КОМАНДАНТИ СРПСКЕ ДРЖАВНЕ СТРАЖЕ – СТЕВАН РАДОВАНОВИЋ И БОРИВОЈЕ ЈОНИЋ. БИОГРАФСКЕ СКИЦЕ
COMMANDERS OF THE SERBIAN STATE GUARD - STEVAN RADOVANOVIC AND BORIVOJE JONIC. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Summary/Abstract: At the beginning of 1942, the security and intelligence apparatus of the German occupying force in Serbia was reorganized. In line with the new changes, there was a need to reorganize the collaborationist armed forces. The creation of the new formation began in early January 1942, and the decree on the organization of the Serbian State Guard was officially published on March 3, 1942. From the moment of its formation until October 6, 1944, when it ceased to exist, the Serbian State Guard had only two the commanders: StevanRadovanović and Borivoje Jonić. Both belonged to a group of prominent pre-war officers of the Yugoslav Army. Since he was 15 years older, Radovanović finished his military education well before the beginning of a long period of wars, receiving the rank of major in the First Balkan War. On the other hand, the First Balkan War interrupted BorivojeJonić's military education, in which he participated as a cadet of the Military Academy. Both served in the Yugoslav Army as infantry officers. Radovanović retired for the first time in 1933 in the rank of divisional general. At the invitation of General Nedić at the beginning of September 1941, he accepted the duties of commander of the gendarmerie in occupied Serbia. On the other hand, Jonić did not return from German captivity until the end of 1941, soon taking over the duty of Radovanović's first assistant. When General Radovanović retired for the second time in June 1942, Jonić took over as commander. Their war paths crossed again when the remnants of the Serbian State Guard joined the Yugoslav Army in the homeland, in October 1944. The severe suffering in the "Bosnian Golgotha" led to a collective desertion from the ranks of JVuO, in early 1945, when the remnants of this formation again approached the Germans. They both welcomed the end of the war in exile. While Radovanović remained in Vienna, Jonić shared the fate of the national detachments in Slovenia that surrendered to the allies in Italy. Although the new Yugoslav authorities persistently sought them out for trials in Yugoslavia for cooperating with the occupier, they managed to avoid searches and emigrate from Europe. Radovanović died in Sydney in 1960, and Jonić in Washington in 1986.

• Details
• Contents