Republic of Uzice
The first liberated territory in occupied Europe
In the days when Hitler was establishing a “new order” in Europe, when he was penetrating towards Moscow, the first free territory in occupied Europe was created in Serbia – the Republic of Uzice, which lasted from the liberation of Uzice on September 24, 1941, and its end was marked by the heroic the battle of the Workers’ Battalion on November 29, 1941.
Tokom postojanja, njene granice usled neprestanih borbi stalno su se pomerale. U periodu najvećeg zamaha, ona je približno zauzimala površinu od oko 19 000 kvadratnih kilometara, što na ukupnu površinu uže Srbije predstavlja oko trećinu. Ona se na jugu graničila rekom Uvac, na zapadu Drinom, na istoku linijom Beograd-Lajkovac-Aranđelovac-Knić-Kraljevo-Raška, dok se na severu granica stalno menjala. Oko milion stanovnika ove prostrane slobodne teritorije živelo je u slobodi. Ovaj prostor bio je veoma važan za buduću vezu slobodne teritorije sa Sandžakom, Crnom Gorom i istočnom Bosnom. Osim toga, ovuda je prolazila važna nemačka saobraćajnica na liniji Srbija-Bosna.
On the liberated territory of the Republic of Uzice, an organized people’s government is being created and a very intense and diverse political and cultural life is developing. The building in which the National Bank was located before the war (now the building of the National Museum of Uzice) became the seat of the highest military and political leadership – the Supreme Headquarters of the NOPOJ, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the KPJ and the Central Committee of the SKOJ.
In the town itself, in wartime conditions, the economy is being restored. In the free Uzice, there was also a Weaving mill where linen, towels and some sanitary materials were produced. A tailor’s workshop for the production of military clothing, a shoemaker’s workshop, a leather shoemaker’s workshop, a partisan bakery, and a workshop for leather processing also began to operate. Three smaller hydro-power plants on Djetinja worked continuously, and the town and all commercial facilities were regularly supplied with electricity.
A significant place is occupied by the Uzice Factory for Production of Arms and Ammunition, which was moved from Krcagovo and placed in various parts of the city and in the underground premises (vaults) of the National Bank due to the daily threat of bombing. It worked day and night and supplied “partisan” rifles and ammunition to Partisan and Chetnik units.
RFor the sake of safer traffic, the workers of Stokehold built the first armored partisan train.
On the territory of the Republic of Uzice, railway traffic was organized and revived from Gornji Milanovac to Vardiste, it was primarily used for war purposes (fighters were transported to the front), and at the same time it served for civilian purposes. For the sake of safer traffic, the workers of Stokehold built the first armored partisan train.
Given the war conditions, the free territory of the Republic of Uzice became a refuge for refugees and exiles from Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Vojvodina. They are provided with accommodation and other necessary living conditions. Kitchens for the homeless were established. The influx of the population and the evacuation of the wounded led to the organization of free health care in hospitals in liberated areas.
Among other things, the People’s Liberation Committees took care of supplying the population with food and other products. A cultural and artistic company operated under the Uzice partisan detachment whose task was to organize the cultural life of the Republic. Occasional events, dances, painting exhibitions, etc. were organized in “Sokolana” gym. Citizens were notified and informed through propaganda posters, leaflets and other printed material. An important place is occupied by the newspapers “Borba (Fight)” and “Vesti (News)”, which were published during the period of the Republic of Uzice.
Fall of the Uzice Republic
The Republic of Uzice fell under the blows of a well-organized enemy offensive, and its end is marked by the “Spartan” resistance of the Uzice Workers’ Battalion, which protected the retreat of the main units of the NOPOJ and the Supreme Headquarters. However, the valuable experiences of the Republic of Uzice during the liberation war (1941-1945) were built into the foundations of a new state.
