Uprising in Montenegro

Uprising in Montenegro
Part of World War II in Yugoslavia
The proposed Italian puppet state Kingdom of Montenegro
Date 13 July–December 1941 Location Italian governorate of Montenegro, Albanian Kingdom Result Uprising was suppressed within six weeks, but continued at a much lower level until December 1941
Belligerents
Italy Albania Muslim militia	Communist Party of Yugoslavia Whites former Royal Yugoslav Army officers Montenegrin villagers Chetnik Insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli Luigi Mentasti Prenk Cali Osman Rastoder	Milovan Đilas Arso Jovanović Peko Dapčević Vlado Dapčević Ivan Milutinović Moša Pijade Bajo Stanišić Đorđije Lašić Pavle Đurišić Blažo Đukanović
Units involved
Division Messina Division Puglie Division Pusteria Division Taro Division Venezia Division Cacciatori delle Alpi Two Blackshirts Legions (108 and 164) Two Border guard Battalions I group of Cavalry Regiment Cavalleggeri Guide Muslim militia from Sandžak, Plav and Gusinje Skanderbeg Irregular forces from Vermosh (Albania) Vulnetari from Đakovica (Kosovo)
Strength
over 70,000 Italian troops Unknown number Vulnetari and Muslim and Albanian irregular forces from border areas — around 20,000	32,000 people according to Yugoslav sources
Casualties and losses
more than 2,000 Italian soldiers killed or captured 879 released from captivity during Italian counteroffensive	5,000 died and 7,000 wounded
Civilian casualties: hundreds killed 10,000–20,000 interned

The Uprising in Montenegro (Montenegrin: Ustanak u Crnoj Gori), commonly known as the 13 July Uprising (Montenegrin: Trinaestojulski ustanak) was an uprising against Italian occupation forces in Montenegro (Axis occupied Yugoslavia). Initiated by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia on 13 July 1941, it was suppressed within six weeks, but continued at a much lower intensity until December 1941. The insurgents were led by a combination of communists and former Royal Yugoslav Army officers from Montenegro. Some of the officers had recently been released from prisoner-of-war camps following their capture during the invasion of Yugoslavia. The communists managed the organisation and provided political commissars, while the insurgent military forces were led by former officers. The entire nation rejected the privileged position offered by its occupiers, rejected the capitulation in order to fight for Yugoslavia, together with "Russia" (the nationalist insurgents perceived the Soviet Union as Russia at the beginning of the uprising).

Within three weeks of the start of the uprising, the insurgents managed to capture almost all the territory of Montenegro. The Italian troops were forced to retreat to their strongholds in Pljevlja, Nikšić, Cetinje and Podgorica. The main commanders included the former officers Colonel Bajo Stanišić and Major Đorđije Lašić, with Captain Pavle Đurišić emerging as one of the principal leaders after he distinguished himself during the successful attack he led on Berane alongside communist forces.