Губици четника Драже Михаиловића на Зеленгори и Сутјесци – мај 1945.
Casualties of Draža Mihailović’s Četniks in Zelengora and Sutjeska in May 1945

Summary/Abstract: The data from the reports of the Partisan units that took part in the battles against the Četnik forces in May 1945 indicate about 6000 dead, wounded and captured members of the Četnik movement. In addition, some other data from lower military levels reveal actual numbers of those who perished, were captured or wounded. The reports are convincing evidence of ferocity of confrontation in the battles that were still going on in Yugoslavia. The question as to whether the victors could have been restrained may be raised. However, this Yugoslav case is not an exception since the similar events were taking place all over Europe in 1945. Still, it is striking that the Partisan reports often put together the total numbers of the dead and captured members of the Četnik movement, and that captives were shot dead, although this may have not been a general rule. It is also obvious that the role that a specific unit played in crushing the main force under Draža Mihailović’s command was highlighted in the reports, which indicates the motives prevailing among the Partisan units and the revolutionary zeal after the victory and international recognition. The data from the reports of the Partisan units that took part in destroying the Četnik movement in the area between the Drina and the Sutjeska rivers in May 1945 are presented in this paper. Although the presented facts confirm the destruction of the Četnik main forces, they cannot be taken as final figures of the dead and captured among the members of the movement of Draža Mihailović. The data we are presenting in order that the number of victims should not be minimized or exaggerated, are, of course, just another brick in the wall built in pursuit of historical judgment that will bring us closer to the truth about these and other events in the World War II.

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