Issue: 2/2019

The Last Months of the SDK: Srpski dobrovoljački korpus in Slovenian Territory During the Second Worl War

Authors:
Klemen Kocjančič

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Article covers the history of the Serbian Volunteer Corps during the last months of the Second World War, when it was operating in Slovenian territory. After the retreat from their homeland, Serbian volunteers, considered by Germans as their most valuable partners, were moved to Operationszone Adria‐ tisches Küstenland to reorganize and to participate in counterinsurgency operations against Slovenian partisans. While undermanned, with limited weaponry and equipment, they were still considered by the partisans to be efficient fighters due to their knowledge and experience in (counter)insurgency tactics. Soldiers of the Serbian Volunteer Corps participated in the last battle on Austrian soil, before their surrender to British forces. Shortly afterwards, the British turned them over to Yugoslav forces and were later killed in mass executions.