(This takes 2⅓ minutes to read.)

The Partisans liberated Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, on April 6, 1945, and continued their pursuit of the retreating German and Croat troops to the north and west, the direction of Odžak. The precise details of what ensued are difficult to verify, as two competing narratives dominate the historiography.

The post-war Yugoslav authorities had an interest in downplaying the events, as it ran counter to their efforts to reconcile the divided country. For Croatian nationalists, exaggerating the disparity in manpower, equipment and casualties inflicted serves to turn the battle into a tale of heroism and sacrifice in the name of independence akin to the Alamo.

What is clear, however, is that a 26-year-old Ustaša commander, Petar Rajkovačić, chose to stay and make a last stand in his hometown, Odžak, rather than attempt the long march to Austria. Estimates of the strength of Rajkovačić’s force vary, from around 1,800 men to 4,000, but historians agree that it was well-equipped, had plenty of ammunition and had time to fortify its positions. With sizeable rivers to the north and east, Rajkovačić could focus his defenses.

Trenches were dug, bunkers built and barbed wire and minefields were laid.

The Partisans initially bypassed the area around Odžak, focussing on harrying the German retreat, but by the middle of April they had encircled Rajkovačić’s position. Initial Partisan efforts to take ground were fruitless, and came at a considerable cost. With no artillery, armor or air support, the Partisans were limited to containing the Ustaša forces and launching probing attacks until they surrendered.

On V.E. Day — May 8, the day [that the Third Reich] capitulated to the Allies — Allied authorities hoped that the defenders of Odžak would follow. Rajkovačić, however, refused to surrender, and on May 9 the Partisans, in a tactic worthy of the trenches of World War I, brought artillery and bombarded the Ustaša positions before launching a disastrous frontal assault, which was met with an Ustaša counter-attack. When the Croatian armed forces surrendered on May 15, Rajkovačić again insisted on fighting on.

The Battle of Odžak remained an attritional contest until May 23, when the Partisan leadership dispatched two squadrons from its newly established air force. The introduction of air power broke the stalemate, and within two days the Partisans broke through the Ustaša lines and captured Odžak — 16 days after World War II had formally ended.

The cost for both sides is in dispute. Some sources claim the Partisans lost around 1,200 fighters, while others contend that up to 10,000 were killed. Historians agree, however, that most of the Ustaša forces — approximately 1,500 men — perished. It wasn’t until 1971 that a Belgrade weekly, NIN, published an article on the battle, revealing a story that until that point had been known only to Yugoslav authorities and the people who witnessed it first-hand.

Despite this battle’s obvious historic importance, finding English sources thereon (and particularly good ones) has proven frustrating. We purportedly buried this history for decades because it ‘didn’t fit in’ with the narrative that we wanted to promote of a unified Yugoslavia. This explanation sounds suspiciously contrived. It is likelier that the Yugoslavs were simply one of the many Eurasians eager to put World War II behind them and did not want to prioritize minutely researching battles such as this one (nor could they). Unless somebody has governmental sources confirming otherwise, that suggestion is easier to believe than the stereotypic accusation that we consciously tried to erase it from history.