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Dragoljub Draza Mihailovic
(1893 - 1946)
Biography
Before World War 2
Born on 27 April 1893 inIvanjica - some fifty kilometers South of ÄŒaÄak in South-West Serbia (most of the data about his life before 1941 can be found in his personal dossier which Germans found in archives of Yugoslav M inistry of Army and Navy. see microfilm no. T-314, roll 1457, frames 1203-1207). His father was district clerk. Two of his older uncles where officers. After finishing six grades of gymnasium, in October 1910 Mihailović enters Serbian military academy. He participated in Balkans wars 1912-1913 as a cadet and in July 1913 he was given rank of Second Lieutenant as a top of his class. He served in World War I and together with Serbian army crossed over Albania in 1915, later he received several decoration on Salonica front.
Because of some incidents at the beginning of the war he didn't get one of the standard promotions, but between the wars his career progressed normally. From 1921 to 1923 he was in Higher school of Military academy and after additional education in 1926 he was transferee to general-staff branch. Between 1927 and February 1935 he was first deputy chief and later chief of staff of commander of king's guard. In June 1935, after short break in organization department of General Staff (Glavnog đeneralštaba), he was named military attaché in Sofia (promoted to Colonel in September 1935), but was transferred to Prague in April 1936 at the request of Bulgarian government because he made contact with some Bulgarian officers who where out of favor. He stayed in Prague until May 1937. During two years he made contacts with officers of those countries and also with soviet military attaches in those countries. He also gained new experiences in intelligence work.
From May1937 to April 1941 Mihailović had several position in military hierarchy form chief of staff of Drava division district to commander of 39th Infantry Regiment in Celje, chief of section for fortification at Ministry of army and navy after which he was instructor at Military academy and finally head of general department at Inspector's office of the army. His professional interest entire time was infantry tactics, but in the end of thirties he started to become interested in guerilla warfare. In the beginning of 1939, during his service in Celje, he made and give to his superiors plan for reorganization of Yugoslav armed forces on national basis - Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, by theory that nationally pure units will better then mixed ones increase army cohesion and fighting capabilities. His superiors resented this plan hard and on November 1st 1939 punished him with 30 days of harsh prison, what was made public in entire army. In November 1940 he was again punished with 30 days of prison because he participated in uniform without permission to some quasi-political quasi-culture gathering for members of reserve office association which was organized by British military attaché in Belgrade. After this second incident he barely managed to avoid to be removed from elite general-staff branch or be retired. Despite these incident his personal military dossier describes him as 'hard worker and excellent officer' (microfilm no. T-314, roll 1457, frames 1206).
Few months before invasion, Mihailović become deputy chief of staff of 6th Army district in Mostar; this duty one of his later commanders, major VuÄković, described as 'absolutely insignificant position'. His disposition in case of the war was assistant to chief of staff of 2nd Army which was equally insignificant. He was in friendly relationship with Boro Mirković and participated in preparation for coup of March 27th 1941, but since he at the time wasn't in Belgrade his participation was probably limited to being informed of the coup in advance like many other officers.
World War 2
This part shall be covered in detail in Chetnik Movement 1941-45.
After World War 2
Captured on March 12th 1946 by OZNA agents after hiding in East Bosnia, trailed from June 10th to July 15 for high treason and war crimes, found guilty and executed by firing squad on 17 July 1946.
Ranks
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Colonel
Decorations
Assignments
- 11 January 1942 - Minister of Army and Army of Yugoslav government in exile
Died
17 July 1946Bibliography
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