Vladimir Šipcic
Encyclopedia
Vladimir "Vlado" Šipčić (Serbian
Cyrillic: Владимиp "Владo" Шипчић ; also known as Шилe ) (May 12, 1924 - July 29, 1957) was a Serbia
n commandant now primarily remembered as the last remaining Yugoslav
Chetnik from World War II. After the war, he was captured by the Communist security forces and shot.
, Montenegro
, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
, Sipčić went into the Serbian Army at the beginning of 1941. He was at this time a young soldier, only 17 years old. In 1943, he was the youngest officer of the Chetnik unit operating in Montenegro and Bosnia.
in April 1941, a small group of officers and soldiers led by Mihailović refused to surrender, and retreated in hope of finding Yugoslav army units still fighting in the mountains. He joigned in 1941 the Unit of the commandant Obrd Cicmil, who get orders from the General Mihailović who was based at Ravna Gora
, Serbia
on May 8, at this time, the Chetnik movement was highly decentralized, and in that way was more like a collective of many small regional guerrillas.
Vladimir Sipčić was a really strong man, 195 cm high, with an athletic look. The soldiers respected this giant of a man who in turn followed General Mihailović. Kosta Milovanović Pećanac, a First World War uprising leader and former Chetnik himself, who opted for cooperation with the Germans against Tito's Communists.
In 1943, "Vlado" was 19 years old, and was in several battles in the Bosnian Region. He fought against the partisans and he engaged in heavy combat with the Independent State of Croatia
forces.
By the middle of 1943, the partisan movement had survived an intense period of Axis pressure and Britain has switch support for them. At the Tehran Conference
in November 1943, a decision was made by the all Allies to cease their support of the Chetniks which are not fighting Germans and in 1944 Yugoslav royal government has called all Croats, Slovenes, and Serbs to join the Partisans. Soon afterward Serbian Quisling Milan Nedić
, transferred all fascist Serbian troops to Mihajlović.
Towards the end of the war, Šipčić went into hiding in East Bosnia
and Montenegro
with his men, between them were his two best friends, Božo Bjelica and Srpko Medenica.
After the war, they went into hiding in Bosnian mountains, but they had to spend winters in woods, the communist secret police (Udba) was non stop searching them.
(Secret service). Šipčić's friend Bjelica was captured and executed in 1951, and Medenica in 1952. He was considered as a public enemy number one by the communists, sentenced to death in 1955 and executed two years later near the town of Bijelo Polje
. He was executed together with his girlfriend and then buried in an unmarked grave .
Almost sixty years later, Šipčić became an icon for the Serbian people in the region of Durmitor, Piva and Drina, and was always considered as a hero by many Serbian families, especially in Bosnia and Montenegro.
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
Cyrillic: Владимиp "Владo" Шипчић ; also known as Шилe ) (May 12, 1924 - July 29, 1957) was a Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n commandant now primarily remembered as the last remaining Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
Chetnik from World War II. After the war, he was captured by the Communist security forces and shot.
Early life
Born in Mala Crna Gora ( the little Black mountain), ŽabljakŽabljak
Žabljak is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,937.Žabljak is the seat of the municipality...
, 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...
, 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...
, Sipčić went into the Serbian Army at the beginning of 1941. He was at this time a young soldier, only 17 years old. In 1943, he was the youngest officer of the Chetnik unit operating in Montenegro and Bosnia.
World War II
Following the Yugoslav defeat by GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in April 1941, a small group of officers and soldiers led by Mihailović refused to surrender, and retreated in hope of finding Yugoslav army units still fighting in the mountains. He joigned in 1941 the Unit of the commandant Obrd Cicmil, who get orders from the General Mihailović who was based at Ravna Gora
Ravna Gora
Ravna Gora is a Slavic toponym meaning flat hill. The name may refer to:-Serbia:* Ravna Gora , a highland in Serbia* Ravna Gora , a village near Ivanjica* Ravna Gora , a village near Vlasotince-Serbia and Montenegro:...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
on May 8, at this time, the Chetnik movement was highly decentralized, and in that way was more like a collective of many small regional guerrillas.
Vladimir Sipčić was a really strong man, 195 cm high, with an athletic look. The soldiers respected this giant of a man who in turn followed General Mihailović. Kosta Milovanović Pećanac, a First World War uprising leader and former Chetnik himself, who opted for cooperation with the Germans against Tito's Communists.
In 1943, "Vlado" was 19 years old, and was in several battles in the Bosnian Region. He fought against the partisans and he engaged in heavy combat with the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
forces.
By the middle of 1943, the partisan movement had survived an intense period of Axis pressure and Britain has switch support for them. At the Tehran Conference
Tehran Conference
The Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943, most of which was held at the Soviet Embassy in Tehran, Iran. It was the first World War II conference amongst the Big Three in which Stalin was present...
in November 1943, a decision was made by the all Allies to cease their support of the Chetniks which are not fighting Germans and in 1944 Yugoslav royal government has called all Croats, Slovenes, and Serbs to join the Partisans. Soon afterward Serbian Quisling Milan Nedić
Milan Nedic
Milan Nedić was a Serbian general and politician, he was the chief of the general staff of the Yugoslav Army, minister of war in the Royal Yugoslav Government and the prime minister of a Nazi-backed Serbian puppet government during World War II.After the war, Yugoslav communist authorities...
, transferred all fascist Serbian troops to Mihajlović.
Towards the end of the war, Šipčić went into hiding in East Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
and 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...
with his men, between them were his two best friends, Božo Bjelica and Srpko Medenica.
After the war, they went into hiding in Bosnian mountains, but they had to spend winters in woods, the communist secret police (Udba) was non stop searching them.
Death
Sipčić was executed when he tried to escape from Yugoslavia to Greece on July 29, 1957 by agents of UDBAUDBA
The Department of State Security was the secret police organization of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.Although it operated with more restraint than other secret...
(Secret service). Šipčić's friend Bjelica was captured and executed in 1951, and Medenica in 1952. He was considered as a public enemy number one by the communists, sentenced to death in 1955 and executed two years later near the town of Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje
Bijelo Polje is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 15,883 .Bijelo Polje is the center of municipality . It is unofficial center of north-eastern region of Montenegro...
. He was executed together with his girlfriend and then buried in an unmarked grave .
Controversies over "death"
After his death, some people said that they saw or spoke with the Commandant Šipčić, and nobody, even the Police, can affirm that it was really Šipčić who was executed near Prijepolje.Almost sixty years later, Šipčić became an icon for the Serbian people in the region of Durmitor, Piva and Drina, and was always considered as a hero by many Serbian families, especially in Bosnia and Montenegro.
