People's Liberation Army of Macedonia
Encyclopedia
The People's Liberation Army of Macedonia , often referred to as the Macedonian People's Liberation Army and the National Liberation Army of Macedonia, was a Communist resistance army
formed in present-day Republic of Macedonia
during the People's Liberation War of Macedonia in the Second World War. The term is also used to denote the participation of Macedonians
in the Yugoslav Partisans as well as other Communist resistance organisations operating in Macedonia
during the Second World War. The movement's full official name was People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia, (NOV i POЈ) (Serbo-Croatian: Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odredi Jugoslavije; Slovene: Narodnoosvobodilna vojska in partizanski odredi Jugoslavije; Macedonian: Народноослободителна војска и партизански одреди на Југославија).
, on August 18, 1943 on Mount Slavej between Ohrid
, Lake Ohrid
and Kičevo
(is officially celebrated in the Republic of Macedonia
as the Day of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia).
On 11 November 1943, the 1st Macedonian Kosovo Shock Brigade was formed in western Macedonia
by merging two Vardar Macedonia
n and one Kosovo
battalion. The second — larger ethnic Macedonian military unit was the 2nd Macedonian Shock Brigade, formed on 22 December 1943 just across the border in Greek Macedonia
. On 26 February 1944 in the village of Zegljane, near Kumanovo
, the 3rd Macedonian Shock Brigade was formed. These three brigades were the nucleus of the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia, which after constant battles became stronger in numbers. From 7,000 partisans in the late 1943, until the final military operations in the Yugoslav National Liberation War in April 1945, the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia had increased to three Corps, seven divisions and thirty brigades, all with a total of 100,000 regular soldiers.
The Army was led by the Main Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army and the Partisan Units of Macedonia, headed by Mihajlo Apostolski
.
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
formed in present-day Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
during the People's Liberation War of Macedonia in the Second World War. The term is also used to denote the participation of Macedonians
Macedonians (ethnic group)
The Macedonians also referred to as Macedonian Slavs: "... the term Slavomacedonian was introduced and was accepted by the community itself, which at the time had a much more widespread non-Greek Macedonian ethnic consciousness...
in the Yugoslav Partisans as well as other Communist resistance organisations operating in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
during the Second World War. The movement's full official name was People's Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia, (NOV i POЈ) (Serbo-Croatian: Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odredi Jugoslavije; Slovene: Narodnoosvobodilna vojska in partizanski odredi Jugoslavije; Macedonian: Народноослободителна војска и партизански одреди на Југославија).
History
The anti-Axis resistance started on 11 October 1941, with the emergence of the Macedonian Partisan military units which, during the course of the war, grew into the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia. The date of the creation of its major unit, the Mirče Acev battalionBattalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, on August 18, 1943 on Mount Slavej between Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance...
and Kičevo
Kicevo
Kičevo is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.-Population:The municipality...
(is officially celebrated in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
as the Day of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia).
On 11 November 1943, the 1st Macedonian Kosovo Shock Brigade was formed in western Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
by merging two Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia is an area in the north of the Macedonia . The borders of the area are those of the Republic of Macedonia. It covers an area of...
n and one Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
battalion. The second — larger ethnic Macedonian military unit was the 2nd Macedonian Shock Brigade, formed on 22 December 1943 just across the border in Greek Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
. On 26 February 1944 in the village of Zegljane, near Kumanovo
Kumanovo
Kumanovo is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and other administrative bodies.-Name:...
, the 3rd Macedonian Shock Brigade was formed. These three brigades were the nucleus of the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia, which after constant battles became stronger in numbers. From 7,000 partisans in the late 1943, until the final military operations in the Yugoslav National Liberation War in April 1945, the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia had increased to three Corps, seven divisions and thirty brigades, all with a total of 100,000 regular soldiers.
The Army was led by the Main Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army and the Partisan Units of Macedonia, headed by Mihajlo Apostolski
Mihajlo Apostolski
Mihajlo Apostolski was an ethnic Macedonian general, military theoretician, politician, historian, Commander of the Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army and Partisan detachments in Macedonia.-Biography:He...
.
Commanders
- Mirče AcevMirce AcevMirče Acev , born on was an organizer of the communist resistance in Vardar Macedonia during World War II. He graduated from the University of Belgrade's Law School....
- Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu
- Mihajlo ApostolskiMihajlo ApostolskiMihajlo Apostolski was an ethnic Macedonian general, military theoretician, politician, historian, Commander of the Headquarters of the People's Liberation Army and Partisan detachments in Macedonia.-Biography:He...
- Metodija Andonov-ČentoMetodija Andonov-CentoMetodija Andonov-Čento was a Macedonian statesman, the first president of the Anti-Fascist Assembly of the National Liberation of Macedonia and of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the Second World War.-Early life:Metodi Andonov was born in...
- Svetozar Vukmanović-TempoSvetozar Vukmanovic-TempoSvetozar Vukmanović "Tempo" was a leading Montenegrin communist and member of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia...
Orders of battle
Units of the Macedonian National Liberation Army were organised within the framework of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia.Brigades
- 1st Macedonian Auto-Brigade
- 1st Macedonian Cavalry Brigade
- 1st Aegean Assault Brigade
- 1st Macedonian Brigade
- 2nd Macedonian Brigade
- 3rd Macedonian Brigade
- 4th Macedonian Brigade
- 5th Macedonian Brigade
- 6th Macedonian Brigade
- 7th Macedonian Brigade
- 8th Macedonian Brigade
- 9th Macedonian Brigade
- 10th Macedonian Brigade
- 11th Macedonian Brigade
- 12th Macedonian Brigade
- 13th Macedonian Brigade
- 14th Macedonian Brigade Dimitar Vlahov
- 15th Macedonian Brigade
- 16th Macedonian Brigade
- 17th Macedonian Brigade
- 18th Macedonian Brigade
- 19th Macedonian Brigade
- 20th Macedonian Brigade
- 21st Macedonian Brigade
- 11th Macedonian Brigade (41st Macedonian Division)
Divisions
- 41st Macedonian Division (General Staff of Macedonia)
- 42nd Macedonian Division (15th Corps)
- 48th Macedonian Division (15th Corps)
- 49th Macedonian Division
- 50th Macedonian Division
- 51st Macedonian Division
- Kumanovo Division
See also
- Military history of the Republic of MacedoniaMilitary history of the Republic of MacedoniaThe military history of the Republic of Macedonia spans from the beginning of World War II until the recent conflicts with ethnic Albanian militants, such as the 2001 Macedonia conflict and Operation Mountain Storm...
- Army of the Republic of Macedonia
- National Liberation War of Macedonia
- Communist Party of Macedonia
- Resistance during World War IIResistance during World War IIResistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
- Allies of World War IIAllies of World War IIThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...