![Krsto Zrnov Popovic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Krsto_Zrnov_Popovic.jpg)
The Greens ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Зеленаши, Zelenaši) were a group of loyalists of
King Nikola
Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to 19 ...
of
Montenegro
)
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, capital = Podgorica
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. They originated from the members of the
True People's Party
The True People's Party ( sr, Права народна странка, Prava narodna stranka, abbr. ПНС/ PNS), also known as the Pravaši (''Rightists''), was a conservative and royalist political party in the Principality of Montenegro and the ...
and were most notable for instigating the
Christmas Uprising of 1919. The rebellion was staged in an attempt to prevent the dethroning of the
Petrović-Njegoš dynasty
Petrović-Njegoš (Serbian Cyrillic: , / ) is the Serbian family that ruled Montenegro from 1697 to 1916.
Montenegro was ruled from its inception by ''vladikas'' ( prince-bishops) since 1516, who had a dual temporal and spiritual role. In 169 ...
and the subsequent integration of Montenegro into 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 ...
. The Greens were supporters of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, which once the house was dethroned after
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, led the Greens to fight for the establishment of Montenegro as a province within the Yugoslav kingdom. Following their defeat in the Christmas Rebellion, the Greens continued on with their guerrilla warfare until 1929. The
motto
A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...
of the movement was "For the Right, Honour and Freedom of Montenegro".
During World War II, the Greens were activated once again under the leadership of
Krsto Popović
Krsto Popović (; 13 September 1881 – 14 March 1947) was an officer of the Montenegrin Army who fought in the Balkan Wars and in the First World War.
Dissatisfied with the Podgorica Assembly of 1918 which merged Serbia and Montenegro into ...
in an attempt to re-establish the
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro ( sr, Краљевина Црна Горa, Kraljevina Crna Gora) was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World ...
as an
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 ...
client state
A client state, in international relations, is a state that is economically, politically, and/or militarily subordinate to another more powerful state (called the "controlling state"). A client state may variously be described as satellite state, ...
.
Characteristics
The Greens (Zelenaši) movement was originally founded in 1918 in
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
by the opponents of Montenegrin unification with the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
and integration into the newly established
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 ...
, when they supported the
House of Petrović-Njegoš
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
of Montenegro over the
House of Karađorđević
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
of Serbia. After the unsuccessful armed rebellion known as the Christmas Rebellion, the Greens continued guerrilla resistance until 1929, while their political activity was based on opposition to the mode and manner in which the
south Slavic unification was implemented, resulting in the disappearance of Montenegro as a political entity. According to the Croatian-American academic
Ivo Banac
Ivo Banac (; 1 March 1947 – 30 June 2020) was a Croatian-American historian, a professor of European history at Yale University and a politician of the former Liberal Party in Croatia, known as the Great Bard of Croatian historiography. , Banac ...
they declared themselves as
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
.
As a member of a joint American–British mission, the British diplomat Earl John de Salis wrote a detailed report. The Earl stated that no one denied that Montenegro might need to be unified with Serbia and the budding Yugoslav state. However, the issue was “to be able to join it as Montenegro, and not as a prefecture of Serbia, as free Montenegrins, in line with the tradition and the past of their country, and not as yes-men of Belgrade, to join it on equal footing as the Slovenes, the Croats and the very Serbs.”,
''i.e.'' on conditions of equality and preservation of identity of Montenegro.
The Greens drew their membership from the Highland tribes (
Moračani,
Piperi, and
Rovci), the Katun clans (Bjelice,
Cetinje
Cetinje (, ) is a town in Montenegro. It is the former royal capital (''prijestonica'' / приjестоница) of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the president of Montenegro ...
,
Čevo
Čevo ( sr-cyrl, Чево}), historically also known as Kčevo (Кчево), is a village in the municipality of Cetinje, Montenegro.
History
The village was held by the Ozrinići tribe of the Katunska nahija. Five families of the Ozrinići fou ...
, and
Cuce
Cuce (Cyrillic: Цуце, ) is a historical tribe (''pleme'') and region in Montenegro, located in the area of the Katunska nahija from Old Montenegro.
History
The toponym ''Cuce'' is first mentioned in 1431 in documents from Kotor, then again i ...
), and the Herzegovinian tribes (
Nikšići, Rudinjani and
Drobnjaci
Drobnjaci (, ) are historical tribe and region, Drobnjak, in Old Herzegovina in Montenegro (municipalities from Nikšić to Šavnik, Žabljak and Pljevlja). Its unofficial centre is in Šavnik. The Serb Orthodox families have St. George (''Đu ...
).
Notable leaders of the Greens included
Krsto Zrnov Popović Krsto (Cyrillic script: Крсто), also Krste or Krǎstyo is a South Slavic masculine given name.
*Krsto Papić
* Krsto Ungnad
* Krsto Zrnov Popović
*Fran Krsto Frankopan
* Vuk Krsto Frankopan
* Krsto Hegedušić
*Krste Crvenkovski
*Krste Misir ...
,
Jovan S. Plamenac
Jovan Simonov Plamenac ( sr-cyrl, Јован Симонов Пламенац; 1873 – 1944) was a Montenegrin and Yugoslav politician.
Starting out as a prominent leader of the True People's Party in the Principality of Montenegro, state that ...
and
Novica Radović
Novica Radović (Serbian Cyrillic: Новица Радовић; born in Martinići in 1890 – died in Cetinje in 1945) was a Montenegrin politician.
Radović took part in 1919's Christmas Uprising on the side of the Greens, in an armed reb ...
.
Some of the Greens re-gathered 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 ...
, under the command of Krsto Zrnov Popović, a collaborator of
fascist Italy. They were organized into a military unit called the
Lovćen Brigade
The Lovćen Brigade () was an armed force in World War II Montenegro led by Krsto Zrnov Popović and the Greens. The unit was formed in September, 1942 with the approval of the Italian governorate of Montenegro.
The army was made up of:
*I bat ...
featuring four brigades that participated in the chaotic civil war raging on the ground in Montenegro and whose military activity was mostly directed against the communist
Partisans. After their military defeat, most of the surviving Greens members joined the Partisans, with some joining the
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 ...
and a minority joining 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 ...
. Other members of the Greens joined Partisans or Chetniks from the beginning of the Axis
invasion of Yugoslavia
The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 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 p ...
.
Name
The name of the ''Greens'' derives from the green voting cards that were used by the opponents of unification with Serbia used at the
Podgorica Assembly
The Great National Assembly of the Serb People in Montenegro ( sr, Велика народна скупштина српског народа у Црној Гори, Velika narodna skupština srpskog naroda u Crnoj Gori), commonly known as the Po ...
in 1918.
History
Christmas Rebellion
![Zastave Kraljevine Crne Gore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Zastave_Kraljevine_Crne_Gore.jpg)
The ''Greens'' opposed the unification of the
Kingdom of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro ( sr, Краљевина Црна Горa, Kraljevina Crna Gora) was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World ...
with the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
under the
House of Karađorđević
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
. With support from Italy, the Greens organised a rebellion in 1919 with the aim of bringing the
House of Petrović-Njegoš
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
back to the Montenegrin throne. The rebellion failed and the rebels fled to Italy.
Krsto Zrnov Popović Krsto (Cyrillic script: Крсто), also Krste or Krǎstyo is a South Slavic masculine given name.
*Krsto Papić
* Krsto Ungnad
* Krsto Zrnov Popović
*Fran Krsto Frankopan
* Vuk Krsto Frankopan
* Krsto Hegedušić
*Krste Crvenkovski
*Krste Misir ...
,
Jovan Plamenac
Jovan Simonov Plamenac ( sr-cyrl, Јован Симонов Пламенац; 1873 – 1944) was a Montenegrin and Yugoslav politician.
Starting out as a prominent leader of the True People's Party in the Principality of Montenegro, state that ...
and
Novica Radović
Novica Radović (Serbian Cyrillic: Новица Радовић; born in Martinići in 1890 – died in Cetinje in 1945) was a Montenegrin politician.
Radović took part in 1919's Christmas Uprising on the side of the Greens, in an armed reb ...
led the uprising, along with Commander Savo Čelebić and Captain Đuro Drašković.
Interwar period
After the unsuccessful uprising, the Greens returned to Montenegro, starting a guerrilla warfare. The core of the revolt was subdued in 1922-1923, but low-level guerrilla continued in the mountains and highlands for several more years. In 1922, a number of leaders of the Greens founded the
Montenegrin Federalist Party
The Montenegrin Federalist Party (, , CFS), sometimes known simply as the Montenegrin Party, was a Montenegrin political party in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which stood for preservation of Montenegrin autonomy and a decentralized federalised Yug ...
, shifting from organised armed resistance to political struggle.
By 1926, most remaining forms of armed resistance ended. However, a few groups continued engaging in skirmishes until 1929.
World War II: restoration and dissolution
In World War II, the ''Greens'' were organized yet again in Montenegro under the command of the
Fascist Italy.
Sekula Drljević
Sekula Drljević (; 7 September 1884 – 10 November 1945) was a Montenegrin nationalist, Yugoslav jurist, politician, orator, and theoretician. During World War II, he was a collaborator with the Ustaše in the German puppet state of th ...
was put in power and proclaimed the re-establishment of an independent Montenegro, but was immediately ousted by the
13 July uprising
The Uprising in Montenegro (), commonly known as the 13 July Uprising () was an uprising against Italian occupation forces in Montenegro ( Axis occupied Yugoslavia). Initiated by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia on 13 July 1941, it was suppresse ...
of local
Partisans and
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 ...
. Among the Montenegrin federalists, Krsto Zrnov Popović returned from exile in Italy to attempt to lead the Greens. The Greens' forces were called the
Lovćen Brigade
The Lovćen Brigade () was an armed force in World War II Montenegro led by Krsto Zrnov Popović and the Greens. The unit was formed in September, 1942 with the approval of the Italian governorate of Montenegro.
The army was made up of:
*I bat ...
. Soon, they were disorganized and one group of Greens joined the Partisans, while another joined the Croatian
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 ...
and some joined the Chetniks.
After the Partisan victory in 1945, many leaders of the Greens were killed as the collaborators of the Italian occupation: the same Popović was murdered in 1947. At the same time, the Communists were killing many potential opponents all over
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
. This marked the end of the Greens.
Order of Freedom of Montenegro
The Order of Freedom of Montenegro was issued by the exiled
King Nikola
Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-cyr, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first and only king from 1910 to 19 ...
in January 1919. This order was mainly dedicated to the Greens.
See also
*
Montenegrin Whites
Notes
References
*
{{Yugoslav Axis collaborationism, collapsable
*
Montenegro in World War II
Political history of Montenegro
20th century in Montenegro
Montenegro–Serbia relations
Montenegrin nationalism