ZAGREB, June 22 (Hina) - Croatia's national holiday - the Day of Anti-Fascist Struggle - is marked on June 22 throughout country when Croatians celebrate the anniversary of establishing the first Partisan Unit in Brezovica Forest near
Sisak (50 kilometres south-east to Zagreb) in 1941. The Sisak Partisan Unit under the command of Vladimir Janic Capo was the first organised armed unit of anti-Fascists in the then enslaved, occupied Europe and the backbone of the development of the anti-Fascist movement in Croatia. In the former Yugoslavia, the establishment of the Sisak Partisan Unit was deliberately devalued and regarded as the matter of local importance. The then Yugoslav authorities determined that the Day of Croatian People's Uprising should be marked on July 27 as on that day in 1941 the first bullet had been shot by rebels in the village of Srb in Lika. After the Republic of Croatia won its independence, the Da
ZAGREB, June 22 (Hina) - Croatia's national holiday - the Day of
Anti-Fascist Struggle - is marked on June 22 throughout country
when Croatians celebrate the anniversary of establishing the first
Partisan Unit in Brezovica Forest near Sisak (50 kilometres south-
east to Zagreb) in 1941.
The Sisak Partisan Unit under the command of Vladimir Janic Capo was
the first organised armed unit of anti-Fascists in the then
enslaved, occupied Europe and the backbone of the development of
the anti-Fascist movement in Croatia.
In the former Yugoslavia, the establishment of the Sisak Partisan
Unit was deliberately devalued and regarded as the matter of local
importance. The then Yugoslav authorities determined that the Day
of Croatian People's Uprising should be marked on July 27 as on that
day in 1941 the first bullet had been shot by rebels in the village
of Srb in Lika.
After the Republic of Croatia won its independence, the Day of Anti-
Fascist Struggle began to be marked on June 22 when Croatians pay
tribute to Sisak Partisans and their first organised unit.
Four years ago, on the occasion of celebrating the 50th anniversary
of the Anti-Fascist Coalition's Victory, the Croatian
parliamentary committee for marking that event published a book on
Croatia's contribution to the victory of the Anti-Fascist
Coalition.
According to data in the book, at the end of 1942 almost a half of the
anti-Fascist movement in the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia was
organised on Croatian territory. Out of a total of two corps, nine
divisions and 37 brigades, Croatia had one corps, four divisions
and 18 brigades with some 25,000 fighters.
By the capitulation of Italy in 1943 when great amounts of arms were
seized, the anti-Fascist movement in Croatia received a new
impetus.
That year the Anti-Fascist Council of Croatia (called ZAVNOH) was
established, which presented the political as well as state and
legal foundations for setting up the Federal State of Croatia
(Federalna Drzava Hrvatske). ZAVNOH decisions are an important
element in the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia.
About 470,000 residents of Croatia took part in the anti-Fascist
movement (called NOB), or over 11 percent of the then total
population. Evidently, in World War Two the Croatian people made a
large-scale commitment to the anti-Fascist struggle.
(hina) ms