Evening star., 1948-03-29
Letters to The Star
Yusoslavian Share in Hitler's Defeat

Yuaoslavian Share in Hitler's Defeat
TO the Editor OF The Star:
Saturday March a, was the seventh ami
versary Of the uprising Of the Serbian people
which overthrew the regime Of Prince Paul
and repudiated the Tri-Partite Pact with
Hitler, signed in Vienna on March 25. Follow
ing the uprising new revolutionary govern
ment, composed OF all Yugoslav political
parties Serb, Croat and Slovene, was formed
in Belgrade. This government led Yugoslavia
to the side of Great Britain In the war against
the Nazs.
At dawn on March ~, 1s41, had the honor
of commanding the units Of the Royal Guard
and Belgrade garrison which took over the two
royal palaces, the general staff headquarters,
the prime minister's Office and all other minis
tries in Belgrade. At $3.50 ANIL met the Amer
can Ambassador, Arthur Bliss Lane, and the
American Military Attache, Col Louis Fortier,
who were delighted by the action of the Serbs.
The coup d'etat was a complete surprise, not
only to Hitler who was planning his attack on
Russia and the Middle East, but also to Titos
Yugoslav Communist Party. AS a result, Hit
ler was forced to postpone his attack on Russia
from May is to June "a and to strike i'm
mediately against Yugoslavia. On March 81,
l941, Tito's Communist Party distributed leaf
lets in Belgrade which proclaimed: THE ma
tions of Yugoslavia are endangered by the
ferocious British war instigators and the
greater Serbia national extremists who with
their provocative behavior, drive the country
into war. Do not allow these irresponsible ele-
ments and imperialists especially in Serbia,
to carry out their work. We do not want an
imperialistic war" This statement followed
the worldwide Communist line Of that period
in accordance with the Stain Hitler pact.
The consequences Of this postponement Of
Hitlers attack on Russia are known to the
world and were set forth in an article which
appeared in the magazine Foreign Affairs"
October 1916. In this article describing his
extensive talks with leading German officials
at Nuremberg, Prof. De Witt c. Poole wrote:
"The coup detat in Yugoslavia and the con-
sequent need to conquer that country, delayed
the beginning Of the German campaign east
ward until June %. Karl Ritter who for some
time represented the Foreign Office with the
German general staff told us with sober mien
that this delay cost the Germans the winter
battle before Moscow, and 1t was there the war
was lost"
Persecution by Tito.
Not only did Tito have absolutely no connec-
ton with the coup d etat, but he has carried
on q campaign Of persecution against all those
who took part in the uprising and all those
who were members of the revolutionary gov
ernment which brought Yugoslavia to the side
Of the Allies. To mention just few:
The two men who drew up the political plan
for the coup detat were Gen. Dushan T. Simo
vich and Prof. Radoje l.. Knezevich. Today
Gen. Simovich is in Belgrade, with no means
Of livelihood and living in constant fear of
arrest. Prof Knezevich Is in exile, having been
condemned by Tito at the trial Of Gen. Mihail-
ovich to 10 years in prison as war criminal"
OF the two men who executed the military
coup d'etat, Gen. Borivoje J. Mirkovich is in
exile and myself was condemned by Tito at
at the same trial to 20 years at hard labor.
The members Of the revolutionary govern
ment who have been sentenced by Tito as war
criminals" are: Prime Minister Slobodan
Jovanovich; chief OF the Serbian Radical Party
Milosh Trifunovich, Minister Momchilo Min
chtch, minister and chief of the Serbian Peas
ant Party INLAND Gavrilovich. Ambassador
Constantin Fotich has also been condemned
by Tito as war criminal"
The Serbian uprising of March 27, 1941, had
two purposes To assure the fundamental free
doms of the people inside Yugoslavia and to
insure national independence. However, since
the Allied victory Tto's Communist totalitarian
regime has deprived the Yugoslav people of all
those freedoms. The Serbian people prevented
Hitler from making Yugoslavia Nazi satellite,
but Tito, with the support OF the Allies sue
ceeded in Transforming Yugoslavia into a satel-
lite of the Soviet Union.
The Serbian people fought for their freedom
for five centuries against the Turkish invaders.
In two world wars the Serbs fought against
the Germans on the side of the western democ-
racies. The Serbian people, who had the cour-
age to throw themselves against the Nazi war;
machine, will certainly find the strength to
continue the fight for the complete liberia
ton of Yugoslava
To the people of Yugoslavia March 27 is the
symbol of their profound belief in the final
victory Of democracy. With the help OF God
they will continue the struggle until Yugoslavia
Is once more free from foreign oppression.
LIT COL. ZTVAN L. KNEZEvICH,
Former Military Attache From Yugoslavia in
Washington.