Ilija Trifunovic-Bircanin
Encyclopedia
Ilija Trifunović-Birčanin (1877—1943) was a Serbian Chetnik military commander with the title of Voivode.
in 1877, Trifunović-Birčanin served as a volunteer on the Macedonian side in the Balkan Wars
, as well as in the First World War on the eastern front
against Bulgaria
. He gained the title of voivode within the Chetnik movement - the title was used internally to designate its top commanders - in 1916 following the death of Vojin Popović
, known as 'Vojvoda Vuk', in a battle in which Trifunović-Birčanin lost a hand.
Following the First World War, he fought against Albanian
forces in Kosovo
. From 1929 to 1932, during a period in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
when other political parties were banned, Trifunović-Birčanin served as president of the Association of Serb Chetniks for Freedom and the Fatherland. After 1932 he led the Serbian Narodna Odbrana
(National Defence).
invasion of Yugoslavia
in April 1941, Trifunović-Birčanin was chairman of Narodna Odbrana, a Serbian patriotic association mainly of First World War veterans. An organisation with considerable influence with the Serbian public, it petitioned Prince Paul
on various occasions urging him to resist pressure from Hitler for Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite Pact
. Trifunović-Birčanin was in close contact at this time with the British Special Operations Executive
(SOE), which was actively attempting to prevent Yugoslavia joining the Axis powers
. SOE funded Narodna Odbrana and established especially close ties to Trifunović-Birčanin. After discovering that Dragiša Cvetković
and Aleksander Cincar-Marković, Yugoslav Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, were travelling to Vienna on 24 March 1941 to sign a limited form of the Pact, SOE opted to foment a coup d'etat
. Trifunović-Birčanin was closely involved in its preparation and execution, informing SOE that the coup was 99% certain to succeed and that preparations were making good progress.
The coup by predominantly Serbian military officers led by Head of the Air Force General Dušan Simović
took place on 27 March, and Prince Paul was replaced by King Peter II
. Within days it became clear that Simović was not as anti-Axis as SOE had hoped, and Trifunović-Birčanin and others began "discussing the possibility of a second coup", although nothing was done prior to the German invasion on 6 April.
With the defeat of the Kingdom, Trifunović-Birčanin fled to Kolašin
in Montenegro
, moving to Split
, under the control of fascist Italy, in October 1941. The Chetnik movement was openly and deeply hostile to the nascent Partisan movement, and this led to Chetnik commanders negotiating a series of local co-operation agreements with Italian occupying forces, based on the strong mutual wish that the Partisans' insurrection be extinguished. In essence, these agreements were that Italian and Chetnik forces would leave one another alone, and in return there would be an end to persecution of Serbs by the Italians. One such Chetnik-Italian agreement was concluded at a meeting in Split on 20 October 1941 by Trifunović-Birčanin, Dobroslav Jevđević, a leading Chetnik in the inter-war kingdom and Angelo de Matteis, head of the information division of the Italian 6th Army Corps.
In January 1942, General Renzo Dalmazzo, Italian 6th Army Corps commander organised a meeting in the hope that the Chetniks would take part in a joint operation against the Partisans. This was attended by Trifunović-Birčanin, Dobroslav Jevđević, Jezdimir Dangić
and Stevo Rađenović, although "for the time being, however, the Germans vetoed any use of the Chetniks in such a capacity". Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović
"was aware of and condoned the collaborationist agreements into which Jevđević and Trifunović-Birčanin entered".
Based in Split, Trifunović-Birčanin was appointed by Mihailović to command the Chetnik army over Dalmatia
, Herzegovina
, western Bosnia and southwestern Croatia
in the spring of 1942, and "both Chetnik and Italian documents clearly show that his role as liaison officer between the Chetniks and the Italian Second Army was just as important as his command over the Chetnik formations in those areas. On 23 June 1942, assisted by Trifunović-Birčanin, the Italians set up the first units of Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia
known as MVAC , dedicated to "the annihilation of communism" and under Italian control. In 1942 and 1943 19-20,000 Chetniks, "an overwhelming proportion of [their] forces in the Italian-occupied parts of the territory of the Croatian puppet state were organised as Italian auxiliary forces" in the MVAC and equipped with arms, ammunition and clothing by the Italians, although the agreements with the Italians came under threat in 1942 when "the Italians warned the Chetnik leaders Jevđević and Trifunović that their units were provoking disorder, and for this reason they threatened to cut off provisions and funding".
In addition to Dobroslav Jevđević, with whom he worked closely on liaison with the Italian forces, Trifunović-Birčanin's subordinate commanders included Momčilo Đujić (northern Dalmatia), Ilija Mihić and Slavko Bjelajac (Lika), and Petar Baćović (Herzegovina and southeastern Bosnia).
Having been in poor health for a considerable period, Trifunović-Birčanin died in Split on 3 February 1943.
Early life
Born in TopolaTopola
Topola is a town and municipality situated in the Šumadija region of Serbia. It was the place where Karađorđe, a Serbian revolutionary, was chosen as the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1804. The local St...
in 1877, Trifunović-Birčanin served as a volunteer on the Macedonian side in the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, as well as in the First World War on the eastern front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
against Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. He gained the title of voivode within the Chetnik movement - the title was used internally to designate its top commanders - in 1916 following the death of Vojin Popović
Vojin Popović
Vojin Popović, known as Vojvoda Vuk , known as Vojvoda Vuk was a Serbian voivode , that fought for the Macedonian Serb Chetniks Vojin Popović, known as Vojvoda Vuk (Sjenica, 9 December 1881 - Kajmakčalan, 29 November 1916), known as Vojvoda Vuk was a Serbian voivode (military commander), that...
, known as 'Vojvoda Vuk', in a battle in which Trifunović-Birčanin lost a hand.
Following the First World War, he fought against Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
forces in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. From 1929 to 1932, during a period in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
when other political parties were banned, Trifunović-Birčanin served as president of the Association of Serb Chetniks for Freedom and the Fatherland. After 1932 he led the Serbian Narodna Odbrana
Narodna Odbrana
Narodna Odbrana was a Serbian nationalist group that was created around 1908 as a reaction to the Austria-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time, it was concerned with the protection of ethnic Serbs in Austria-Hungary...
(National Defence).
The Second World War
Prior to the AxisAxis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
in April 1941, Trifunović-Birčanin was chairman of Narodna Odbrana, a Serbian patriotic association mainly of First World War veterans. An organisation with considerable influence with the Serbian public, it petitioned Prince Paul
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, also known as Paul Karađorđević , was Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the minority of King Peter II. Peter was the eldest son of his first cousin Alexander I...
on various occasions urging him to resist pressure from Hitler for Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
. Trifunović-Birčanin was in close contact at this time with the British Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
(SOE), which was actively attempting to prevent Yugoslavia joining the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. SOE funded Narodna Odbrana and established especially close ties to Trifunović-Birčanin. After discovering that Dragiša Cvetković
Dragiša Cvetkovic
Dragiša Cvetković was a Yugoslav politician.He served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1939 to 1941. He developed the federalization of Yugoslavia through the creation of the Banovina of Croatia by an agreement with Croatian leader Vladko Maček...
and Aleksander Cincar-Marković, Yugoslav Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, were travelling to Vienna on 24 March 1941 to sign a limited form of the Pact, SOE opted to foment a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. Trifunović-Birčanin was closely involved in its preparation and execution, informing SOE that the coup was 99% certain to succeed and that preparations were making good progress.
The coup by predominantly Serbian military officers led by Head of the Air Force General Dušan Simović
Dušan Simovic
Dušan T. Simović was a Yugoslav general who served as chief of the air force and commander-in-chief of the Royal Yugoslav Army and as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.-Life and career:...
took place on 27 March, and Prince Paul was replaced by King Peter II
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
. Within days it became clear that Simović was not as anti-Axis as SOE had hoped, and Trifunović-Birčanin and others began "discussing the possibility of a second coup", although nothing was done prior to the German invasion on 6 April.
With the defeat of the Kingdom, Trifunović-Birčanin fled to Kolašin
Kolašin
Kolašin , is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 2,989 .Kolašin is the centre of the municipality and unofficial centre of Morača region, named after Morača River....
in Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, moving to Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, under the control of fascist Italy, in October 1941. The Chetnik movement was openly and deeply hostile to the nascent Partisan movement, and this led to Chetnik commanders negotiating a series of local co-operation agreements with Italian occupying forces, based on the strong mutual wish that the Partisans' insurrection be extinguished. In essence, these agreements were that Italian and Chetnik forces would leave one another alone, and in return there would be an end to persecution of Serbs by the Italians. One such Chetnik-Italian agreement was concluded at a meeting in Split on 20 October 1941 by Trifunović-Birčanin, Dobroslav Jevđević, a leading Chetnik in the inter-war kingdom and Angelo de Matteis, head of the information division of the Italian 6th Army Corps.
In January 1942, General Renzo Dalmazzo, Italian 6th Army Corps commander organised a meeting in the hope that the Chetniks would take part in a joint operation against the Partisans. This was attended by Trifunović-Birčanin, Dobroslav Jevđević, Jezdimir Dangić
Jezdimir Dangic
Jezdimir "Jezda" Dangić was a Bosnian Serb lawyer and gendarmerie officer. During World War II he was a member of the Chetnik movement.- Early life :...
and Stevo Rađenović, although "for the time being, however, the Germans vetoed any use of the Chetniks in such a capacity". Chetnik leader Draža Mihailović
Draža Mihailovic
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović was a Yugoslav Serbian general during World War II...
"was aware of and condoned the collaborationist agreements into which Jevđević and Trifunović-Birčanin entered".
Based in Split, Trifunović-Birčanin was appointed by Mihailović to command the Chetnik army over Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, Herzegovina
Herzegovina
Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...
, western Bosnia and southwestern Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
in the spring of 1942, and "both Chetnik and Italian documents clearly show that his role as liaison officer between the Chetniks and the Italian Second Army was just as important as his command over the Chetnik formations in those areas. On 23 June 1942, assisted by Trifunović-Birčanin, the Italians set up the first units of Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia
Anti-Communist Volunteer Militia
The White Guard was a name given colloquially and collectively by the Partisans to an ensemble of Slovene anti-communist political and paramilitary groups during World War II...
known as MVAC , dedicated to "the annihilation of communism" and under Italian control. In 1942 and 1943 19-20,000 Chetniks, "an overwhelming proportion of [their] forces in the Italian-occupied parts of the territory of the Croatian puppet state were organised as Italian auxiliary forces" in the MVAC and equipped with arms, ammunition and clothing by the Italians, although the agreements with the Italians came under threat in 1942 when "the Italians warned the Chetnik leaders Jevđević and Trifunović that their units were provoking disorder, and for this reason they threatened to cut off provisions and funding".
In addition to Dobroslav Jevđević, with whom he worked closely on liaison with the Italian forces, Trifunović-Birčanin's subordinate commanders included Momčilo Đujić (northern Dalmatia), Ilija Mihić and Slavko Bjelajac (Lika), and Petar Baćović (Herzegovina and southeastern Bosnia).
Having been in poor health for a considerable period, Trifunović-Birčanin died in Split on 3 February 1943.