Siege of Rogatica (1941)

The Siege of Rogatica took place in August 1941, during the early stages of World War II in Yugoslavia, as part of the wider uprising against the Axis powers and their collaborationist regimes. Rogatica, a town located in eastern Bosnia, came under attack by a joint force composed primarily of local Serb Chetniks and, to a lesser extent, Partisans.

The Ustaše, the ruling fascist organization of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), controlled Rogatica and maintained a garrison of Domobrani (Croatian Home Guard) and Ustaše militia. The attacking forces aimed to liberate the town and disrupt NDH control in the region.

The siege was characterized by intense fighting and heavy casualties on both sides. The Ustaše forces, though numerically inferior, held fortified positions and initially resisted the assault. The attacking Chetniks and Partisans attempted to overwhelm the defenders through a combination of direct assaults and ambushes.

After several days of fighting, the Ustaše garrison was either defeated or forced to withdraw from Rogatica. The town briefly came under the control of the Chetniks. However, the victory was short-lived. In the subsequent weeks, NDH forces, supported by German troops, launched a counter-offensive to regain control of the region.

The Siege of Rogatica was followed by reprisals against the local population, particularly Bosnian Muslims, by Chetnik forces who engaged in massacres and expulsions. These events contributed to the escalating inter-ethnic violence that characterized the war in Bosnia. The siege and its aftermath remain a contentious topic, marked by differing narratives and interpretations depending on the perspective.