Dragoslav Račić

Dragoslav Račić (Serbian Cyrillic: Драгослав Рачић; 24 March 1905 – November 1945) was a Serbian Chetnik military commander holding the rank of colonel and voivode during World War II.[1]

vojvoda

Dragoslav Račić
Birth nameDragoslav Miletić
Born(1905-03-24)24 March 1905
Godačica, Kingdom of Serbia
DiedNovember 1945 (aged 40)
Savković, Yugoslavia
Buried
Unknown
Allegiance Kingdom of Serbia
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Service/branch Chetniks
Years of service1926–1945
Rank
  • Captain
  • Colonel
  • Voivode
Unit
  • Cer-Majevica Corps Group
  • Cer Chetnik Detachment
Battles/wars
Spouse(s)
Verica Miletić
​
​
(m. 1934; died 1937)​

World War II

Uprising in Serbia

In June 1941, Račić arrived on mountain Cer near Šabac where he designated the place for the headquarters of Yugoslav Army soldiers under his command.[2] During the Summer of 1941, he organized several military units under his command, first the Cer company commanded by the Lieutenant Ratko Teodosijević who came from Ravna Gora together with Račić.[3] Then he established the Čokešina company, the Mačva company (commanded by Lieutenant Nikola Sokić), the Machine gun company commanded by Lieutenant Voja Tufegdžić.[4] The newly established Prnjavor company was composed of Serb refugees who escaped from Croatian Ustaše genocide and was a unit within Chetnik Cer Detachment.[5] The Chetnik detachment was military unit of the operational Royal Yugoslav Army and the commanding officers were active and reserve Yugoslav officers determined to struggle against the enemy using guerilla Chetnik methods.[6]

Two Chetnik detachments participated in the Capture of Banja Koviljača conducted 1–6 September 1941: the Jadar Detachment and the Cer Detachment under command of Račić. The commander of the operation was Nikola Radovanović, a lieutenant general. They were quickly transported from Prnjavor through Loznica and Trbušnica to Mount Gučevo above Banja Koviljača where Račić, commander of the Cer detachment, was informed of the intention of the Jadar Detachment of 3,000 men to attack Banja Koviljača.[7] On 21 September 1941, the Cer Chetnik Detachment commanded by Račić conducted attacks on Šabac.[8] Račić was commander of all forces attacking Šabac, the Chetniks, the Partisans and detachment of Pećanac Chetniks commanded by Budimir Cerski.[9] Even after the first conflicts between Partisans and Chetniks began in September 1941, Račić was praised by official communist organ "Borba" as one of the "good" Chetniks who struggled against the occupying forces alongside communist forces.[10] On 4 October 1941, there was the first "peaceful contact" between rebels in Serbia and German occupying forces when Captain Račić sent a letter to commander of the 10th Company of the 699 German Infantry Regiment in Šabac.[11]

Communist Partisan invasion of Serbia

On 7 May 1944, Račić and other officers from HQ of Cer Corps participated on the meeting with representatives of Nedić regime and officers of Serbian State Guard in Monastery Radovašnica to discuss how to protect Serbia from Communist terror. Račić emphasized that the main task of his unit is to "protect Serbia from communists".[12] Račić proposed that Germans should provide his unit with 100 machine guns and 1,000 guns, but this proposal was futile because Germans did not provided him with requested arms, and situation on the field remained as it was.[13]

In 1944, when strong communist Partisan forces invaded Serbia from Bosnia, Račić was appointed as commander of all operations of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland in Serbia.[14] The group of Chetnik Corps under his command and group of Corps under command of Dragutin Keserović accepted the main blow of communist attack during the Battle for Serbia.[15] On 23 July 1944, the communist controlled forces attacked Nova Varoš and captured it. This was the signal for Tito to order urgent movement of Partisan Operational groups of Divisions into Serbia with main goal to destroy military forces and political organization of nationalists.[16] The main blow of communist controlled forces across Kopaonik was received only by Chetnik units.[17]

Failed attempt to gain German support for unification of all anti-communist forces in Serbia

When Račić realized that Chetniks would not be able to resist communist forces, he proposed to Draža Mihailović on 10 August to approach to negotiate with Germans. When Mihailović approved his proposal, Račić organized a meeting with German representatives headed by Rittmeister Von Vrede in Topola on 11 August.[18] Račić proposed the Germans to organize unified anti-communist front of Serb national forces composed of Chetniks, Serbian State Guard and Ljotićevci, insisting that Chetniks will not wear German uniforms and Mihailović remain illegal.[19] The meeting did not have any results because the German representatives were not authorized to make important decisions.[20]

Probably on 15 August 1944, Mihailović met General Milan Nedić on the meeting organized on initiative and insisting of Račić, although Mihailović reluctantly agreed to attend it.[21] The meeting was organized late at night in village Ražana and no written records exist from this meeting.[22] In his later testimonies Nedić stated that he explained Mihailović that Germans will soon leave Serbia and that strong communist forces will occupy Serbia, so he proposes to unite all national forces to defend it. Mihailović agreed with Nedić and explained that he have enough men to defend Serbia but not enough arms and ammunition.[23] Nedić promised to try to get support from Germans and approached to Hermann Neubacher who supported the idea but failed to gain Hitler's approval for it, because Hitler insisted that his support to Serbia could endanger Croatia.[24]

Retreat to Bosnia

On 21 October 1941 in Ivanjica, Račić organized a conference of all commanders of the Chetnik Corps and Grops [sic?] of Corps to decide about their further actions.[25] They decided to join the Chetnik command in Bosnia based on the unrealistic hope that Allies will invade Adriatic coast.[26]

Račić was killed in Autumn 1945 near Krupanj as an outlaw.[27]

Legacy

In 1998, potporučnik of the Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland Dušan Trbojević who was officer in Cer Corps commanded by Račić published his memoires about this military unit and Račić during World War II: Cersko-Majevička grupa korpusa, 1941-1945: pod komandom pukovnika Dragoslava S. Račića. D. Trbojević. 1998.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

References
  1. D. Trbojević, Cersko-majevička grupa korpusa pukovnika Dragoslava Račića, published 2001.
  2. (Цвејић 2006, p. 47): "Почетком јуна 1941. године, капетан Драгослав Рачић стиже натерен у околину Шапца. На Церу је одабрао простор на коме ће битисмештен штаб и одакле ће бити руковођено даљим активностима."
  3. (Цвејић 2006, p. 47): "Током лета приступа стварању организованих јединица, како би војно организовао многобројне придошлице спремне да се боре. Прво је формирана Штабска чета, тј. Церска чета под командом потпоручника Ратка Теодосијевића (заједно са Рачићем дошао са Равне Горе)."
  4. (Цвејић 2006, p. 47): "Потом је формирана Чокешинска чета. Мачванска чета, на челу са пешадијским поручникомНиколом Сокићем, основана је као трећа по реду. Следи Митраљеска чета, са командиром поручником Војом Туфегџићем, заједно са Мачванском обезбеђује збориште. "
  5. (Цвејић 2006, p. 47): "Новоформирана Прњаворска чета, састављена од Срба одбеглих од усташа, прикључује се Церском одреду."
  6. (Цвејић 2006, p. 47): "Устанички планински одред је војна четничка организација и делује као саставни део оперативне војске Краљевине Југославије. Старешине су активни и резервни официри који су одлучили да наставе борбу са непријатељем четничким методама."
  7. Parmaković D. "Mačvanski (Podrinski) narodnooslobodilački partizanski odred, 1941-1944." Vojno-istoriski glasnik 1989 p267.
  8. (Jončić 1985, p. 462): "Напад на Шабац је извршен 21. септембра под командом капетана Драгослава Рачића."
  9. (Kazimirović 1995, p. 846): "руководилац целе операције, био је капетан Драгослав Рачић, командант Церског војно-четничког одреда."
  10. (Karchmar 1973, p. 320): "Račić, as late as November 7, was being praised by Borba, the official Partisan organ, as one of the "good" Četniks who fought alongside Partisans."
  11. (Kazimirović 1995, p. 847): " ..."контакта“ устаника са немачком окупационом војском. На дан 4. октобра 1941, наиме, капетан Рачић, командант Церског војно-четничког одреда, обратио се писмом командиру 10. чете 699. немачког пешадијског пука у Шапцу..."
  12. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 325)
  13. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 325)
  14. (Matić & Vesović 1995, p. 29)
  15. (Matić & Vesović 1995, p. 29)
  16. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 333)
  17. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 333)
  18. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 336)
  19. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 336)
  20. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 336)
  21. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 336)
  22. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 336)
  23. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 337)
  24. (Dimitrijević 2014, p. 337)
  25. (Matić & Vesović 1995, p. 31)
  26. (Matić & Vesović 1995, p. 31)
  27. Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu jugoslovenskih naroda. Vojnoistorijski institut. 1955. p. 49. Драгослав Рачић, командант Поцерског четничког корпуса. Убијен је као одметник ујесен 1945 године у околини Крупња

Sources
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