Anti-partisan operation
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Axis forces were involved in
counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
operations against the various resistance movements during World War II. During the Second World War, resistance movements that bore any resemblance to irregular warfare were frequently dealt with by the occupying forces under the auspices of anti-partisan warfare, particularly in territories occupied by
Nazi forces The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
. In many cases, the Nazis euphemistically used the term "anti-partisan operations" to obfuscate their ethnic cleansing and ideological warfare operations against perceived enemies; this included Jews, Communist officials (so-called
Jewish Bolshevik Jewish Bolshevism, also Judeo–Bolshevism, is an anti-communist and antisemitic canard, which alleges that the Jews were the originators of the Russian Revolution in 1917, and that they held primary power among the Bolsheviks who led the revo ...
s), Red Army stragglers, and others. This was especially the case on the Eastern Front, where anti-partisan operations often resulted in the massacres of innocent civilians. While the worst atrocities in terms of scale occurred in the Eastern theater of the war, the Nazis employed "anti-partisan" tactics in Western Europe as well.


Origins and military doctrine

The forms of resistance varied depending on place and time, and so did the Germans' countermeasures.Daniel Marston, Carter Malkasian, ''Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare'', Osprey Publishing, 2008,
Google Print, p.74-83
/ref> Both the scale of resistance and the severity of German reprisals were much more limited in the West than in the East.Daniel Marston, Carter Malkasian, ''Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare'', Osprey Publishing, 2008,
Google Print, p.83-90
/ref> While Germans were much more likely to treat the entire local populace as enemies in the East, they were much less ideologically driven in the West, where, for example, women and children were only rarely killed by SS troops, but a much more common target in the East. Some scholars have noted that in the East, the anti-partisan operations gave Germans a pretext for ideologically motivated
ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population transfer ...
.Daniel Marston, Carter Malkasian, ''Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare'', Osprey Publishing, 2008,
p.70-74
/ref> The Germans concentrated on short-term victories against the partisans and were able, in some cases, to defeat the partisans militarily, but overall their atrocities against civilians in the East resulted in a continuous flow of volunteers joining the partisan ranks. The first resistance movements were created as early as late 1939 in occupied Poland. As the war progressed and the number of Nazi-occupied territories grew, so did the number and strength of resistance movements. Throughout the war, regular formations of German army, auxiliary police formations ( Ordnungspolizei) and their helpers ( Schutzmannschaft or Hilfspolizei) participated in anti-partisan operations. The struggle of Germans versus the partisans can be described as a stalemate, eventually ended by the German military defeat in the regular war. After the war, brutal German tactics used against the partisans were one of the charges presented at the Nuremberg Trials (see legality of the Commando Order and
Hostages Trial The Hostages Trial (or, officially, ''The United States of America v. Wilhelm List, et al.'') was held from 8 July 1947 until 19 February 1948 and was the seventh of the twelve trials for war crimes that United States authorities held in their occ ...
).


Operations by country and territory


German-occupied Poland

The Polish resistance movement was formed soon after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and quickly grew in response to the brutal methods of the German occupation. Polish resistance had operatives in the urban areas, as well as in the forests (''
leśni (, "forest people") is an informal name applied to some anti-German partisan groups that operated in occupied Poland during World War II, being a part of Polish resistance movement. The "forest people" groups comprised mostly people who for v ...
''). Throughout the war, the Polish resistance grew in numbers, and increased the scale of its operations, requiring the Germans to devote an increasing amount of resources (personnel, equipment and time) to deal with the partisan threat. Polish partisans were particularly active in the Zamość region (see the
Zamość Uprising The Zamość uprising comprised World War II partisan operations, 1942–1944, by the Polish resistance (primarily the Home Army and Peasant Battalions) against Germany's '' Generalplan-Ost'' forced expulsion of Poles from the Zamość region ...
). '' Sturmwind I'' and '' Sturmwind II'' ("Hurricane") in June 1944 were the largest German operations against the Polish ''
leśni (, "forest people") is an informal name applied to some anti-German partisan groups that operated in occupied Poland during World War II, being a part of Polish resistance movement. The "forest people" groups comprised mostly people who for v ...
'' partisans, based on the "
cauldron operation A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
s" Germans developed to deal with the Soviet partisans (see also
battle of Osuchy The Battle of Osuchy ( pl, Bitwa pod Osuchami; sometimes referred to as the Battle at Sopot River, pl, Bitwa nad Sopotem ) was one of the largest battles between the Polish resistance and Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II, a ...
). German losses in those operations amounted to about 1,300 fatalities and similar number of wounded; partisan losses were similar. Soon afterward, the Polish resistance launched a series of major operations against the Germans ( Operation Tempest), of which the Warsaw Uprising was the best known. In Operation Tempest, Polish partisans challenged the Germans in a series of open battles for the control of vital strategic areas. The Germans were not prepared for the vast scale of the Polish operation, but had the advantage of numbers and better equipment; further, when the Polish partisans had to operate without the support of the advancing Red Army, they were significantly less effective. In areas where the Soviets cooperated with the Poles, the Germans were much less able to suppress the partisans, but where the Soviets did not advance to aid the Poles, as was the case with the Warsaw Uprising, the Germans were able to concentrate enough regular army and anti-partisan units to defeat the Polish insurgents. The tactics and policies the Germans developed in Poland served as a template for similar operations against the Soviet partisans.
Ben H. Shepherd Ben H. Shepherd is a British historian and author who specialises in German military history of World War II. He has authored several books on the German Army of 1935–1945. Shepherd holds the position of reader in history at the Glasgow Caled ...
, ''War in the wild East: the German Army and Soviet partisans'', Harvard University Press, 2004
Google Print, p.46p.56
/ref>


German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union

In early 1941 Germans set up special units – Wehrmacht Security Divisions – to deal with securing the rear and carrying out anti-partisan duties. These formations were also involved in the repression of civilians, including participation in The Holocaust by rounding up Jews. The policies the Germans employed in the occupied Soviet territories were the extension of the brutal policies they had developed over the previous two years in occupied Poland. At first, the Germans tried to cow the local populace with violence. The policies of 1941 were aimed more at a potential threat than a real one, as the Soviet partisans were only just organizing in the aftermath of the German invasion. It was on the Eastern Front (including the Balkans) that there was the greatest German terror against the local populace. To a certain degree, it is hard to distinguish pure military anti-partisan operations from
ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, and religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making a region ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal, extermination, deportation or population transfer ...
actions. With the German failure to topple the Soviet Union in the first year of the war, the anti-partisan policy changed, switching from short-term to a more long-term view. Nazi propaganda and similar tactics were employed in order to influence the local populace and make them more friendly towards the Germans (and less towards the partisans). It was at this time that Germans started to support the creation of local auxiliary units to be used against the partisans. The anti-partisan operations also became more professional and better organized. By late 1942, the "hearts and minds" policy had already weakened. Around 1942–1943, large-scale "encirclement operations" were employed, which involved the use of regular army units, detached from the frontline, against the partisans. Such operations often involved the destruction of villages that were seen as potentially supporting the partisans; that meant both the physical destruction of the buildings and the massacres of local inhabitants. These "encirclement operations" antagonized the local populace, contributing to the growth, not shrinking, of the Soviet partisans' ranks. Major "encirclement operations" included
Operation München Operation München ( ro, Operațiunea München) was the Romanian codename of a joint German-Romanian offensive during the German invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II, with the primary objective of recapturing Bessarabia, Northern Bukov ...
and
Operation Bamberg Operation Bamberg was a Nazi security warfare operation during the Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany. The pilot project for offensive "anti-partisan" fighting was the operation Bamberg in the area of Hlusk District- Pariczi- Oktiabrskij to the ...
(March–April 1942),
Operation Hannover Operation Hannover or Operation Hanover (sources vary) was a German operation in April–June 1942 aimed at eliminating Soviet partisans, airborne troops and encircling Red Army soldiers near Vyazma (Smolensk Oblast). The operation was a complete ...
(May–June 1942), Operation Vogelsang (June–July 1942) and
Operation Zigeunerbaron Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
("Gypsy Baron", May–June 1943). In 1944, a new policy was introduced: the creation of ', or fortified villages. This project, seen by Germans as one of the most successful German anti-partisan policies (and later imitated by other armies, for example, the French in Algeria or the United States in Vietnam), involved the creation of autonomous and well-armed villages, in collaboration with local Nazi sympathizers. The advance of the Red Army and liberation of the remaining Soviet territories from under the German occupation prevented the full implementation of this policy.


German-occupied Italy

Casualties in Italy among the
Italian Resistance Movement The Italian resistance movement (the ''Resistenza italiana'' and ''la Resistenza'') is an umbrella term for the Italian resistance groups who fought the occupying forces of Nazi Germany and the fascist collaborationists of the Italian Social ...
include 35,828 partisans killed in action or executed, and 21,168 partisans mutilated or left disabled by their wounds.Giuseppe Fioravanzo, ''La Marina dall'8 settembre 1943 alla fine del conflitto'', p. 433. Another 32,000 Italian partisans were killed abroad (in the Balkans and, to a lesser extent, in France). According to other estimates, the Italian resistance lost some 50,000 fighters throughout the conflict. Thousands to tens of thousands of Italian civilians were killed in reprisals by the German and Italian Fascist forces. Armed resistance to the German occupation following the
armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces The Armistice of Cassibile was an armistice signed on 3 September 1943 and made public on 8 September between the Kingdom of Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was signed by Major General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigad ...
at first included mainly the Italian regular forces, such as the
Italian Armed Forces The Italian Armed Forces ( it, Forze armate italiane, ) encompass the Italian Army, the Italian Navy and the Italian Air Force. A fourth branch of the armed forces, known as the Carabinieri, take on the role as the nation's military police and ar ...
and the Carabinieri military police. Later, the Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale (Committee of National Liberation, or CLN), created by the Italian Communist Party, the Italian Socialist Party, the
Partito d'Azione The Action Party ( it, Partito d'Azione, PdA) was a liberal-socialist political party in Italy. The party was anti-fascist and republican. Its prominent leaders were Carlo Rosselli, Ferruccio Parri, Emilio Lussu and Ugo La Malfa. Other prominen ...
(a republican liberal socialist party), Democrazia Cristiana and other minor parties, took control of the movement. In their attempts to suppress the Resistance, German and Italian Fascist forces (especially the SS, Gestapo, and paramilitary militias such as Xª MAS and
Black Brigades The ''Corpo Ausiliario delle Squadre d'azione di Camicie Nere'' (Italian: Auxiliary Corps of the Black Shirts' Action Squads), most widely known as the Black Brigades ( it, Brigate Nere), was one of the Fascist paramilitary groups, organized ...
) committed war crimes, including
summary execution A summary execution is an execution in which a person is accused of a crime and immediately killed without the benefit of a full and fair trial. Executions as the result of summary justice (such as a drumhead court-martial) are sometimes include ...
s and systematic reprisals against the civilian population. Resistance captives and suspects, as well as random local Italian civilians, were often tortured and raped. Italian partisans, especially those in the mountainous and rural regions, relied heavily on the local populace for support and supplies. The Nazis tried to punish the populace and discourage civilian support for the Resistance by adopting a
reprisal A reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Since the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (AP 1), reprisals in the laws of war are extremel ...
policy of killing 10 Italians for every German killed by the partisans. Those executed would usually come from the village near where a partisan attack against Nazis took place and sometimes included captive partisan fighters themselves. Some of the most notorious mass atrocities included the Ardeatine massacre (335 Italian Jewish civilians and Italian political prisoners executed in a reprisal operation the day after the
Via Rasella attack The Via Rasella attack ( it, attacco di via Rasella) was an action taken by the Italian resistance movement against the Nazi German occupation forces in Rome, Italy, on 23 March 1944. Location Via Rasella is located in the centre of the city ...
in Rome), the Sant'Anna di Stazzema massacre (about 560 random Italian villagers brutally killed in an anti-partisan operation in the central mountains), the Marzabotto massacre (about 770 Italian civilians killed in similar circumstances) and the Salussola massacre (20 Italian partisan murdered after being tortured). In all, an estimated 15,000 Italian civilians were deliberately killed, including many women and children. In addition, following the Italian armistice, the Germans collectively rounded up and interned Italian soldiers, even those not actively involved in the Resistance. Italian soldiers captured by the Germans numbered around 650,000-700,000 (some 45,000 others were killed in combat, executed, or died during transport), of whom between 40,000 and 50,000 later died in the camps. After disarmament by the Germans, the Italian soldiers and officers were confronted with the choice to continue fighting as allies of the Nazi German army (either in the armed forces of the
Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic ( it, Repubblica Sociale Italiana, ; RSI), known as the National Republican State of Italy ( it, Stato Nazionale Repubblicano d'Italia, SNRI) prior to December 1943 but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò ...
, the German puppet regime in
northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
, or in Italian "volunteer" units in the German armed forces) or, otherwise, be sent to detention camps in Germany. Only 10 percent agreed to cooperate with the Third Reich, with the remainder refusing to enroll or continue fighting for Germany and were instead interned under terrible conditions. The Nazis designated the interned Italian soldiers as ''Italienische Militär-Internierte'' ("Italian military internees") to deny them prisoner of war status and the rights granted by the Geneva Convention. The actions of the Italian soldiers who refused to further cooperate with the Nazis were eventually recognized as an act of unarmed resistance.


Axis-occupied Yugoslavia

After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav resistance forces consisted of the Partisans The Partisans were a
communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
-led movement propagating pan-Yugoslav tolerance (" brotherhood and unity") and incorporating republican, left-wing, and liberal elements of Yugoslav politics. The Partisans organized after the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union and were initially supported by the Soviets. The Partisans received universal Allied recognition in place of the
Chetniks The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
after the Tehran Conference in 1943. By the time of this conference, the degree of Chetnik-Axis collaboration was indicated to have increased greatly. During the war, the Axis forces mounted a number of operations against the partisans. Former Yugoslav historiography recognized seven major offensives, of which the fourth and the fifth came close to defeating the partisan forces, and the seventh almost captured their headquarters.


German-occupied France

In France, as in the rest of occupied Western Europe, Germans used different, milder policies than in the East. Part of that reason was that the scale of resistance facing German authorities was much smaller. A large part of France remained under autonomous Vichy regime. Hence from the very beginning of the occupation, much of the police duties were carried out by local (French) forces. Around 1943, as the French Resistance grew in size (due to the Vichy regime accepting the deportation of Frenchmen for
forced labor in Germany The use of slave and forced labour in Nazi Germany (german: Zwangsarbeit) and throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II took place on an unprecedented scale. It was a vital part of the German economic exploitation of conquered t ...
), German anti-partisan operations in France became more serious. Germans deployed military units against the resistance groups, and managed to create a large and successful counter-network of covert collaborators, which succeeded in infiltrating many cells of the French Resistance. The first major German military operation against the French Resistance took place in early 1944 in the mountainous region of the French Alps and
French Jura The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...
. The French resistance forces went to ground and reorganized soon after the German operation ended. Soon afterward, another operation where the French Resistance challenged the Germans to a battle at
Plateau de Glieres In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
in
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
ended in a German victory. Despite this defeat and London's advice to avoid head-on confrontation, in the aftermath of the
Allied invasion of France Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
(D-Day) the French Resistance openly challenged German forces in several areas. After several early Resistance successes, German countermeasures became particularly harsh. Once seriously threatened, German forces resorted to brutality and terror that had been mostly unheard of previously on the Western front (but commonplace on the Eastern). The largest atrocity occurred in Oradour-sur-Glane, where the Germans massacred 642 local inhabitants and burned the village. German terror tactics proved successful in the short term, as the shocked Resistance pulled back. Around July and August, Germans launched their largest operations against the Maquis du Vercors. Similar to the "cauldron operations" employed in the Soviet Union, 10,000 German troops encircled and destroyed a 4,000-strong local partisan force, also committing atrocities against the local civilian population, in order to terrorize the locals and to prevent the surviving partisans from regrouping in the villages.


List of anti-partisan operations

;1941: * '' Uzice'' (27 September – 15 October 1941) — attempts to suppress partisans in western Serbia * '' Ozren'' (1941 & 1942) — two attempts to suppress partisans near Ozren,
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
;1942: * ''
Second anti-Partisan Offensive Operation Southeast Croatia (german: Unternehmen Südost Kroatien) was a large-scale German-led counter-insurgency operation conducted in the southeastern parts of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; modern-da ...
'' (January 17–23, 1942) — attempts to suppress partisans in eastern
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
* ''
Hornung Hornung is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Clarence P. Hornung (1899–1998), American graphic designer *Dirk Hornung, German curler * Erik Hornung (born 1933), German Egyptologist *Ernest William Hornung (1866–1921), Britis ...
'' (March–April 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Soviet Union * ''
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
'' (March 26 – April 6, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Hłusk,
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* '' Trio'' (March 31 – June 1942) — also known as the ''Third anti-Partisan Offensive'', action against partisans in region of southern
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...
* ''Operation ?'' (May 9 – 12, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Kliczów,
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* '' Hannover'' (May–June 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Soviet Union * ''Operation ?'' (beginning of June 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Słowodka,
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* ''Operation ?'' (June 15, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Borki, Białystok County Borki is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gródek, within Białystok County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately north-west of Gródek and north-east of th ...
* ''Operation ?'' (June 21, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Zbyszin * ''Operation ?'' (June 25, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Timkowczi * ''Operation ?'' (June 26, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Studenka * '' Vogelsang'' (June–July 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Soviet Union * ''
Adler Adler may refer to: Places *Adler, Alabama, an unincorporated community in Perry County *Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA *Adler Township, Nelson County, North Dakota, USA *Adler University, formerly Adler School of Professional Psycholo ...
'' (July 15 – August 7, 1942) Anti-partisan operation centered on the Chechivichi region of Belarus:
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
,
Mohylew Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...
,
Berezyna Byerazino ( be, Беразіно́, Bierazino), or Berezino (russian: Березино́, pl, Berezyna, lt, Berezinas), also known as Biarezan (Бярэзань, yi, בערעזין, Berezin), is a town on the Berezina River in Minsk Region o ...
* ''Operation ?'' (July 18, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Jelsk * '' Greif'' (August 14–20, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Orsza Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...
,
Witebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
* '' Sumpffieber'' (August 22 – September 21, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: White Ruthenia * ''Operation ?'' (September 22–26, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Małoryta Malaryta () or Malorita ( Russian: Малори́та, pl, Małoryta) is a city in the southwest part of Brest Region, Belarus. It is the administrative centre of Malaryta District. The name of the city comes from the Ryta river. History Wi ...
* '' Blitz'' (September 23 – October 3, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Polotsk,
Witebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
* ''
Operation Alfa Operation Alfa ( it, Operazione Alfa; sh, Operacija Alfa, Операција Алфа) was an offensive carried out in early October 1942 by Italian, Croatian and Chetnik forces against the communist-led Partisans in the Prozor region (t ...
'' (October 5–10, 1942) — an Italian-
Chetnik The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
military operation carried out in the Prozor region * '' Karlsbad'' (October 11–23, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Orsza Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...
,
Witebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
* ''
Nürnberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ci ...
'' (November 23–29, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Dubrowka * '' Hamburg'' (December 10–21, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Niemen- Szczara * '' Altona'' (December 22–29, 1942) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Słonim Slonim ( be, Сло́нім, russian: Сло́ним, lt, Slanimas, lv, Sloņima, pl, Słonim, yi, סלאָנים, ''Slonim'') is a city in Grodno Region, Belarus, capital of the Slonimski rajon. It is located at the junction of the Ščar ...
* '' Risnjak'' (1942) — Italian action against partisans in coastal Croatia and Montenegro ;1943: * ''
Franz Franz may refer to: People * Franz (given name) * Franz (surname) Places * Franz (crater), a lunar crater * Franz, Ontario, a railway junction and unorganized town in Canada * Franz Lake, in the state of Washington, United States – see ...
'' (January 6–14, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Grodsjanka * '' Peter'' (January 10–11, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Kliczów, Kolbcza * ''Operation ?'' (January 18–23, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Słuck, Mińsk, Czerwień * '' Erntefest I'' (until January 28, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Czerwień, Osipowicze * '' Schneehase'' (January 28 – February 15, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Polotsk, Rossony, Krasnopole * '' Fall Weiss'' ("Case white") (January – April 1943) — also known as the ''Fourth anti-Partisan Offensive''; operations in Yugoslavia * '' Waldwinter'' (until February 1, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Sirotino-Trudy * ''
Hornung Hornung is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Clarence P. Hornung (1899–1998), American graphic designer *Dirk Hornung, German curler * Erik Hornung (born 1933), German Egyptologist *Ernest William Hornung (1866–1921), Britis ...
'' (February 8 – 26, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Lenin,
Hancewicze Hantsavichy ( be, Ганцавічы, ), (russian: Ганцевичи, , pl, Hancewicze, lt, Gancevičai) is a city in the Brest Region of Belarus. It is the administrative center of the Hantsavichy District. The Hantsavichy Radar Station () ...
* '' Erntefest II'' (until February 9, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Słuck, Kopyl * '' Winterzauber'' (February 15 – end of March 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Oświeja,
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
n border * '' Kugelblitz'' (February 22 - March 8, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Polotsk, Oświeja, Dryssa, Rossony * ''
Nixe Nixe may refer to: * Nixe (water spirit), in Germanic mythology * ''Nixe'' (mayfly), a genus of insects * SMS ''Nixe'', a German ship * Operation Nixe, a military operation during World War II See also * Nix (disambiguation) * Nyx (disambig ...
'' (until March 19, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Ptycz The Ptsich, or Pcič official transliteration ( be, Пціч, ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It flows south through Belarus, taking its source near Minsk, and draining into the Pripyat, being its left tributary. It is long, and has a drainage ...
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Mikaszewicze Mikashevichy (, ; , ) is a city in the southwestern Belarusian Brest Region. It is located halfway between the cities of Brest and Gomel. Polish–Soviet War At the conclusion of World War I, Mikaszewicze held a special place in the political di ...
,
Pińsk Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk a ...
* ''
Föhn A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the leeward, lee (downwind side) of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped m ...
'' (until March 21, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Pińsk Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk a ...
* '' Donnerkeil'' (March 21 – April 2, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Polotsk,
Witebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
* '' Frühjahrsbestellung'' (April 18–22, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in north-west Russia: Kudever',
Novorzhev Novorzhev (russian: Новорже́в) is a town and the administrative center of Novorzhevsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Sorot River southeast of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History It w ...
* '' Draufgnger II'' (May 1–9, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Rudnja and Manyly forest * '' Schwarz'' ("Black") (May 15 – June 16, 1943) — ''Fifth anti-Partisan Offensive'', Action against partisans in Yugoslavia * '' Maigewitter'' (May 17–21, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Witebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
, Suraż,
Haradok Haradok ( be, Гарадок, - russian: Городок, Gorodok, pl, Horodek) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus with the population of 34,700 people. Approximately 14,000 people reside in the town itself around 30,000 people reside wit ...
* '' Cottbus'' (May 20 – June 23, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Lepel Lyepyel ( be, Ле́пель, Liepieĺ; pl, Lepel; russian: Ле́пель, Lepel, ; yi, ליעפּליע, Li'epli'e) is a town located in the center of the Lyepyel Raion (district) in the Vitebsk Province of Belarus near Lyepyel Lake. Lyepye ...
, Begomel, Uszacz * '' Weichsel'' (May 27 – June 10, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Dniepr-
Prypeć The Pripyat or Prypiat ( , uk, Прип'ять, ; be, Прыпяць, translit=Prypiać}, ; pl, Prypeć, ; russian: Припять, ) is a river in Eastern Europe, approximately long. It flows east through Ukraine, Belarus, and Ukraine ...
Triangle southwest of Homel * '' Zigeunerbaron'' ("Gypsy Baron") (May – June 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Soviet Union in preparations for the '' Zitadelle'' ("Citadel") * '' Ziethen'' (June 13–16, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Rzeczyca * '' Seydlitz'' (June 25 – July 27, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Owrucz Ovruch ( uk, Овруч, pl, Owrucz, yi, , russian: О́вруч) is a city in Korosten Raion, in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Prior to 2020, it was the administrative center of the former Ovruch Raion (district). It has ...
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Mozyrz russian: Мозырь , nickname = , image_skyline = Mazyr Montage (2017).jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_flag = , image_shield = Coat of Arms of Mazyr, Belarus.svg , image_map = , map_caption ...
* '' Günther'' (until July 14, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Wołoszyn Wołoszyn is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains in Poland It reaches 2,155 meters at its highest peak. Wołoszyn is part of the Polish Tatra National Park. References SummitPost WoloszynMountain Forecast Woloszyn Two-thousanders of ...
, Łohojsk * '' Hermann'' (July 13 – August 11, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Iwie, Nowogródek,
Wołoszyn Wołoszyn is a mountain massif in the Tatra Mountains in Poland It reaches 2,155 meters at its highest peak. Wołoszyn is part of the Polish Tatra National Park. References SummitPost WoloszynMountain Forecast Woloszyn Two-thousanders of ...
,
Stołpce Stowbtsy ( be, Стоўбцы, ''Stoŭbcy'', ) or Stolbtsy ( rus, Столбцы, , stɐlˈptsɨ; pl, Stołpce; yi, סטויבץ ''Steibtz'', lt, Stolpcai) is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus, the administrative center of the Stowbtsy District. ...
* ''Operation ?'' (July 30, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Mozyrz russian: Мозырь , nickname = , image_skyline = Mazyr Montage (2017).jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_flag = , image_shield = Coat of Arms of Mazyr, Belarus.svg , image_map = , map_caption ...
* '' Fritz'' (September 24 – October 10, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Głębokie * ''Operation ?'' (October 9–22, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Stary Bychów Stary is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Rob Stary Robert Stary is a former Australian criminal defence lawyer and current Magistrate at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court. He is well known for defending Julian Assange, as w ...
* ''
Heinrich Heinrich may refer to: People * Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...
'' (November 1–18, 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Rossony, Polotsk, Idrica * '' Delphin'' ("Dolphin") (15 November – 1 December 1943) — Action on central
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
n islands * ''
Adler Adler may refer to: Places *Adler, Alabama, an unincorporated community in Perry County *Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA *Adler Township, Nelson County, North Dakota, USA *Adler University, formerly Adler School of Professional Psycholo ...
'' (November 1943) anti-partisan operation on the north Dalmatian coast, between Karlobag and Zadar (Yugoslavia) * ''
Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fro ...
'' (December 12, 1943 – January 1, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Oświeja * ''Operation ?'' (December 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Spasskoje * ''Operation ?'' (December 1943) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Biały * '' Kugelblitz'' ("Lightning Ball") (late 1943 and early 1944) — part of the ''Sixth anti-Partisan Offensive'', anti-partisan action near Vitebsk * '' Schneestorm'' ("Snowstorm") (December 1943) — part the ''Sixth anti-Partisan Offensive'', anti-partisan action near
Jajce Jajce (Јајце) is a town and municipality located in the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 7,172 inhabitants, with ...
;1944: * ''Operation ?'' (January 14, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Oła * ''Operation ?'' (January 22, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Baiki * '' Fruhling'' and '' Vercors'' (January 1944 – July 1944) — action to suppress FFI activity in
Vercors Massif The Vercors Massif is a Mountain range, range in France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the ''département in France, départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from wh ...
, France followed by main German action to retake
Vercors Massif The Vercors Massif is a Mountain range, range in France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the ''département in France, départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from wh ...
, France * '' Wolfsjagd'' (February 3–15, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Hłusk,
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* '' Sumpfhahn'' (until February 19, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Hłusk,
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* ''Operation ?'' (beginning of March 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Berezyna Byerazino ( be, Беразіно́, Bierazino), or Berezino (russian: Березино́, pl, Berezyna, lt, Berezinas), also known as Biarezan (Бярэзань, yi, בערעזין, Berezin), is a town on the Berezina River in Minsk Region o ...
, Bielnicz * ''
Auerhahn The western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus''), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie , is a heavy member of the grouse family and the largest of all extant grouse species. ...
'' (April 7–17, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Bobrujsk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...
* '' Frühlingsfest'' (April 17 - May 12, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Polotsk, Uszacz * '' Kormoran'' (May 25 – June 17, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Wilejka Vileyka (Instruction on transliteration of Belarusian geographical names with letters of Latin script, officially transliterated as Viliejka, be, Віле́йка , also ''Вялейка''; russian: Вилейка; lt, Vileika; pl, Wilejka) is a ...
, Borysów, Mińsk * '' Rösselsprung'' ("Knight's-move") (May 25 – July 3, 1944) — ''Seventh anti-Partisan Offensive''; Action against the Yugoslav Partisan HQ * '' Pfingsrose'' (June 2–13, 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus:
Talka Talka is a village in Setomaa Parish, Võru County in Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
* '' Pfingstausflug'' (June 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Sienno * '' Windwirbel'' (June 1944) — anti-partisan operation in Belarus: Chidra * '' Sturmwind I'' and '' Sturmwind II'' ("Hurricane") (June 1944) — largest anti-partisan action in Poland (see
Battle of Osuchy The Battle of Osuchy ( pl, Bitwa pod Osuchami; sometimes referred to as the Battle at Sopot River, pl, Bitwa nad Sopotem ) was one of the largest battles between the Polish resistance and Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II, a ...
) * '' Feuerzange'' ("Fire-Tong") (1944) — Action against Dalmatian Islands in the
Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...


See also

* List of partisan operations in World War II * Resistance during World War II *
Seven Enemy Offensives The Seven Enemy Offensives ( sh-Latn, Sedam neprijateljskih ofanziva) is a group name used in Yugoslav historiography to refer to seven major Axis military operations undertaken during World War II in Yugoslavia against the Yugoslav Partisans. The ...


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * {{refend


External links


German Antiguerrilla Operations in the Balkans (1941–1944)
Battles and operations of World War II Counterinsurgency