Predrag Raković

Predrag Raković (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Предраг Раковић; 1912 – 15 December 1944) was a Yugoslav military officer who joined the Chetnik forces of Draža Mihailović after the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941 during World War II. He became commander of the Chetnik 2nd Ravna Gora Corps and collaborated with the German-installed puppet government in the German-occupied territory of Serbia and later directly with the Germans against the rival communist-led Yugoslav Partisans. His forces briefly cooperated with Soviet forces against the Germans in October 1944, but faced with Soviet demands that they lay down their weapons or join the Partisans, they withdrew from occupied Serbia.

Predrag Raković
British Brigadier Charles Armstrong (left) visits the 2nd Ravna Gora Corps and its commander Predrag Raković in the fall of 1943.
Born1912
Prijevor, Kingdom of Serbia
Died15 December 1944(1944-12-15) (aged 31–32)
Miokovci, Yugoslavia
Allegiance
RankCaptain
Commands held2nd Ravna Gora Corps
Battles/wars

During the World War II

Uprising in Serbia

At the beginning of the uprising in Serbia in May 1941 Raković was commander of the Prijevor Chetnik Detachment.[1] Raković and his detachment participated in the Siege of Kraljevo. On 19 October 1941 Raković reported his commander in Čačak, Captain Bogdan Marjanović that his men are disturbed by the news about communist violence in Ljubić county and that they threatened with desertion if this violence continues.[2]

Legalization

In 1941 Raković was commander of Ljubić Detachment "Tanasko Rajić", a Chetnik military unit of 400 men.[3] On 1 or 2 December 1941 his detachment was captured by detachment of Ljotićevci commanded by Marisav Petrović who legalized Raković's Chetnik unit with Serbian puppet government.[4]

The legalization of Chetnik detachments had two waves. The first wave was in period November—December 1941 when legalization with Serbian puppet government was accepted by the following Chetnik units and commanders:[5]

  • Ljubić Detachment commanded by Raković
  • Požega Detachment commanded by Glišić and Ignjatović
  • Užice—Požega Detachment commanded by M. Korać
  • Montenegrin Detachment commanded by Mladenović
  • Detachments commanded by V. Pantelić, R. Stojanović, Rajković, Kalabić and many others

In the second wave of legalization which happened at the beginning of 1942 the Serbian puppet government even established new Chetnik detachments as already legalized, such as Ribnički Detachment in Valjevo region.[6]

Conflict with Ljotićevci

Soon there were conflicts between illegal Chetniks and legal Chetniks and Ljotićevci (Serbian Volunteer Corps). At the end of May 1942 Raković organized attack on Budimir Nikić and his associates, wounding Nikić and killing four of his companions near Čačak.[7] At the end of June 1942 another member of Ljotićevci, Dragutin Bulić, was attacked and killed at the market in Čačak.[8]

At the same time in Valjevo there was conflict between illegal Chetniks of Major Nikola Kalabić and legalized Chetniks of Captain Rajko Terzić. Since April 1942 Terzić arrested members and associates of illegal Chetniks and handed over them to Germans who either executed them or sent them to concentration camps in Germany. The illegal Chetniks soon took revenge and killed Terzić in his office.[9]

Battle for Serbia

In mid-August 1944 Raković went to Belgrade to meet with commander of Ljotićevci, General Kosta Mušicki, who promised Raković that he would support his forces with one truck, arms and uniforms.[10]

References
  1. (Jončić 1985, p. 575): "Пријеворски четнички одред Раковића"
  2. (Давидовић 2003, p. 120)
  3. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 121)
  4. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 121)
  5. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 121)
  6. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 121)
  7. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 167)
  8. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 167)
  9. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 167)
  10. (Dimitrijević 2020, p. 345)

Sources
  • Dimitrijević, Bojan B. (2020). Vojska Nedićeve Srbije oružane snage srpske vlade 1941-1945 (3 ed.). Službeni glasnik. ISBN 978-86-519-1811-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Давидовић, Горан (2003). "Чачани на опсади Краљева октобра 1941". In Драган Драшковић (ed.). Kraljevo oktobra 1941. - zbornik radova. Радомир Ристић. Народни Музеј Краљево, Историјски Архив Краљево.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Jončić, Koča (1985). Narodni ustanak i borbe za Kraljevo 1941. godine: zbornik radova naučnog skupa. Narodna knj.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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