It was formed by the outlawed Croatian Communist Party in the Independent State of Croatia established on 10 April 1941, in the Brezovica Forest near Sisak (in today's Croatia) on 22 June 1941, the day Germany invaded the Soviet Union. It had 79 members, mainly Croats with the exception of one notable Serb woman, Nada Dimić, and was commanded by Vladimir Janjić-Capo.