The 16th Vojvodina Division ( sh-Latn, Šesnaesta vojvođanska divizija) was a
Yugoslav Partisan
The Yugoslav Partisans, Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
that fought against the
Germans
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, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
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,
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...
(NDH) and
Chetniks in occupied
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia, also known as Democratic Federative Yugoslavia (DF Yugoslavia or DFY), was a provisional state established during World War II on 29 November 1943 through the Second Session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the Nation ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
When it was created, the 16th Vojvodina Division consisted of mostly
Serb
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language.
The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
s recruited from
Hungarian–occupied
Bačka
Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hunga ...
. It constituted the first, second, and third Vojvodinian Brigades and had about 3,000 units when it was formed.
By 1941, the Partisan rank-and-file was still predominantly Serbian.
The Partisans initial successes included the liberation of the area that surrounded the Serbian town of
Užice
Užice ( sr-cyr, Ужице, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Zlatibor District in western Serbia. It is located on the banks of the river Đetinja. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 59,747. The C ...
.
As part of the
Partisan 3rd Corps then
Partisan 12th Corps it spent most of 1944 engaged in hard fighting against the
in eastern
Bosnia. The division participated in the
Seventh Offensive from March to June 1944.
The division's later conflict with the Chetniks, which grew into a civil war, was rooted on the dispute between the pro-Communist and the nationalist wings of the Serb rebellion.
The Division also participated in the
Battle of Batina (November 1944).
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:16th Vojvodina Division
Divisions of the Yugoslav Partisans