Types of Collaboration during the Second World War with a Particular Focus on the Events in the Multiethnic Yugoslavia

Abstract

The multiethnic structure of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia significantly contributed to the emergence and extent of collaboration with the occupying forces after the collapse and the parceling out of the Yugoslav stale in April 1941. Neighbouring countries with ancient aspirations or claims regarding specific ¡tarts of Yugoslavia participated in its attack and occupation, believing that this was a matter of liberating their suppressed minorities, reunification of their national territory or other historical and pseudo historical arguments. This collaboration was, therefore, ethnically based, at least in some geographical areas and sectors of the population. The subsequent dynamic relations between the occupiers and domestic subjects during the war resulted in other sources of collaboration. In this, an important role was also played by the resistance movement, in that its communist leadership and the fear of a possible future triumph of communism was a new incentive for the emergence of collaboration. In the paper, the author systematically presents the course of events in individual Yugoslav territories, with the exception of Serbia.