Issue: 1/2025

ON THE TRAIL OF “GREATER ALBANIA”. ARMED FORMATION OF THE SJENICA “V BAND” (1943–1945)

Authors:
Milutin Živković

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The article tells the story of one of the numerous armed detachments of Muslims from Stara Raška serving with the occupiers during WWII. Specifically, the Italian anti-communist volunteer militia unit, which was formed in early 1943 in Sjenica, under the name “V Banda”. It was a formation whose political significance far exceeded its military one. This is because its founding was closely linked to the project of local Muslims and the Albanian government in Tirana to annex Sjenica, along with the Bjelo Polje and Berane regions, to the Kingdom of Albania. Although it failed to do so, the “V Band” fought on the side of the occupiers against the Partisan forces until their capitulation, committing war crimes in the process. However, she remained largely forgotten in the sea of collaboration in the area of Stara Raška during the occupation, although this was also contributed by the post-war authorities compromise stance that the former “vulnetars” were not prosecuted in the majority.