Poslijeratni protukomunistički otpor: djelovanje križarske skupine Ilije Krtine i Ante Štitića na prostoru Dervente kroz Udbin dosje Petra Mikruta
Activities of the Crusader Group of Ilija Krtina and Ante Štitić in the Area of Derventa and Their Connections with Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Western Slavonia Through the UDBA Dossier of Ustasha Major Petar Mikrut

Summary/Abstract: With the capture of Dalmatia and Herzegovina by the People’s Liberation Army units at the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945, the activities of organized groups of Croatian anti-communist resistance began. By the early 1950s this resistance would manifest itself through military (crusaders) and political resistance. Although the guerilla resistance survived the longest time in the Dalmatian-Herzegovinian area, further research of local history is necessary to determine the activities of crusader groups and organizations in other areas as accurately as possible. In this paper, the author focuses on one such group in the poorly explored area of Derventa, Bosnia-Hercezegovina. This was a small group of Ilija Krtina, joined by Petar Mikrut, a native of Imotski, and Ante Štitić, a prominent official from the NDH period, who took over the command of this group upon his arrival. The activities of this group were extremely limited, although with Štitić’s arrival the group tried to establish contacts much further than Derventa area, especially in Zagreb and Sarajevo. At the beginning of the summer of 1946, the group managed to establish a connection with the surviving crusaders from Odzak who set off with Mikrut towards Požega in an effort to establish a contact there with a stronger crusader group, and, subsequently, they were expected to inform Štitić about the result. However, Mikrut was captured on the way and probably shot after the trial. Meanwhile, he played a significant role in the attack of the UDB and KNOJ members on the crusader group of Mariofil Mandić on the hill Mosor above Široki Brijeg. The minutes of Petar Mikrut’s hearing represent an important contribution to shedding light on the Croatian anti-communist resistance in Derventa region, although further research to confirm, refute or complete some statements is certainly welcome.

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