World War II in Yugoslavia
April 6, 1941 – May 15, 1945
Result Yugoslav Partisan–Allied victory
Axis forces invaded and partitioned Yugoslavia in 1941, then faced a communist-led Partisan guerrilla war. Alongside it, a bloody civil war raged among Partisans, royalist Chetniks and collaborationist forces, ending in Partisan victory.
Germany and allies
Yugoslavia and allies
Other
Units
2nd Army (Italy)
Serbian State Guard
Russian Protective Corps
Serbian Volunteer Corps (World War II)
XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps
117th Jäger Division
13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician)
181st Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)
19th Flak Division
21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg
24th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Karstjäger
2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca"
342nd Infantry Division
367th Infantry Division
369th (Croatian) Infantry Division
373rd (Croatian) Infantry Division
392nd (Croatian) Infantry Division
Battles and events 28
Key events
-
Seven Enemy Offensives September 1941 – June 1944
- Operation Schwarz May 15 – June 16, 1943 · Inconclusive
- Operation Uzice September 27 – November 29, 1941
- Operation Southeast Croatia January 15–23, 1942 · Partisan withdrawal
- Operation Trio April 20 – May 13, 1942
- Kozara Offensive June 10, 1942 – August 1942 · Axis victory
- Operation Kugelblitz 1943 · German failure
- Niš operation 1944 · Allied victory
- Belgrade offensive September 15 – November 24, 1944 · Allied victory
- Battle of Knin November 7 – December 9, 1944 · Yugoslav Partisans victory
- Kosovo Operation (1944) November 22, 1944 · Allied victory
- Battle of Odžak April 19 – May 25, 1945 · Partisan victory
- Race for Trieste April 30 – May 2, 1945 · Allied victory
1941
- June 1941 uprising in eastern Herzegovina June 23 – July 7, 1941 · Uprising suppressed
-
Uprising in Serbia (1941) July 7, 1941 – December 1941 · German and Collaborationist victory
- Battle of Loznica (1941) August 31, 1941 · Chetnik victory
- Uprising in Montenegro (1941) July 13, 1941 – December 1941
-
Seven Enemy Offensives September 1941 – June 1944
- Operation Schwarz May 15 – June 16, 1943 · Inconclusive
- Operation Uzice September 27 – November 29, 1941
- Battle of Novi Pazar November 1941 – December 1941 · Albanian victory
- Battle of Pljevlja December 1, 1941 · Italian victory
- Operation Mihailovic December 4–9, 1941 · German victory
1942
- Operation Southeast Croatia January 15–23, 1942 · Partisan withdrawal
- Operation Prijedor February 18–27, 1942 · Axis victory
- Operation Trio April 20 – May 13, 1942
- Kozara Offensive June 10, 1942 – August 1942 · Axis victory
- Battle of Kupres (1942) July 28 – August 19, 1942 · Independent State of Croatia victory
1943
- Operation Kugelblitz 1943 · German failure
- Battle of Zvornik July 4–5, 1943 · Successful capture of Zvornik by Partisan forces
1944
- Niš operation 1944 · Allied victory
- Operation Draufgänger August 1, 1944 · Yugoslav Partisan victory
- Operation Rübezahl August 13–27, 1944
- Belgrade offensive September 15 – November 24, 1944 · Allied victory
- Stracin–Kumanovo operation October 8 – November 14, 1944 · Allied victory
- Battle of Knin November 7 – December 9, 1944 · Yugoslav Partisans victory
- Battle of Batina November 11–19, 1944 · Allied victory
- Kosovo Operation (1944) November 22, 1944 · Allied victory
1945
- Mostar operation February 6–15, 1945 · Partisan victory
- Sarajevo Operation March 28 – April 10, 1945 · Partisan victory
- Battle of Lijevče Field March 30 – April 8, 1945 · Independent State of Croatia victory
- Battle of Odžak April 19 – May 25, 1945 · Partisan victory
- Race for Trieste April 30 – May 2, 1945 · Allied victory