OZNA
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Jurisdiction | FPR Yugoslavia |
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Headquarters | Belgrade |
The Department for Protection of the People, commonly known under its Serbo-Croatian acronym as OZNA, was the security agency of Communist Yugoslavia that existed between 1944 and 1946.
Founding
The OZNA was founded on 13 May 1944 according to decision of
On 24 May 1944, only a day before the
Function
Until the OZNA was established, intelligence and security tasks were carried out by several organizations. In spring 1944, the tasks were carried out by the Section for Protection of People in central and western
Organization
The
- intelligence under Maks Baće Milić
- counter-intelligence under Pavle Pekić
- army security under Jeftimije Jefto Šašić , and
- technical/statistics under Mijat Vuletić
The first section (intelligence) organised intelligence activity in other countries, enemy state institutions, and occupied territory. It recruited agents and sent them to work outside the borders of the liberated territory. It collected intelligence on enemy agent networks, police, quisling state machinery, and quisling military units. This was essentially an offensive intelligence service, directed against foreign countries and occupied territory.
The second section (counterintelligence service in the liberated territory) collected information from trusted
The third section organized
The fourth section performed statistical and technical tasks, processed information, and kept records. This section also included special photography,
A fifth and sixth section were formed in the OZNA in March and April 1945.
The fifth section was formed as a counterintelligence service against foreign agent networks in Yugoslavia; that is, foreign intelligence services. (In 1946, this section merged with the new third section, which was created after the military counterintelligence service became independent).
The sixth section performed tasks dealing with counter-intelligence protection of transportation, but was absorbed soon after its establishment by the second sector.
Activities
When the National Liberation Army changed its name into the
The "military" and "civil" part of the OZNA began to separate in 1945 and split in March, 1946. At that time, the new splinter organizations, the Administrative Directorate for Security of JA –
Since the OZNA was left without its third section after the military counter-intelligence service became independent, it formed a new third section unconnected to the previous one. It focused initially on reconstruction and combatting operations of the
The fourth section continued filing information they had been collected within the OF VOS since 1941. From initial information files on 4,000 people, by the end of the war the number had increased to 17,750.
The OZNA was led by a chief who was directly subordinate to the
Mass killings of the "enemies of the people"
Throughout its existence, the OZNA used illegal practices which included occasional mass murders of the "enemies of the people", under the justification of conducting the "revolution". The "enemies of the people" included not only local anti-communist forces but also notable individuals who did not support the communists,[4] collaborators with the occupying Axis powers,[5][6] wealthy individuals, captured members of Croatian Armed Forces (Independent State of Croatia) and representatives of religious organisations regardless of their specific religion, etc.[7] This period was also characterized by the presence of strong armed anti-communist and fascist groups in central Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia. Some represented a serious challenge to the new communist authorities.[8] In combating armed anti-communist groups, the OZNA and KNOJ murdered prisoners without any investigation or trial, sometimes also murdering civilians associated with them.[9] The majority of the atrocities committed by communists were hidden from the public during the period of SFRJ.[10]
The
See also
- Directorate for State Security (UDBA)
- Counterintelligence Service (KOS)
- The People's Defence Corps of Yugoslavia (KNOJ)
- Crusaders (guerrilla)
- Operation Gvardijan
References
- ^ Vojska. Vojnoizdavački i novinski centar. 1997. p. 243.
- ^ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije: Dokumenta Centralnog komiteta KP Jugoslavije i Vrhovnog štaba NOV i PO Jugoslavije i Generalštaba JA. Vol. 13. Vojnoistorijski institut. 1982. p. 182.
Kod ustanovljenja istine о delu i krivnji optuženog sud nije formalno vezan ni za kakva dokazna sredstva, već donosi svoju odluku po slobodnoj oceni.
- ^ (Kulić 1964, p. 140)
- )
- OCLC 45820953.
Tomasevich talks about collaboration, and uses Milan Nedić, that commanded the 3rd Army Group during the Nazi invasion.
- OCLC 191875091.
- OCLC 1203356.
- ^ Dimitrijević, Bojan (2019). "Intelligence and Security Services in Tito's Yugoslavia 1944–1966" (PDF). Istorija 20. veka. 2/2019: 9–28. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
The entire period of the existence of the OZNA (1944–1946), was characterized by improvisation and usage of unlawful practices, including occasional mass killings, in its work against the "enemies of the people." With the notion of having conducted the "revolution," all the OZNA members, from top to bottom, were ruthless and merciless toward many of the local anti-communist forces, POWs, prominent local figures who did not support the communists, prosperous individuals that possessed different wealth, and of course all kinds of representatives of the Church, no matter which religion.
- ^ Dimitrijević, Bojan (2019). "Intelligence and Security Services in Tito's Yugoslavia 1944–1966" (PDF). Istorija 20. veka. 2/2019: 9–28. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
This period was also characterized by the strong presence of armed anti-communist groups operating in central Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia. Some of them represented a serious challenge to the new communist authorities. In combating them, the OZNA, supported by the units of the KNOJ, executed the captured "outlaws" without any additional investigations or trials, including sometimes even the civilian accomplices of these "outlaws."
- ^ Dimitrijević, Bojan (2019). "Intelligence and Security Services in Tito's Yugoslavia 1944–1966" (PDF). Istorija 20. veka. 2/2019: 9–28. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
Most of those atrocities remained hidden throughout the period of socialist Yugoslavia until recent times.
- ^ "Registar Žrtava". www.komisija1944.mpravde.gov.rs. Ministry of Justice, Republic of Serbia. Retrieved 6 October 2019.