Bajo Stanišić
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Bajo Stanišić (
Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard modern Serbian, th ...
: Бајо Станишић; 1890–1943) was a
Montenegrin Serb Serbs of Montenegro ( sr, / ) or Montenegrin Serbs ( sr, / ),, meaning "Montenegrin Serbs", and meaning "Serbs Montenegrins". Specifically, Their regional autonym is simply , literal meaning "Montenegrins",Charles Seignobos, Political Histo ...
officer of 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 ...
, who was one of the participants of the Uprising in Montenegro against the Italian occupation forces in 1941. After the suppression of the uprising, he became one of the commanders of the
Chetnik 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 ...
units in Montenegro and openly collaborated with Fascist Italy until his death in 1943.


Uprising in Montenegro

Stanišić was a member of the Supreme Command of the insurgent forces during the Uprising in Montenegro.


Anti-communist struggle and collaboration with the Italians

On 11 February 1942, after the uprising had been suppressed, Stanišić conducted a coup near
Danilovgrad Danilovgrad ( cnr, Даниловград) is a town in central Montenegro. It has a population of 6,852 (2011 census). It is situated in the Danilovgrad Municipality which lies along the main route between Montenegro's two largest cities, Podgoric ...
. On that occasion, two companies from the "Bijeli Pavle" detachment joined him. Later that month, he established the National Army of Montenegro and Herzegovina ( sr, Народна војска Црне Горе и Херцеговине) comprising six battalions, most of which were
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 ...
, and appointed himself as their commander. On 17 February and 6 March 1942, Stanišić concluded collaboration agreements with the Italian military governor,
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli Alessandro Pirzio Biroli (23 July 1877 – 20 May 1962) was an Italian fencer and army General. Biography Biroli won a silver medal competing in the team sabre event at the 1908 Summer Olympics. During the First World War Biroli fought in ...
. In the agreement from March of 1942, signed by Colonel Bajo Stanišić writes that ''"Montenegrin nationalists, regardless of the final outcome of the war, will never use weapons against Italian troops."'' Stanišić commanded the Zeta Chetnik Detachment, and according to his agreement with the Italians, his detachment was responsible for the territories of
Nikšić Nikšić ( cnr, Никшић, italic=no, sr-cyrl, Никшић, italic=no; ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 56,970 located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot ...
,
Danilovgrad Danilovgrad ( cnr, Даниловград) is a town in central Montenegro. It has a population of 6,852 (2011 census). It is situated in the Danilovgrad Municipality which lies along the main route between Montenegro's two largest cities, Podgoric ...
and
Podgorica Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
. Stanišić wanted to negotiate with Partisans but
Ivan Milutinović Ivan Milutinović (nickname Milutin; sr-cyr, Иван Милутиновић; 27 September 1901 – 23 October 1944) was a Yugoslav Partisan general and an eminent military commander who participated in World War II. Before the war In October ...
, a commander of the Partisan forces in Montenegro, did not reply to Stanišić's offer. Shortly before his death, Stanišić proposed that
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 ...
soften his position toward the separatist "Greens" in Montenegro.


Death

In mid October 1943, General Đukanović and Stanišić with 25 of their soldiers were located at their headquarters in the
Ostrog Monastery The Ostrog Monastery ( sr, Манастир Острог, Manastir Ostrog, ) is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church situated against an almost vertical background, high up in the large rock of Ostroška Greda, in Montenegro. It is dedicate ...
. By 14 October they were besieged by stronger
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 ...
units that demanded their surrender, otherwise the Partisans threatened to destroy the monastery and kill them all. After a fierce resistance, General Đukanović and 22 soldiers laid their weapons on 18 October, but Stanišić and three of his relatives decided not to give up. Stanišić was shot dead by the Partisans on 21 October, while Stanišić's relatives committed suicide. General Đukanović and his soldiers who surrendered to the Partisans were executed on the same day. They were buried in two mass graves. In 1948, the communists built
pit toilet A pit latrine, also known as pit toilet, is a type of toilet that collects human feces in a hole in the ground. Urine and feces enter the pit through a drop hole in the floor, which might be connected to a toilet seat or squatting pan for user ...
s above the graves of Đukanović and his Chetniks for the use of workers who built a railway from Nikšić to Podgorica. Stanišić was buried in Ostrog, below the Upper Monastery. On 20 October 1945, the Yugoslav authorities excavated his bones and threw them into
sinkholes A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are locally also known as ''vrtače'' and shakeholes, and to openi ...
around the monastery. The monks collected his bones and secretly buried them in a grave below the Upper Monastery.


Legacy

The killing of Bajo Stanišić and Blažo Đukanović is commemorated in a song the ''Victory below Ostrog'' ( sr, Побједа под Острогом).


Notes


References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanisic, Bajo 1890 births 1943 deaths Serbs of Montenegro People from Danilovgrad Montenegrin Chetnik personnel of World War II Serbian soldiers Serbian people of World War II Executed military personnel Burials at Serbian Orthodox monasteries and churches Montenegrin collaborators with Fascist Italy Montenegrin collaborators with Nazi Germany Serbian nationalists