Žarko Todorović
Žarko Todorović in French Foreign Legion uniform, ca. 1970s
Native name
Жарко Тодоровић
Nickname(s)Valter[1]
Born1907
Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia
Died2004
Paris, France
Allegiance
Service/branchArmy
Rank
Relations

Žarko P. Todorović "Valter" (1907 Belgrade - 2004 Paris)[2] was one of the leaders of the Chetnik resistance in the first phase of World War II in the German occupied Yugoslavia, serving as first commander of the undercover Chetnik headquarters in Belgrade.[3][4][5][6]

Early life

Todorović was born in Belgrade in 1907. He attended a Military Academy for both primary and secondary education and later attended the esteemed École Militaire in Paris, France for officer training. There, Todorović attended classes taught by Charles de Gaulle.

Before the Second World War, Todorović was a major in the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, working in the intelligence of the Supreme Command.[7]

Invasion of Yugoslavia (April–July 1941)

Monument to Draža Mihailović on Ravna gora

With the onset of the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941 (also known as the April War), Todorović, now at the rank of lieutenant colonel, was sent to the area to assist resistance fighters, known collectively as the Chetniks. He joined the Ravna Gora Movement, a resistance cell led by Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović,[8] serving as a communications officer.

In May 1941, Todorović delivered an invitation to Dragomir Jovanović to join the Chetniks.[9] Jovanović turned down the offer, and was later convicted of collaborating with German official and executed.

Žarko relayed information between the Chetnik movement with British Intelligence and Yugoslav government-in-exile.[10] He sent a report regarding the organized resistance on Ravna Gora against the German occupation. This report included the initials of the commander of the uprising (D.M.) and provided short and long wave frequencies for further communication.[11] The message bore the signature of General Staff Major Z.P.T., whose handwriting was recognized to be of Žarko Todorović.[12] At his 1946 trial, Mihajlović stated that Todorović also made contact with the American Legation.[13]

Todorović also organized radio communication between Stanislav Rapotec and Mihajlović.[14] Jovan Đonović, a delegate of the Yugoslavian government-in-exile, reported to Masterson, the chief of the Belgrade mission of British intelligence, that Todorović (code-name ZPT — from Žarko P Todorović)[15] contacted the committee of thirty-two (the Central National Revolutionary Committee).[16]

In July 1941, upon expanding the influence of the Ravna Gora Movement cell, Mihajlović gave Todorović command of the northern province, based in Belgrade. In this position, Todorović started with activities aimed to establish Chetnik undercover operations in German-occupied Belgrade.[17]

First arrest

Within a month of commanding the Belgrade Chetnik headquarters, Germans managed to break the code Todorović used to communicate with Mihajlović's headquarters, and were able to locate and arrest Todorović at the end of July 1941.[18][19] German officer Paul Bader boasted in the report he sent to his superior commander that the arrest of Todorović was a heavy loss for Mihajlović's organization in Belgrade.[20] However, Todorović soon escaped. Against the order of the Supreme Command, he transferred command of the Belgrade headquarters to Major Radoslav Đurić, and went to Croatia.[21] Since the command was often target of Gestapo activities, its leadership frequently changed; after Đurić, command was given to Dušan Manojlović, then Saša Mihajlović, and then again back to Žarko Todorović, who had returned to Belgrade.[22]

Second and third arrest

In February 1943, the Belgrade Gestapo arrested Todorović after an illegal radio station was discovered. He was transported to Zagreb for further interrogation and again managed to escape from the prison due to the help of Ustaše intelligence officer Zvonko Katalinić and an officer in the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs.[23] After Todorović was released he was used by Hans Helm, a German attache with the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs, to trace other members of his intelligence network. They used their agent Radoslav Spitler to infiltrate the Chetniks, acting as Todorović's courier. Spitler delivered to Helm copies of all Todorović's correspondence with the headquarters in Belgrade. As soon as Helm collected the data regarding Todorović's intelligence network, he arrested him again and sent him to the Mauthausen concentration camp on September 9, 1943.[24] Todorović survived in Mauthausen for six months until the end of the war, managing to make a vegetable garden - the produce of which he shared with other inmates.

After Second World War

After being liberated, Todorović joined the French Foreign Legion, retaining the rank of Lt. Colonel. During his ten years of service, he fought in Indochina, including the war in Vietnam. After his service, he acquired French citizenship and was admitted to the General Staff of the French Army until he retired in the ranks of Colonel General Staff.[25]

Todorović died in Paris 2004.

Legacy

In the 2000s a series of reports was published in newspapers in Serbia, emphasizing that Todorovic's biography was inspiration for a famous Serbian TV series, Otpisani.[26][27][28]

References

  1. ↑ Beograd u ratu i revoluciji 1941-1945. Istorijski arhiv Beograda. 1984. p. 2. ...Тодоровић Жарко-Валтер...
  2. ↑ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije, tom 14 (četnička dokumenta), Vojnoistorijski institut, Beograd.
  3. ↑ Matić, Milan B.; Vesović, Milan (1995). Ravnogorska ideja u štampi i propagandi četničkog pokreta u Srbiji 1941-1944. ISI. p. 16. ISBN 9788674030639. Обавештајном службом у тој почетној фази руководили су браћа Бошко и Жарко Тодоровић, мајори и капетан Александар Михаиловић, каснији командант Команде Београда.
  4. ↑ Istorija XX veka: zbornik radova. Narodna knjiga. 1959. p. 178. U Beogradu je glavni bio Zarko Todorovic, tada major gene- ralátabni.
  5. ↑ Beograd u ratu i revoluciji 1941-1945. Istorijski arhiv Beograda. 1984. p. 462. У Београду су деловали и обавештајни органи Команде северних покрајина Драже Михаиловића. ... Међутим, с обзиром да је командант те Команде био мајор Жарко Тодоровић „Валтер", који је и у бившој ...
  6. ↑ Minić, Miloš (1993). Oslobodilački ili građanski rat u Jugoslaviji 1941-1945. Agencija "Mir". p. 78. ISBN 9788682295013. Михаиловић је у лето 1941. био формирао у Београду илегални четнички штаб под командом мајора Жарка Тодоровића.
  7. ↑ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije, tom 14 (četnička dokumenta), Vojnoistorijski institut, Beograd.
  8. ↑ (Newman 2015, p. 249)
  9. ↑ Јовановић, Драгољуб (2005). Људи, људи--: медаљони 94 политичких, јавних, научних и других савременика. Филип Вишнић. p. 442. ISBN 978-86-7363-426-5.
  10. ↑ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije, tom 14 (četnička dokumenta), Vojnoistorijski institut, Beograd.
  11. ↑ (Robertson 1999, p. 109)
  12. ↑ (Robertson 1999, p. 109): "...signed 'General Staff Major Z.P.T.', whom Simović immediately recognized by his handwriting as Žarko P. Todorović."
  13. ↑ (Robertson 1999, p. 100): "At his trial in 1946 Mihailović testified that 'Zarko Todorovic' had succeeded in making contact with the American Legation'."
  14. ↑ Pavlowitch, Stevan K. (1985). Unconventional perceptions of Yugoslavia, 1940-1945. East European Monographs. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-88033-081-7. ... Mihailovic was no longer in Serbia but in Montenegro, and on the move, that it was now too risky to go and see him, but that Rapotec could communicate with him by radio through his representative in Belgrade, Major Zarko Todorovic.
  15. ↑ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije, tom 14 (četnička dokumenta), Vojnoistorijski institut, Beograd.
  16. ↑ Čubrilović, Vasa (1973). Ustanak u Jugoslaviji 1941: godine i Evropa : zbornik radova prikazanih na međunarodnom naučnom skupu Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti, održanom od 24. do 26. novembra 1971. godine u Beogradu, povodom proslavetridesetogodišnjice ustanka u Jugoslaviji 1941. godine. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Odeljenje istorijskih nauka. p. 70. ...П. Т. из исте поруке такође је идентификован као мајор Жарко Тодоровић, који је вршио дужност Михаиловићевог представника у оку- пираном Београду, и био организатор Комитета 32-јице поменутог од стране Боновића ...
  17. ↑ Brissaud, André; Mabire, Jean; Odić, Slavko F.; Komarica, Slavko (1977). Noć i magla: Gestapo u Jugoslaviji. Centar za informacije i publicitet. p. 157. Major Kraljevske jugoslavenske vojske Zarko Todorovic je zaista poceo s radom na formiranju cetnicke ilegalne organizacije u Beogradu vec u julu 1941. godine. Cilj mu je bio da, prije svega, izgradi obavjestajnu mrezu preko koje ce ...
  18. ↑ Plećaš, Neđeljko B. (1983). Ratne godine: 1941-1945. Kosovo Publishing Company. p. 198. Грацијани нам је рекао да су и Немци пробили Михајловићеву шифру и да су тако преко депеше сазнали где ће се командант Београда, мајор Жарко Тодоровић, са неким састати, па су га ту сачекали и ухапсили.
  19. ↑ Sotirović, Dragan; Jovanović, Branko; Dimitrijević, Bojan (2004). Srbija i Ravna Gora. Институт за савремену историју (Belgrade, Serbia). p. 343. ISBN 9788674030899.
  20. ↑ Авакумовић, Иван; Николић, Коста; Serbia), Институт за савремену историју (Belgrade (2004). Михаиловић према немачким документима. Institut za savremenu istoriju. ISBN 9788674030882.
  21. ↑ Simić, Mihailo (2000). Draža, Broz, IB: nepoznato u poznatom. Filip Višnjić. p. 20. ISBN 9788673632445. Серафим нам је рекао да је командант Београда Жарко Тодоровић отишао по наређењу у Хрватску, а да је дужност команданта Београда предао ђенералштабном мајору Радославу Ђурићу.
  22. ↑ Tasić, Nikola (1995). Istorija Beograda. Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Balkanološki institut. p. 417. ISBN 9788671790215. ... састав Команде се често мењао јер је био на сталном удару Гестапоа. Мајора Ђурића је касније заменио потпуковник Душан Маној- ловић, затим следе капетан Александар Саша Михаиловић. мајор Жарко Тодоровић и други.
  23. ↑ (Milovanović 1984)
  24. ↑ (Milovanović 1984)
  25. ↑ Zbornik dokumenata i podataka o narodnooslobodilačkom ratu naroda Jugoslavije, tom 14 (četnička dokumenta), Vojnoistorijski institut, Beograd.
  26. ↑ Subašić, Boris (8 September 2012). "Valter branio Beograd". Večernje Novosti. Belgrade, Serbia. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  27. ↑ Pivljanin, Ranko (22 May 2016). "DOKUMENTI I ravnogorci su imali "Otpisane"". Blic. Belgrade, Serbia. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  28. ↑ Z, D (29 September 2013). "KO SU BILI OTPISANI: Četnici ilegalci, a ne komunisti!". Telegraf. Belgrade, Serbia. Retrieved 3 September 2016.

Sources

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