Editing Yugoslav Partisans (section)

{{Short description|Communist-led anti-Axis resistance in World War II}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox War Faction
| name             = National Liberation Army and<br />Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia
| war              = [[World War II in Yugoslavia]]
| image            = Flag of Yugoslavia (1943–1946).svg
| caption          = Flag of the Yugoslav Partisans
| active           = 1941–1945
| allegiance       = [[Communist Party of Yugoslavia]]
| ideology         = {{ubl|class=nowrap
  |[[Anti-fascism]]
  |[[Anti-nationalism]]
  |[[Communism]]<ref name="Sharon Fisher 2006, p. 27">{{Cite book|last=Fisher|first=Sharon|title=Political change in post-Communist Slovakia and Croatia: from nationalist to Europeanist|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|year=2006|page=27|isbn=978-1-4039-7286-6}}</ref><ref name="Howard Jones 1997, p. 67">{{Cite book|last=Jones|first=Howard|title=A new kind of war: America's global strategy and the Truman Doctrine in Greece|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1997|page=67|isbn=978-0-19-511385-3}}</ref><ref name="Dennis P. Hupchick 2004, p. 374">{{Cite book|last=Hupchick|first=Dennis P.|title=The Balkans: from Constantinople to communism|publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]]|year=2004|page=374|isbn=978-1-4039-6417-5}}</ref><ref name="J. Barkley Rosser Jr. 2004, p. 397">{{Cite book|last=Rosser|first=John Barkley|author-link=J. Barkley Rosser Jr.|author2=Marina V. Rosser|title=Comparative economics in a transforming world economy|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|year=2004|page=397|isbn=978-0-262-18234-8}}</ref><ref name="Christopher Chant 1986, p. 109">{{Cite book|last=Chant|first=Christopher|title=The encyclopedia of codenames of World War II|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=1986|page=109|isbn=978-0-7102-0718-0}}</ref>
  |[[Marxism–Leninism]]
  |[[National liberation (Marxism)|National liberation]]
  |[[Pan-Slavism]]
  |Pro-[[Soviet Union]]<ref name=Proglas>[https://www.znaci.org/00001/4_1_2_2.htm PROGLAS POKRAJINSKOG KOMITETA KPJ ZA SRBIJU]</ref><ref name=Novj>[https://www.znaci.org/00001/4_1_2_3.htm PROGLAS POKRAJINSKOG KOMITETA KPJ ZA VOJVODINU]</ref><ref name=Dokument>[https://www.znaci.org/00001/4_1_2_5.htm PROGLAS OKRUŽNOG KOMITETA KPJ ZA KRAGUJEVAC]</ref>
  |[[Republicanism]]<ref name="BBC - History -      World Wars: Partisans: War in the Balkans 1941 - 1945">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/partisan_fighters_01.shtml|title=Partisans: War in the Balkans 1941–1945|publisher=BBC|access-date=19 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128065207/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/partisan_fighters_01.shtml|archive-date=28 November 2011|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
  |[[Ethnic federalism#Yugoslavia|Yugoslav federalism]]}}
| position         = [[Far-left politics|Far-left]]
| leaders          = {{Collapsible list |titlestyle = font-weight: normal; |title = [[Supreme Headquarters (Yugoslav Partisans)|Supreme Headquarters]] | [[Josip Broz Tito]] | [[Arso Jovanović]] | [[Velimir Terzić]] | [[Sreten Žujović]] | [[Edvard Kardelj]] | [[Aleksandar Ranković]] | [[Ivo Lola Ribar]] ({{dagger}} 1943) | [[Svetozar Vukmanović]] | [[Milovan Đilas]] | [[Ivan Milutinović]] ({{dagger}} 1944) | [[Peko Dapčević]] | Savo Orović | [[Sava Kovačević]] ({{dagger}} 1943) | [[Vladimir Popović (diplomat)|Vladimir Popović]] | Radivoje Jovanović | [[Vlada Zečević]] | [[Petar Drapšin]] | [[Rade Hamović]] | Vojislav Đokić | [[Franc Leskošek]] | Uglješa Danilović | [[Mihailo Apostolski]] | Nikola Grulović | Pavle Ilić | [[Moša Pijade]] | [[Rade Končar]] ({{dagger}} 1942) | [[Gojko Nikoliš]] | [[Izidor Papo]] | [[Ivan Rukavina]] | [[Pavle Savić]] | Vladimir Smirnov | [[Ivan Maček]]}}
| headquarters     = Mobile, attached to the Main Operational Group
| area             = {{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} Axis-occupied [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]<br>{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}} (refugee purposes)<ref>''Third Axis Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945'', by Mark Axworthy, Cornel Scafeş and Cristian Crăciunoiu, page 159</ref><br>{{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922–1943)}} (regions of [[Istria]], islands of [[Cres]] and [[Lošinj]], [[Rijeka|Fiume]], [[Zadar|Zara]], parts of [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]], especially [[Trieste]])<br>{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)}} (1945; [[Operation Spring Awakening]], [[Nagykanizsa–Körmend offensive]])<br> {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}} (parts of [[Carinthia]] in May 1945 only)<br>
| size             = 80,000–800,000 ([[#Composition|see below]])
| successor        = [[Yugoslav People's Army]]
| allies           = '''[[Allies of World War II]]'''
{{Plainlist|
*{{flag|Soviet Union|1936}}
*{{flagu|United Kingdom}}
*{{flagu|United States|1912}}
}}
'''Former Axis powers:'''
{{Plainlist|
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} {{small|(1944–45)}} 
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}} {{small|(1944–45)}} 
'''Other Allied factions:'''
*{{flagicon image|Flag of Albanian National Liberation Movement.svg}} [[National Liberation Movement (Albania)]]
*{{flagicon|Chetniks}} [[Chetniks]] {{small|(1941)}}
}}
'''Other Allied support:'''
{{Plainlist|
*{{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Yugoslav government-in-exile]] {{small|(1944–45, ''de jure'')}}
}}
| opponents        = '''[[Axis powers]]:'''
{{tree list}} 
*{{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
**{{flagicon|Government of National Salvation}} [[Government of National Salvation|Nedić's regime]]
***{{nowrap|[[Serbian Volunteer Corps (World War II)|Serbian Volunteer Corps]]}}
***{{nowrap|{{flagicon image|Flag of Serbian State Guard.svg}} [[Serbian State Guard]]}} 
***{{nowrap|{{flagicon|Chetniks}} [[Pećanac Chetniks]]}}
**{{flagicon image|Flag of the Slovene Home Guard.svg}} [[Slovene Home Guard]]
**{{flagicon image|Flag of Montenegro (1905-1918 & 1941-1944).svg}} [[German-occupied territory of Montenegro|Montenegro]] {{small|(1943–44)}}
**{{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Russia}} [[Russian Protective Corps]]}}
**{{flagicon|Albanian Kingdom (1943-44)}} [[German occupation of Albania|Albania]] {{small|(1943–44)}}
*{{flagcountry|Fascist Italy (1922-1943)}}
**{{flagicon image|Flag of Montenegro (1905-1918 & 1941-1944).svg}} [[Italian governorate of Montenegro|Montenegro]] {{small|(1941–43)}}
**{{flagicon|Albanian Kingdom (1939-43)}} [[Italian protectorate of Albania (1939–1943)|Albania]] {{small|(1941–43)}}
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)}} 
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bulgaria}} {{small|(1941–44)}}
*{{flagcountry|Independent State of Croatia|name=Independent State of Croatia}} {{small|(1941–45)}}
{{tree list/end}}
'''Other Axis collaborators:'''
{{Plainlist|
*{{flagicon|Chetniks}} [[Chetniks]]
*[[File:Balli Kombetar.png|25px]] [[Balli Kombëtar]]
*[[Sandžak Muslim militia]]
}}
'''Other opponents:'''
{{Plainlist|
*{{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Yugoslav government-in-exile]] {{small|(1941–44)}}
}}
| battles          = [[Uprising in Montenegro (1941)|Montenegrin uprising]]<br />[[Srb uprising]]<br />[[Battle of Serbia]]<br/>[[Užice Republic]]<br />[[Bihać Republic]]<br />[[Battle of Neretva]]<br />[[Battle of Sutjeska]]<br />[[Battle of Kozara]]<br />[[Raid on Drvar]]<br />[[Belgrade Offensive|Battle of Belgrade]]<br />[[Syrmian Front]]<br />[[Trieste operation]]<br />[[Battle of Odžak]]<br />(most&nbsp;notable)
}}

The '''Yugoslav Partisans''',<ref group="note">[[Serbo-Croatian]], [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]], and [[Slovene language|Slovene]]: {{lang|sh-Latn|Partizani}}, {{lang|sh-Cyrl|Партизани}}</ref><ref name=curtis>{{cite book|last=Curtis|first=Glenn E.|title=Yugoslavia: A Country Study|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|year=1992|page=[https://archive.org/details/yugoslaviacountr00curt/page/39 39]|isbn=978-0-8444-0735-7|url=https://archive.org/details/yugoslaviacountr00curt/page/39}}</ref> officially the '''National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia'''<ref group="note">{{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odredi Jugoslavije (NOV i POJ)|Народноослободилачка војска и партизански одреди Југославије (НОВ и ПОЈ)}}; {{langx|mk|Народноослободителна војска и партизански одреди на Југославија (НОВ и ПОЈ)}}; {{langx|sl|Narodnoosvobodilna vojska in partizanski odredi Jugoslavije (NOV in POJ)}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Trifunovska|first=Snežana|title=Yugoslavia Through Documents:From Its Creation to Its Dissolution|publisher=[[Martinus Nijhoff Publishers]]|year=1994| page=209|isbn=978-0-7923-2670-0}}</ref> (often shortened as the '''National Liberation Army'''<ref group="note">{{lang-sh-Latn-Cyrl|Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV)|Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ)}}; {{langx|mk|Народноослободителна војска (НОВ)}}; {{langx|sl|Narodnoosvobodilna vojska (NOV)}}</ref>) was the [[Communist Party of Yugoslavia|communist]]-led [[Anti-fascism|anti-fascist]] resistance to the [[Axis powers]] (chiefly [[Nazi Germany]]) in [[occupied Yugoslavia]] during [[World War II]]. Led by [[Josip Broz Tito]],<ref name="Dennison I. Rusinow 1978, p. 2">{{Cite book|last=Rusinow|first=Dennison I.|title=The Yugoslav experiment 1948–1974|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|year=1978|page=2|isbn=978-0-520-03730-4}}</ref> the Partisans are considered to be Europe's most effective anti-[[Axis powers|Axis]] [[Resistance during World War II|resistance movement]] during World War II.<ref name="JJR2013_OxfordPress"/><ref name="AS_2005"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Partisan {{!}} Yugoslavian military force|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Partisan-Yugoslavian-military-force|access-date=2021-03-26|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Batinić |first=Jelena |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KVwCQAAQBAJ |title=Women and Yugoslav Partisans: A History of World War II Resistance |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1107091078 |pages=3 |language=en}}</ref>

Primarily a [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla force]] at its inception, the Partisans developed into a large fighting force engaging in [[conventional warfare]] later in the war, numbering around 650,000 in late 1944 and organized in four [[Field army|field armies]] and 52 [[Division (military)|divisions]]. The main stated objectives of the Partisans were the liberation of Yugoslav lands from occupying forces and the creation of a federal, multi-ethnic socialist state in Yugoslavia.

The Partisans were organized on the initiative of Tito following the [[Invasion of Yugoslavia|Axis invasion of Yugoslavia]] in April 1941, and began an active guerrilla campaign against occupying forces after [[Operation Barbarossa|Germany invaded the Soviet Union]] in June. A [[Uprising in Serbia (1941)|large-scale uprising]] was launched in July, later joined by [[Draža Mihailović]]'s [[Chetniks]]; this led to the creation of the short-lived [[Republic of Užice]]. The Axis mounted a [[Seven Enemy Offensives|series of offensives]] in response but failed to completely destroy the highly mobile Partisans and their leadership. By late 1943, the Allies had shifted their support from Mihailović to Tito as the extent of Chetnik collaboration became evident, and the Partisans received official recognition at the [[Tehran Conference]]. In Autumn 1944, the Partisans and the Soviet [[Red Army]] liberated [[Belgrade]] following the [[Belgrade Offensive]]. By the end of the war, the Partisans had gained control of the entire country as well as [[Trieste]] and [[Carinthia]]. After the war, the Partisans were reorganized into the [[Yugoslav People's Army|regular armed force]] of the newly established [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia]].