Balkan war history

  Stone Flower, a monument to the victims made by Bogdan Bogdanović. During World War II, there were dozens of concentration camps in the NDH. They were established and ruled by either the Ustashas or the Nazis or the Fascists. Some were death camps, some detention camps for prisoners and undesirable persons (partisans, communists, "racially undesirable persons"). After the defeat of the Axis powers, the camps were closed in 1945. The concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia are marked 1 through 40 on this map of concentration camps in Yugoslavia in World War II. The two camps in annexed territories are marked 54 and 55. Jasenovac concentration camp The Jasenovac camp was the largest death camp in the Independent State of Croatia, in entire occupied Yugoslavia and in the entire Balkans during the Second World War. In addition, it served as a concentration, labor, penitentiary, and prison camp. The system of Jasenovac concentration camps, located near the se...

·         Kozara (1962) Yugoslav war film made in 1962, directed by Veljko Bulajic. The movie was known as the first partisan epic in the history of Yugoslav cinematography. It was made to mark the 20th anniversary of the battle on Kozara Mountain. This film won golden medals at the festivals in Moscow and New Delhi. In this movie, Branko Lustig played the role of a German soldier who got blind during the battle. Lustig later became a successful Holywood producer. ·         Desant na Drvar - Drvar Landing (1963) This movie was filmed in 1963, directed by Fadil Hadzic. It is based on true events regarding the German attempt to liquidate Tito and the Partisans' Supreme Headquarters with unexpected airborne assault on the city of Drvar in 1944. ·         Most - The Bridge (1969) War story directed by Hajrudin Siba Krvavac, which tells a story of a...

The breakthrough of the 1st Proletarian Brigade, led by Koca Popovic, through the German encirclement is known as The Igman March. This breakthrough was made at the night of 27th January 1942 via the Sarajevo Field and Igman Mountain. The German and Ustasha forces have launched an operation called „Southern Croatia“ in Eastern Bosnia in mid-January 1942. Operation „Southern Croatia“ had an objective to surround and destroy the 1st Proletarian Brigade. The Germans have engaged the following forces: 342nd and 718th  Infantry Division, 1st Battalion of the 714th Infantry Division, 7th Ustasha Domobran's battalion, six howitzer batteries, two Pioneer detachments, and two reconnaissance squadrons. On the other side, the Partisan unit was comprised of the 1st Proletarian Brigade, Romanija detachment, Ozren detachment, and Zvijezda detachment. At the beginning of the operation, the Germans have realized their plan with fast maneuvers. They managed to encircle the Pa...