Following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, invading Italian forces enlisted the assistance of local irregular forces to fight against the local resistance organizations in Slovenia and the Independent State of Croatia. Formally established by the Italian-Croatian Roatta-Pavelić agreement of 19 June 1942, the first MVAC units of "legalized" Chetnik bande were set up on the territory of Italian occupied Dalmatia on 23 June 1942. That same month, approximately 4,500 "legalized" Chetniks were recognized in Montenegro.