Đorđije Lašić

Đorđije Lašić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђорђије Лашић; 5 May 1906 – 5 May 1944) was a Montenegrin Serb military officer of the Royal Yugoslav Army. During the Second World War he participated in the 1941 Uprising in Montenegro, but has soon turned to collaboration with Axis occupation forces until 1944, when he was killed during the bombing of Podgorica.

Not to be confused with Đorđe Lazić.
Đorđije Lašić
Lašić (first from right) and other Chetniks with a German officer
Native name
Ђорђије Лашић
Born(1906-05-05)5 May 1906
Andrijevica, Principality of Montenegro
Died5 May 1944(1944-05-05) (aged 38)
Podgorica, Montenegro
Allegiance
Years of service1924–43
RankMajor
Battles/wars

Early life

Lašić was born in village of Kami near Andrijevica, Principality of Montenegro. He completed his primary education in Lijeva Rijeka. He started his secondary education in Berane Gymnasium, but due to his bad financial situation he left school in 1918 and enrolled in military school in Ćuprija which he completed in 1922.[1]

World War II

Uprising in Montenegro
Main article: Uprising in Montenegro (1941)

At the beginning of June 1941 he met with the other officers of Royal Yugoslav Army to discuss potential actions against the occupying Axis forces in Montenegro.[2]

According to Ugo Cavallero, most of the insurgent forces were led by former officers of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia until the end of October 1941.[3] During preparation for uprising in Montenegro, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia came in touch with active and reserve officers of the former Royal Yugoslav Army, because there were many young people in the ranks of the insurgents who did not know how to handle a firearm. Thus Lašić became a member of the Partisan Military Committee for Andrijevica.[4] When Axis Albanian units started to concentrate toward the liberated territory, Lašić was co-opted in the District Military Command.[5] Lašić often spoke out against the communist leadership of the uprising. The leadership itself didn't have illusions of prolonged cooperation with Lašić, but were trying not to aggravate relations with him until the Partisans liberated Plav and Gusinje.[6] When the Royal Italian Army began its offensive against the Partisans, Lašić on 4 August abandoned his position in partisan District Military Command and joined the anti-communist group of Ljubo Vuksanović, who opposed further struggle against Axis occupation.[7] After Partisan withdrawal from Berane and Andrijevica in early August, Lašić was a member of the delegation sent to meet the Royal Italian Army. On 5 September Lašić in Lijeva Rijeka gathered people and called for combat against communist rebels.[8]

After the initial major success, the uprising was suppressed within three weeks. Most nationalist commanders took neither side in the sporadic clashes between Italian forces and insurgent forces that became increasingly dominated by Partisans.[9] On September 5, 1941, Lašić organized a gathering of the locals, where he expresseed his loyalty to Italians, and threatened insurgent still "in the woods" with force if they don't give in.[8] Lašić went to Ravna Gora in Serbia to meet Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović. In mid-October 1941 Draža Mihailović appointed Lašić as commander of Chetniks in (Old) Montenegro.[10] Although some evidence suggest that nationalist officers advised civilians to take passive attitude toward Italian forces, there is no indication that they were to collaborate with Italians and their governor Alessandro Pirzio Biroli.[11]

In Lijeva Rijeka (former municipality near Podgorica) Lašić established the first Chetnik military organization at the end of November and Chetnik battalion (Battalion of Lijeva Rijeka) at the beginning of December 1941.[12] He was the first commander of this battalion, which was the first Chetnik battalion in Montenegro.[13]

Collaboration with Axis forces

In the second half of December 1941, Pavle Đurišić and Lašić began the mobilization and establishment of armed units separated from Partisans. By the middle of January 1942 these units were in armed conflict with Partisans.[14] Lašić was heavily wounded when two companies of the Kom Partisan detachment[15] attacked Chetniks in Bare Kraljske (near Kolašin), so the command of Chetnik forces at this sector was transferred to Andrija Vesković.[16]

In period between German capture of Pavle Đurišić on 14 May 1943, during their Case Black operation, and his return from German prison in November 1943, Lašić was the only remaining Chetnik commander in Montenegro. His forces were probably no more than 500 men.[17]

Lašić was killed on 5 May 1944 during the bombing of Podgorica by Allies.[18]

References
  1. http://www.ravnagorachetniks.org/Djordje_Markov_Lasic.html
  2. Joksimović, Milorad T. (1974). Iz minulih dana: građa za istoriju Drugog svetskog rata. Hamilton. p. 26.
  3. Milazzo 1975, p. 44.
  4. Pajović 1977, pp. 78-79.
  5. Pajović 1977, pp. 92.
  6. Pajović 1977, pp. 93- 94.
  7. Pajović 1977, pp. 94.
  8. Pajović 1977, pp. 128.
  9. Milazzo 1975, p. 46.
  10. Pajović 1987, p. 107.
  11. Milazzo 1975, p. 47.
  12. Pajković, Đoko (1981). Tokovima revolucije: članci, govori, polemike. Istorijski institut Crne Gore. p. 151. Доказано је такође да је Лашић крајем новембра исте године формирао прву четничку војну организацију, а почетком децембра и четнички батаљон у Лијевој Ријеци
  13. Mihailo Stanišić (2000). Projekti "Velika Srbija". Službeni list SRJ. p. 92.
  14. Tomašević 1979, p. 192.
  15. Marković, Lazo (1970). Ivan Milutinović Milutin. Grafički zavod. p. 156.
  16. Ostojić, Radomir J. (1985). Faze događaja - notorne istine: ("urbi et orbi"). p. 119. У борби на Баре Краљске био је тешко ран>ен и ма ор ђорђще Лашић, па је команду место Лашића, на том сектору преузео Андрија Весковић.
  17. Milazzo 1975, p. 164.
  18. Vojnoistorijski institut (Belgrade, Serbia) (1969). Zbornik Dokumenta. p. 516. ...је 9 четничких официра, од којих мајор Ђорђе Лашић и капетан Лабуд Ивановић.

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