Siege of Kraljevo

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Siege of Kraljevo
Part of the uprising in Serbia during World War II in Yugoslavia
German soldiers carry a dead comrade killed during the siege of Kraljevo in October 1941
Date 9 October 1941 — 31 October 1941 Location Kraljevo, German-occupied territory of Serbia (modern-day Serbia) 43°43′25″N 20°41′15″E / 43.72361°N 20.68750°E / 43.72361; 20.68750 Result German forces retain control of Kraljevo
Belligerents
Axis:  Germany	Allies: Chetniks Yugoslav Partisans
Commanders and leaders
Franz Böhme	Radoslav Đurić [sr] Jovan Deroko Jovan Bojović [sr] † Ratko Mitrović [sr] Momčilo Radosavljević [sr]
Units involved
HQ of 749th Infantry regiment with one battalion 6th and 7th companies of the II Battalion of the 737th Jäger Regiment 670th Artillery Battalion The 522 sapper squad of 714th Jäger Division parts of units retreated from Užice, Požega and Čačak 717th Jäger Division	Chetnik Detachments: Jelica Bukovik Ibar Žiča Death Dragačevo Battalion Ljubić Battalion Jovan Kursula Detachment
Strength
	3,000—4,000
Casualties and losses
	130 dead rebels, mostly Chetniks approximately 2,000 civilians

The siege of Kraljevo was the most important battle during the uprising in Serbia in 1941.^{[1][better source needed]} The siege lasted from 9 to 31 October 1941. The battle was waged between besieging forces of the Chetniks and Yugoslav Partisans against German forces garrisoned in Kraljevo in the German-occupied territory of Serbia (modern-day Serbia).

The rebel forces had between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers. The battle started on 9 October 1941 when Chetniks attacked German forces near Monastery of Žiča. Several days after the battle began in reprisal for the attack on a German garrison, the German forces committed a massacre of approximately 2,000 civilians in the period between 15 and 20 October, in an event known as the Kraljevo massacre.

On 23 October most of the Partisan forces left the siege of Kraljevo and regrouped their forces to attack Chetniks in Čačak, Užice and Požega. The rebels organized their last larger attack on Kraljevo on 31 October, using two tanks previously captured from German forces, but failed after suffering heavy casualties.

In early November most of the Chetnik forces besieging Kraljevo retreated to reinforce their positions in other towns in Western Serbia attacked by communist forces. On 20 November 1941 both rebel formations signed truce only to be soon again defeated by German offensive in December 1941 that forced Partisans to leave Serbia and Mihailović and his Chetniks to flee constant German chases.

Eventually, Soviet Red Army and Partisan forces captured Kraljevo in autumn 1944, killed at least 240 people in communist purges and established communist regime which lasted for about fifty years. The propaganda created by the winning Partisans was almost completely opposed to real events. The official Partisan historiography considered Chetniks as most responsible for the failed siege, presenting them as deceitful and untrustworthy with minimal combat value. On the other hand, the Partisans were depicted as heroically brave despite all odds at retaking the city.