory. The 2nd Regiment first operated in towns such as
Negotin
Negotin ( sr-cyrl, Неготин, ; ro, Negotin) is a town and municipality located in the Bor District of the eastern Serbia. It is situated near the borders between Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is the judicial center of the Bor District. ...
, Bor, and Majdanpek near the eastern border with Romania. At the time, the two regiments were operationally subordinated to the German
704th Infantry Division
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
. In November 1941, the Corps began actively collaborating with the
Chetniks
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
of
Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
against the Partisans. On 8 December 1941, the Corps defended the
Stolice
Stolice ( sr-Cyrl, Столице) is a part of the village Brštica near Krupanj in Serbia. It became known in history as the place where the military-political advising executives of the National liberation movement of Yugoslavia held their ses ...
mine near Krupanj against the Partisans. By late 1941, it had 1,500 members.
The 3rd Regiment was established in
Banjica
Banjica ( sr, Бањица, ) is an urban neighborhood of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is divided between the Belgrade's municipalities of Savski Venac (western half) and Voždovac (eastern half).
Location
Banjica is located 5-6 kilomet ...
near Belgrade on 8 January 1942, placed under the command of Colonel Shapilov, and deployed to
Kosovska Mitrovica
Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is ...
near the Trepča mines in the south, where it was operationally subordinated to the Bulgarian
1st Occupation Corps. The 4th Regiment was established on 29 April with General Cherepov as commander and was deployed to the central west region of the occupied territory area around
Kraljevo
Kraljevo ( sr-cyr, Краљево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Raška District in central Serbia. It is situated on the confluence of West Morava and Ibar, in the geographical region of Šumadija, between the mountains of K ...
. In May, the Corps was divided into two brigades. The 1st Brigade was placed under the command of Major General Dratsenko and its headquarters was established in the town of
Aranđelovac
Aranđelovac ( sr-cyr, Аранђеловац, ) is a town and a municipality located in the Šumadija District of central Serbia. , the municipality has a population of 46,225 inhabitants, while the town has 24,797 inhabitants.
It is situated be ...
on 22 May. Also in May, Kewisch submitted a report stating that if he were permitted to recruit from all areas of Europe under German control, he could raise a force of about 25,000 men. He also urged the higher authorities to re-organise the Corps and integrate it more closely with the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
. After considerable discussion, on 29 October the German High Command ordered a re-organization, renaming it the "Russian Protective Corps" and subordinating it completely to the German Commanding General in Serbia.
On 30 November, the 4th Regiment was disbanded, its 1st Battalion assigned to the 1st Regiment and the rest of its manpower assigned to the 2nd Regiment. On 1 December 1942, the Corps was incorporated into the Wehrmacht and all its members were required to swear an oath to German leader
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. The Corps grew in numbers throughout 1942, following an influx of volunteers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Greece. By late 1942, the Corps totalled about 7,500 men, all of whom were Russian. During the re-organization, an attempt was made to expand the Corps further by recruiting Soviet POWs, but the first experiment with 300 POWs proved unsuccessful and was not repeated. On 9 December 1942, the 1st Regiment started to be transformed with the arrival of
Kuban Cossacks
Kuban Cossacks (russian: кубанские казаки, ''kubanskiye kаzaki''; uk, кубанські козаки, ''kubanski kozaky''), or Kubanians (russian: кубанцы, ; uk, кубанці, ), are Cossacks who live in the Kuban re ...
led by Major General
Naumenko. By January 1943, it consisted entirely of Cossacks. On 17 March 1943, Major General Gontarev replaced Shapilov as commander of the 3rd Regiment. The 1st Regiment fought in Loznica in April and participated in a large operation in
Zapolje just south of Krupanj over the border with the NDH on 11–15 May, where it engaged in heavy combat with Partisan forces. From 1–8 July, the regiment was again stationed in Loznica and Ljubovija, participating in the defence of the Drina Bridge at
Zvornik
Zvornik ( sr-cyrl, Зворник, ) is a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in Republika Srpska, on the left bank of the Drina river. In 2013, it had a population of 58,856 inhabitants.
The town of Mali Zvornik ("Little Zvornik") lies ...
against the Partisans. During this time the regiment allowed the passage of 379 wounded Croatian soldiers and civilians, 1,000 healthy soldiers and as many refugees, sustaining casualties of two killed and seventeen wounded. It clashed with the Partisans over the village of Nedelica on 19 July. Meanwhile, the 2nd Regiment clashed with the Partisans around the town of Negotin. The 4th Regiment was re-established on 15 December, and was based in
Jagodina )
, image_shield = Jagodina-grb.png
, image_flag = FLAG Jagodina.png
, image_skyline =
, image_caption =
, image_map = File:Municipalities of Serbia Jagodina.png
, map_caption = Location of Jagodina w ...
,
Paraćin
Paraćin ( sr-Cyrl, Параћин, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pomoravlje District of central Serbia. It is located in the valley of the Velika Morava river, north of Kruševac and southeast of Kragujevac. In 2011 the town had a p ...
and
Ćuprija
Ćuprija (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћуприја, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pomoravlje District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 19,380, while the municipality has 30,645 inhabitants.
History
The Romans founded the ...
in the centre of the occupied territory.
Retreat, surrender, disbandment
From the spring of 1944, the Corps focused increasingly on fighting the Partisans penetrating Serbia from Bosnia and the
Sandžak
Sandžak (; sh, / , ; sq, Sanxhaku; ota, سنجاق, Sancak), also known as Sanjak, is a historical geo-political region in Serbia and Montenegro. The name Sandžak derives from the Sanjak of Novi Pazar, a former Ottoman administrative dis ...
, and the first clashes with Chetnik groups did not occur until 1944. On 5 January 1944, combat with the Partisans in Klenak resulted in the deaths of three Cossacks of the 1st Regiment. On 18 January, the 5th Regiment was formed in
Obrenovac
Obrenovac ( sr-cyr, Обреновац, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has a population of 71,419 inhabitants, while the urban area has 24,568 inhabitants.
The largest Serbian th ...
. The 3rd Regiment outfought a 2,400-strong Partisan force advancing towards
Jošanička Banja
Jošanička Banja ( sr-cyr, Јошаничка Бања) is a spa town located in the municipality of Raška, southwestern Serbia. As of 2011 census, it has a population of 1,036 inhabitants.
Trivia
In 500 BC, Hellenistic pottery including Mega ...
on 31 March. On 28 April, the 1st Regiment prepared defences along the Drina in Zvornik, Bajina Bašta and Loznica areas expecting the
16th
16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and .
In English speech, ...
and
17th Partisan Divisions to attempt a crossing there. On 30 April, the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to
Aleksinac
Aleksinac ( sr-Cyrl, Алексинац) is a town and municipality located in the Nišava District of southern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a population of 17,978 inhabitants, while the municipality has 51,863 inhabitants.
His ...
. On 1–2 May, the 5th Regiment fought the Partisans in the village of Mravinci, sustaining casualties of 11 killed and 25 wounded. That summer, the Corps mediated an agreement between one group of Chetniks and the Germans in which the two parties agreed to fight the Partisans in Serbia. On 18 July, the 5th Regiment fought in Jošanička Banja and its regimental headquarters was moved there from Obrenovac, with battalion headquarters being established in
Zvečan
Zvečan ( sr-Cyrl, Звечан) or Zveçan ( sq-definite, Zveçani) is a town and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has a population of 16,650 inhabitants. It covers an area of , and consists of a town and ...
, Jošanička Banja, Ušće and
Vučitrn
Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria) or Vučitrn ( sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн), is a city and municipality located in the Mitrovica District in northern Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Vushtrri has 26,964 inhabitants, while the muni ...
. Elements of the 3rd and 5th Regiments fought the Partisans on 4–5 August near the village of Rudnik. The Partisans attacked the positions of the 5th Regiment in
Leposavić
Leposavić ( sr-Cyrl, Лепосавић, ) also known as Leposaviq or Albanik ( sq, Leposaviqi or ''Albaniku''), is a town and the northernmost municipality in the Mitrovica District in Kosovo. As of 2015, it has an estimated population of 18,600 ...
on 24 August.
In September, the Corps reached its peak of 11,197 members. Several skirmishes occurred between the 1st Regiment and the Partisans in the Zvornik and
Valjevo
Valjevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Ваљево, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Kolubara District in western Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the administrative area of Valjevo had 90,312 inhabitants, 59,07 ...
areas that month. On 7/8 September, the 2nd Regiment fought Partisans at the
Ibar River
The Ibar ( sr-cyrl, Ибар, ), also known as the Ibër and Ibri ( sq, Ibër, Ibri), is a river that flows through eastern Montenegro, northern Kosovo and central Serbia, with a total length of . The river begins in the Hajla mountain, in Roža ...
, trying to deny them crossing. On 9 September, elements of the 3rd Regiment moved to
Požega and on 11 September to Čačak. On 20 September, the 1st Regiment fought a group of Partisans south of Loznica. Major combat between the 1st Regiment and Partisans erupted in Loznica itself on 23 September, causing the regiment to fall back to
Šabac
Šabac (Serbian Cyrillic: Шабац, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river Sava. , the city p ...
with losses of 7 killed and 23 wounded. Combat continued daily throughout September with the 1st Regiment suffering up to 53 casualties per day. On 22 September, combined Soviet
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
and
Bulgarian People's Army
The Bulgarian People's Army ( bg, Българска народна армия, БНА, translit=Balgarska narodna armiya, BNA) was the army of the People's Republic of Bulgaria. It comprised the Bulgarian Land Forces, Air Force and Air Defence, ...
forces began entering the occupied territory from the east, and joined Partisan forces as part of the
Belgrade Offensive, aimed at capturing the Serbian capital. On 8 October, the 2nd Regiment headquarters in
Požarevac
Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Braničevo District in eastern Serbia. It is located between three rivers: Danube, Great Morava and Mlava and below the hill Čačalica (208m). As of 2011, ...
was evacuated as Soviet armour approached the town. As parts of the regiment moved towards Belgrade and
Grocka
Grocka ( sr-cyr, Гроцка, ) or Grocka na Dunavu ( sr-cyr, Гроцка на Дунаву, ) is a municipality of the city of Belgrade. According to the 2011 census results, the municipality has 83,906 inhabitants.
Location and geography
The ...
, they came into contact with Soviet troops and armour in the
Ripanj
Ripanj ( sr-Cyrl, Рипањ) is a suburban settlement of Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Voždovac. It has a distinction of being "the largest village of Serbia" taking in account its number of population, but also b ...
area south of Belgrade, sustaining heavy casualties. On 10 October the Russian Protective Corps was renamed the "Russian Corps in Serbia". On 15 October, the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Čačak.
Elements of the 2nd Regiment arrived in Šabac on 22 October, then moved to
Hrvatska Mitrovica in the NDH on 23 October,
Vukovar
Vukovar () ( sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, hu, Vukovár, german: Wukowar) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern region of Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka and the Danube. Vukovar is the seat of ...
two days later,
Osijek
Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
on 26 October and then to
Vinkovci
Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city's registered population was 28,247 in the 2021 census, the total population of the city was 31,057, making it the largest town of the county. Surrounde ...
and
Stari Jankovci
Stari Jankovci ( sr-Cyrl, Стари Јанковци, hu, Ivanóc) is a village and a municipality in Vukovar-Syrmia County, Croatia
The village is located to the northeast of the M104 railway route. The village is connected with the rest of ...
two days later. Further parts of the regiment moved to
Zemun
Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developme ...
on 13 October,
Ruma
Ruma (; hu, Árpatarló) is a town and municipality in the Srem District of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011, the town has a population of 30,076, while the municipality has a population of 54,339.
History
Traces of orga ...
on 14 October, Vinkovci on 16 October, and Stari Jankovci on 24 October. On 19–22 October, the 4th Regiment fought advancing Soviet troops and Partisans and defended the Čačak-Kraljevo road. On 23 October, the 1st Regiment abandoned Šabac and
Klenak and moved to
Laćarak
Laćarak (, ) is a village located in the municipality of Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia. The settlement has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 10,638 inhabitants (as of 2011 census).
Historical population
* 1961: 5,902
* 1971: 8,121
...
, and then to
Tovarnik
Tovarnik (, sr-Cyrl, Товарник, hu, Felsőtárnok, german: Sankt Georg, la, Ulmo) is a municipality in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in Croatia next to the border with Serbia with the town of Šid and the village of Ilinci on the other sid ...
on 24 October where they were ordered to hold their ground. The 4th Regiment fought in the Čačak area from 27 October to 2 November. It faced the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
and the Chetnik 2nd Ravna Gora Corps before being overpowered and forced to abandon the city. The Chetniks captured 339 of its soldiers and turned them over to the Soviets. On 12 November, the 1st Regiment moved via railway through
Vinkovci
Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city's registered population was 28,247 in the 2021 census, the total population of the city was 31,057, making it the largest town of the county. Surrounde ...
to
Brčko
Brčko ( sr-cyrl, Брчко, ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants.
De jure, ...
, with elements deployed north across the
Sava
The Sava (; , ; sr-cyr, Сава, hu, Száva) is a river in Central and Southeast Europe, a right-bank and the longest tributary of the Danube. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia and along its border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and finally th ...
in
Gunja. On 8 December it regrouped north of the Sava and on 11–13 December it fought the Partisans in and near the village of
Vrbanja, killing forty-three. The 4th Regiment arrived in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
in the NDH on 13–18 December. Elements subsequently moved to nearby
Kiseljak
Kiseljak (Кисељак) is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies in the valley of the Fojnica River, the Lepenica and the Kreševka ...
on 18 December, fighting Partisans in the Kiseljak-
Busovača
Busovača () is a town and municipality located in Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located from Sarajevo, from Zenica, and from Travnik.
History
During the Croat ...
area on 26–27 December. During this time, the 1st Regiment and a battalion of the 2nd Regiment guarded a bridgehead north of Brčko in order to allow German forces to withdraw through the town.
In January 1945, elements of the Corps participated in the German capture of
Travnik
Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 201 ...
, part of Operation ''Lawine''. Afterwards, they withdrew to Slovenia. On 30 April, Shteifon died while passing through
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, in the
Esplanade hotel; Colonel
Anatoly Rogozhin took over as commander. On 12 May, Rogozhin surrendered to the British near
Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt am WörtherseeLandesgesetzblatt 2008 vom 16. Jänner 2008, Stück 1, Nr. 1: ''Gesetz vom 25. Oktober 2007, mit dem die Kärntner Landesverfassung und das Klagenfurter Stadtrecht 1998 geändert werden.'/ref> (; ; sl, Celovec), usually ...
. At the time of surrender, the Corps consisted of 4,500 men, according to Puškadija-Ribkin; 3,500 men, according to
Granitov. Timofejev writes that the Corps consisted of 5,584 men by the end of the war. Between 1941 and 1945, 6,709 of its members were killed, wounded or went missing. In total, 17,090 men served in its ranks over the course of the war. According to Rogozhin, several hundred men and their families, who had fled the camp in
Lienz
Lienz (; Southern Bavarian: ''Lianz'') is a Town privileges, medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz (district), Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality a ...
and who were subject to
forced repatriation to the USSR, joined the Russian Corps from mid-June 1945 in order to avoid deportation to the Soviet Union. Rogozhin′s men were spared that fate because they were not regarded as Soviet citizens.
After examining the history of the Corps, the British decided to demobilise it in October. Its members were then sent in the Kellerberg Camp northwest of
Villach
Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the po ...
, Austria; Rogozhin on 1 November 1945 issued an order that notified his subordinates of demobilisation. Former members of the Corps were subsequently allowed to resettle in the West, mainly in the United States and
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
Order of battle
At its maximum strength, the Russian Corps was composed of:
*1st Cossack Regiment ''General Zborovski''
*Infantry Regiments II, III, IV, V
In May 1942, the Corps was divided into two brigades. The 4th Regiment was disbanded on 30 November 1942, and re-established on 15 December 1943. The 5th Regiment was created on 18 January 1944.
Commanders
The Russian Corps had three commanders during its existence:
Uniform
Members of the Corps wore the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army from 12 September 1941 to 30 November 1942 as well as the Czechoslovakian helmet. The uniform was sometimes worn with pips of the Royal Yugoslav Army, alongside special rank insignia on the collar. Wehrmacht uniforms and insignia were adopted on 1 December 1942, but the old uniforms continued to be worn for some time.
Rank insignia
Collar patches and sleeves showed the actual rank in the Corps, while those who have held Tsarist rank wore rank insignia in the form of traditional shoulder straps denoting their former rank. Both types of insignia were improvised using rank stars from the Royal Yugoslav Army.
Notes
References
;Books
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
;Journals
*
Further reading
*
* M.V. Nazarov, ''The Mission of the Russian Emigration'',
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
: Rodnik, 1994.
* I.B. Ivanov, N. N. Protopopov, ''Russkii Korpus Na Balkanakh Vo Vremia II Velikoi Voiny, 1941–1945: Vospominaniia Soratnikov I Dokumenty Sbornik Vtoroi'',
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
: St. Petersburg University, 1999.
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017
Russian collaborators with Nazi Germany
Foreign volunteer units of the Wehrmacht
Serbia under German occupation
Russian counter-revolutionaries
White Russian emigration
Military units and formations established in 1941
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Collaboration with the Axis Powers
Anti-communist organizations
Russian Liberation Army