Battle of Grčarice

The capitulation of Italy was an important turning point in the World War II in Slovenian part of Axis occupied Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

[3] The Slovene Partisans immediately used this arms to eliminate their main political opponents, Slovenian detachment of the Yugoslav Army in Homeland.

Slovene Partisans which attacked Yugoslav Army in Grčarice belonged to three shock brigades (Tomšič, Šercer and Gradnik) of the 14th Slovenian Division.

[15] On 5 September Chetniks received two trucks of arms and ammunition, because Italian General Gambara wanted to establish connection with the Allies.

[21] In midnight Kranjc shouted to Partisans explaining them that their political commissars were guilty of crimes against Slovenian people and accusing them of attacking regular Yugoslav army units instead of the Nazi troops that occupied their country.

[23] When Kranjc was wounded by Partisan artillery fire, Marijan Strniša (nom de guerre Pribina) took command over the surrounded Chetnik forces.

[28] The Liberation Front of the Slovene Nation organized a trial to 21 captured Yugoslav officers, condemning to death 16 of them while 5 were sentenced to forced labor.

[32] After the defeat in Grčarice only small scattered groups of Chetniks in Slovenia continued to exist, while Major Novak resigned as their commander.

[35] The Slovene Home Guard was established as a reaction to massacres and inadmissible actions of Partisans connected with battles of Turjak and Grčarice.

Karl Novak in the 1930s, commander of all Chetnik detachments in Slovenia
Partisans from Šercer brigade near Kočevje in September 1943
Kočevje trials organized in former hall of Sokol assotiations between 9 and 11 October 1943.
The image taken during the Siege of Turjak
2011 picture of the repaired building in Grčarice where the Chetniks had their headquarters during the Battle of Grčarice, with a commemorative plaque in honour of the Chetniks