Radojica Perišić (1906 — April 1945) was a Serbian priest and
Chetnik
The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...
leader and one of the main leaders of the
June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina
In June 1941, Serbs in eastern Herzegovina rebelled against the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (, NDH), an Axis powers, Axis puppet state established during World War II on the territory of the defeated and occupied Kingdom of ...
during the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Perišić was born in
Kazanci 1906. During the World War II he was commander of the Chetnik Gacko Brigade. Perišić was killed by
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
in April 1945. The post-war communist historiography intentionally ignored the
June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina
In June 1941, Serbs in eastern Herzegovina rebelled against the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (, NDH), an Axis powers, Axis puppet state established during World War II on the territory of the defeated and occupied Kingdom of ...
because it would contradict the communist narrative about rebels being led by communists. In the period after the
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall (, ) on 9 November in German history, 9 November 1989, during the Peaceful Revolution, marked the beginning of the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the figurative Iron Curtain, as East Berlin transit restrictions we ...
Gacko municipality proclaimed 6 June as their holiday in honor of the beginning of the uprising and held public ceremonies on 6 June as the ''Day of Gacko''.
World War II
June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina
At the beginning of the World War II Perišić was a priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church in
Kazanci,
Gacko
Gacko ( sr-cyrl, Гацко) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina), East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inh ...
,
Eastern Herzegovina
East Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Istočna Hercegovina, Источна Херцеговина) is the eastern part of the historical Herzegovina region in Bosnia and Herzegovina, east of the Neretva river, part of the Republika Srpska entity. Major ...
. When population of Eastern Herzegovina was subjected to genocide carried by Independent State of Croatia, Perišić inspired the local population to start a rebellion and defend themselves.
Perišić commanded rebel units from villages
Kazanci, Golija,
Vratkovići and
Dobrelji. On 6 June Perišić led the insurgents from his village during the attack on local gendarmes.
Since Perišić and Milorad Popović had a significant influence on population in part of Gacko county, while captain Bajagić on part of villages near border toward Montenegro, the rebels entrusted them to lead attack on Ustaše position in Avtovac and Fazlagića Kula on 28 June 1941.
During the preparation for the attack on
Avtovac
Avtovac ( sr-cyrl, Автовац) is a small village in the municipality of Gacko, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Eu ...
, Gacko and Fazlagića Kula, Perišić sent a letter to
Dramešina
Dramešina ( sr-cyrl, Драмешина) is a village in the municipality of Gacko, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast E ...
. Avtovac, defended by 200
Croatian Home Guard, 50
Ustaše
The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...
from Eastern Herzegovina and 20 Ustaše from Western Herzegovina, was attacked in dawn of 28 June 1941.
Perišič was a leader of nationalist rebels, together with Manja Višnjić. The nationalist rebels established a battalion in November 1941, when communist also established their battalion.
According to post-war sources published in communist governed Yugoslavia, Perišić met with
Radoje Dakić and other members of headquarters of the communist detachment and agreed to cooperate in the struggle against Italian occupiers and Ustaše in Gatac county.
Perišić was one of main organizers of gathering of the people of Gacko and Piva held on Ravno on 18 July 1941. According to Chetnik sources Perišić was awarded with
Order of the Star of Karađorđe
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* H ...
and promoted to the rank of
voivode
Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...
.
Rest of the war
In January 1942, the Partisans captured
Boško Todorović, the commander and delegate of the Chetnik leader
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 ...
in eastern
Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
, in the village of Vrba, near
Gacko
Gacko ( sr-cyrl, Гацко) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in the region of East Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina), East Herzegovina. As of 2013, the town has a population of 5,784 inh ...
. He was captured together with nine other Chetniks, including Captain Radojica Rončević and Vidak Kovačević. The Partisans and their captives headed toward Partisan Montenegrin HQ in
Nikšić
Nikšić (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Никшић, ), is the second largest city in Montenegro, with a total population of 32,046 (2023 census) located in the west of the country, in the centre of the spacious Nikšić field at the foot of Trebjesa ...
, but they were intercepted by Chetniks commanded by the priest Perišić who released Bošković and arrested the Partisans. Against the order of Bošković, the Partisans were released.
Perišić was commander of the Gacko Brigade when he was killed together with 24 of his men in a battle with Ustaše in April 1945 during the
Battle of Lijevče polje.
Legacy
The post-war historiography intentionally ignored pre-22 June rebels in Eastern Herzegovina and Sanski Most because they occurred in the period of collaboration between communists and fascists, so it would contradict the communist narrative about rebels being led by communists. On the other hand, the first Partisan battalion established in Gacko at the end of 1941 was named "6th June" in honor of the first date of the uprising. In period after the
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall (, ) on 9 November in German history, 9 November 1989, during the Peaceful Revolution, marked the beginning of the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the figurative Iron Curtain, as East Berlin transit restrictions we ...
Gacko municipality proclaimed 6 June as their holiday in honor of the beginning of the uprising and held public ceremonies on 6 June as the ''Day of Gacko''.
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Perisic, Radojica
1906 births
1945 deaths
Chetnik personnel killed in World War II
People from Gacko
Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian Orthodox clergy