1st Split Partisan Detachment
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The 1st Split Partisan Detachment ( sh, Prvi splitski partizanski odred) or the 1st Split Detachment ( sh, Prvi splitski odred, links=no) was a short-lived unit of the
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 ...
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 ...
. It was composed of volunteers from the city of
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
and was created in August 1941, just four months after the
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 ...
occupation of Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was Invasion of Yugoslavia, swiftly conquered by Axis powers, Axis forces and partitioned between Nazi Germany, Germany, Kingdom of Italy, Italy, Kingdom of Hung ...
, and the
annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
of Split and most of
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
by the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
. The unit, composed mostly of young men with little or no fighting experience, planned to relocate to the
Dinara Dinara is a long mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east: * Ilica or Ujilica (1654 m) * Sinjal or Dinara (1831 m), ep ...
mountains to join other Partisan units in fighting the Axis powers. After initial organizational problems, the weakened detachment reached an area near the village of
Košute Košute is a village in southern Croatia located west of Trilj. The population is 1,740 (census 2011). References

Populated places in Split-Dalmatia County {{SplitDalmatia-geo-stub ...
where they were engaged by
Ustaše Militia The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionary Movem ...
backed by Italian reinforcements. After a day of fighting and the death of one of their commanders, members of the detachment began to retreat. In the end, the Partisans suffered four killed in action and 25 taken prisoner, while 13 managed to escape. All but three of the prisoners were later executed by firing squad. A Split Detachment was reformed, but most of its fighters were part of the 3rd Dalmatian Assault Brigade.


Background

The
Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
began their
invasion 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 ...
of 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 ...
on 6 April 1941. Just four days later, a
puppet state A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a State (polity), state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside Power (international relations), power and subject to its o ...
known as 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 ...
( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska – NDH) was declared, encompassing most of modern-day
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 H ...
and parts of modern-day
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. In accordance with the
Treaties of Rome The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty (officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was sig ...
signed by 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 ...
leadership of the NDH, a large part of the Croatian coastline and islands, including the city of
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enterta ...
were incorporated into the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
. The low morale of Yugoslav troops in Split and the uncontested advance of the Italian Army through Dalmatia resulted in a number of desertions. Paramilitary formations of the
Croatian Peasant Party The Croatian Peasant Party ( hr, Hrvatska seljačka stranka, HSS) is an agrarian political party in Croatia founded on 22 December 1904 by Antun and Stjepan Radić as Croatian Peoples' Peasant Party (HPSS). The Brothers Radić believed that t ...
( sh, Hrvatska Seljačka Stranka, links=no, HSS) disarmed soldiers. By 11 April, there were no organized military formations remaining in Split, and a large number of police and
gendarmerie Wrong info! --> A gendarmerie () is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (literally, ...
switched their allegiance to the NDH. With Split under the control of the new Ustaše government, the authorities apprehended 300 citizens they deemed to be political enemies. On 13 April, members of the
League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia , SKOJ mk, Сојуз на комунистичката младина на Југославија, СКМЈ sl, Zveza komunistične mladine Jugoslavije, ZKMJ , colorcode = red , founded = 1919 , dissolved = 1948 , succeeded by = League of S ...
( sh, Savez komunističke omladine Jugoslavije, links=no, SKOJ) broke into a number of Ustaše weapons depots, stealing dozens of rifles and machine guns, as well as ammunition and hand grenades. On the evening of 15 April, the first troops of the Italian Army entered Split, signifying the start of their occupation. On 21 April, civil control of Split passed from the NDH to Italian authorities, followed by the raising of the Italian flag over the city. On 18 May, Italy and the NDH signed the Treaties of Rome, confirming Italian rule of Dalmatia, including Split.


History


Formation

On 7 August 1941, Pavle Pap-Šilja and Mirko Kovačević-Lala arrived in Split with instructions from the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of Croatia League of Communists of Croatia ( sh, Savez komunista Hrvatske or SKH) was the Croatian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ). It came into power in 1945. Until 1952, it was known as Communist Party of Croatia (''Komunistička ...
( sh, Centralni komitet komunističke partije Hrvatske, links=no) to discuss the forming of
Partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...
detachments to fight the Axis occupiers. In a meeting with the members of the Regional Committee, they agreed that the new detachments should operate in the
Dinara Dinara is a long mountain range in the Dinaric Alps, located on the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. It has four major mountains or peaks, from north-west to south-east: * Ilica or Ujilica (1654 m) * Sinjal or Dinara (1831 m), ep ...
mountains where their fighters could rely on support from the population of the
Sinj Sinj (; it, Signo; german: Zein) is a town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The town itself has a population of 11,478 and the population of the administrative municipality, which includes surrounding villages, is 24 ...
and
Livanjsko field Livanjsko polje (), located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the largest ''polje'' (karstic field) in the world. A typical example of karst polje encircled by tall peaks and mountain ranges, the field is characterized by many unique natural phenome ...
regions as well as other Partisan formations planned for
Bosanska Krajina Bosanska Krajina ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Крајина, ) is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is enclosed by a number of rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrba ...
and
Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by ...
. This plan meant that the detachments would have to be formed and then relocated to the Dinara mountains. Relocation meant crossing the rough terrain of Zagora, whose population did not support the Partisans. Despite these difficulties, it was decided that in the next two days the Regional Committee would form seven detachments, including one from Split. According to the initial plan, on the night of 11 August, the Split Detachment was to move just outside the town and collect weapons that had been captured on 13 April. They would then link up with the Solin Detachment and continue towards Kamešnica. From there, they would travel to Otok to meet with the Sinj Detachment. On 8 August, a meeting of Communist Party members and sympathisers was held in a field house between Split and
Stobreč Stobreč ( it, Stobrezio, la, Epetium, el, Εpetion) is a historical village and now a tourist resort on the Adriatic Sea, in central Dalmatia, Croatia. Administratively it is part of the city of Split. Founded as Epetium, Stobreč has been se ...
to ask for volunteers to join the Split Detachment. The detachment was formed on 11 August, and consisted of 66 members organized in three
platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
s. The detachment departed Split on the same day, under the command of Đordano Borovčić-Kurir with
commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and Eas ...
Alfred Santini, and accompanied by Kovačević-Lala who was in overall command of all Partisan detachments in Dalmatia.


Ambush and aftermath

The plan went awry when the 2nd Platoon got lost and missed a rendezvous with the 1st and 3rd Platoon, which were waiting for them near Mravince. The 2nd Platoon was therefore disbanded while the rest of the detachment continued via
Mosor Mosor ( la, Massarus), or Mount Mosor (''Massarus Mons''; it, Monte Massaro), is a mountain range in Croatia located near the city of Split on the Adriatic coast. It belongs to Dinaric Alps, and it stretches from the pass of Klis in the northwe ...
to
Dicmo Dicmo is a municipality in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County. It has a population of 2,802, 98% of which are Croats (2011 census). Geography and history Dicmo is a municipality made up of small villages located on the bottom of several foot- ...
where they were to meet up with their guides. They arrived on the night of 12 August, and upon realizing their guides were not there, decided to continue alone towards Kamešnica, but got lost and ran out of supplies during the night. At dawn on 13 August the detachment camped near the village of Krušvar. In the evening they once again continued towards Kamešnica, and at dawn on 14 August, they camped near the village of Košute, near
Trilj Trilj (, it, Treglia, la, Pons Tiluri) is a municipality and town in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. It is located northeast of Split. Population The total population of the municipality is 9,109, with 2,076 in Trilj itself and the rest in small vi ...
. Borovčić-Kurir tasked two fighters to go into the village and ask the locals for water and directions. After talking to some locals, the fighters were fired upon by a member of the Ustaše Militia of the village. They returned fire then continued back to their camp and notified the others about the incident. Just as they finished their report, the detachment was fired on by Ustaše Militia. The Ustaše called for help from Sinj, and by 18:00, Italian reinforcements had arrived and began encircling the detachment, engaging them with
mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...
and light
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
. Outnumbered and facing an enemy with greater firepower, the Partisans planned to hold their positions until evening then retreat using the cover of darkness. About 20:00, Kovačević-Lala, one of the most experienced members of the detachment, was killed after being hit by a mortar round, which had a significant effect on the morale of the remaining fighters. Borovčić-Kurir issued the order to retreat, but it turned into chaos as individuals fled the area. Four Partisans died in the fighting, and three more were summarily shot after capture. Twenty-five were captured and taken prisoner, while 13 managed to escape. The 25 that were captured were moved to Sinj, where one of the prisoners was beaten to death. The rest were placed on trial before a special court that was sent from
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
. Three prisoners were acquitted while the remaining 21 were taken to Ruduša near Sinj, and executed by
firing squad Execution by firing squad, in the past sometimes called fusillading (from the French ''fusil'', rifle), is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war. Some reasons for its use are that firearms are us ...
. According to the Yugoslav historian Mate Šalov, a Split Detachment was still active at the time of the
Italian Armistice The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
in September 1943, but only consisted of the detachment staff and a few fighters, with the Dinara Battalion forming part of the 3rd Dalmatian Assault Brigade.


Commemoration

After the war, a
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
was named after Borovčić-Kurir. In 1962, the 1st Split Partisan Detachment was commemorated with a tall monument designed by Vuko Bombardelli, which was erected in Ruduša where the captured members of the detachment were executed. The monument was destroyed by an explosion in August 1992, during the
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...
. It was renovated in 2009 with financial aid from the owners of the
RNK Split Radnički nogometni klub Split, commonly known as RNK Split, is a Croatian football club based in the city of Split. History The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard. The club was founded on 16 April 1912 as Anarch, but has had se ...
football club, as several members of the detachment had played for the club before the war. In 1981, a monument dedicated to the detachment was placed in Vinkovačka street in Split. In July 2013, this monument was vandalized by unknown perpetrators who spray painted symbols of the Ustaše,
swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
s, and the initials of the
Croatian Civic Party Croatian Civic Party ( hr, Hrvatska građanska stranka or HGS) is a right-wing political party in Croatia. It was established in September 2009 by Željko Kerum, an entrepreneur and mayor of Split after he won the mayoral elections as an independ ...
(''Hrvatska građanska stranka''; HGS) and the
Croatian Pure Party of Rights Croatian Pure Party of Rights ( hr, Hrvatska čista stranka prava or HČSP) is a far-right political party in Croatia founded in 1992. The party claims to be an ideological descendant of the identically named right-wing Anti-Serb sentiment, Serb ...
(''Hrvatska čista stranka prava''; HČSP). This was the second time the monument had been damaged. A movie about the detachment, entitled ''
Prvi splitski odred ''Prvi splitski odred'' is a Croatian film directed by Vojdrag Berčić. It was released in 1972. It is based on true events from the very beginning of the Second World War in Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, ...
'' and directed by Vojdrag Berčić, was released in 1972. In August 2014, the Mayor of Split
Ivo Baldasar Ivo Baldasar (born 5 August 1958) is a Croatian politician who served as Mayor of Split from 2013 until his resignation in March 2017. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) until he was thrown out of the party in 2016. After that, ...
announced he would propose that the Split city council name a street in the Mejaši neighbourhood after the detachment. The initiative was met with opposition from the Mejaši district leaders, who stated that people living in Mejaši had a "different political orientation" and that such action would devalue the Croatian War of Independence and all of its values. The initiative was also met with opposition from the
Croatian Democratic Union The Croatian Democratic Union ( hr, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, lit=Croatian Democratic Community, HDZ) is the major conservative, centre-right political party in Croatia. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Croa ...
(''Hrvatska demokratska zajednica''; HDZ) members of the council who accused Baldasar of "forging history", because "the detachment was never Partisan, and its members didn't die under Partisan insignia." A HDZ council member explained that even during the existence of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
, the street that was named after the detachment did not have the word ''Partisan'' in it. Members of the Organization of Anti-fascists and Anti-fascist Fighters of Split were also dissatisfied because the proposal was intended for a minor street at the edge of the city. Faced with this opposition, Baldasar withdrew his proposal during a council meeting on 25 August, explaining that he could not "allow arguments surrounding street names".


Notes

;Citations


References

;Books * * * * * ;Other sources * * * * * * * {{Yugoslav Partisans military units Detachments of the Yugoslav Partisans 20th century in Split, Croatia Military units and formations established in 1941