Karl Novak

Karl Novak (October 19, 1905 – 1975) was a Yugoslav Slovene military officer best known as commander of the collaborationist Slovene Chetniks in Axis-occupied parts of modern-day Slovenia during World War II.

Karl Novak
Karl Novak in the 1930s
Other name(s)Ludwig[1]
BornOctober 19, 1905
Pula, Austrian Littoral, Austria-Hungary (now Croatia)
Died1975
Athens, Greece
Allegiance Yugoslavia (1930s–1945)
Service Chetniks
Years of service1930s–1945
Rank
  • Major (until 25 December 1943)
  • Leutenant Colonel (since 25 December 1943)
UnitBlue Guard (Slovene)
Battles/wars

Early life

Novak was born in Pula in 1905.[2] After he graduated on Gymnasium in Maribor he completed Military Academy.[3]

Before World War II Novak was Major of the Yugoslav Royal Army.[4]

World War II

After the Axis invasion on Yugoslavia in April 1941 Novak went to headquarter of Draža Mihailović on Ravna Gora together with Jaka Avšič.[5] Novak was instructed by Mihailović to infiltrate into the headquarter of communist forces in Slovenia, but this attempt failed because the Slovenian communists were warned by the Communist headquarters from Užice.[6]

In February 1943, Novak, Mihailović's chief representative in the province, having tried for many months to get the Slovene Alliance to place some of their forces under his command, formed his own collaborationist militia, known as the Blue Guards (Slovene: Plava garda) but also referred to as the Slovene Chetniks. However, this unit never grew larger than 400 troops, and because Novak had no political base in Slovenia, it was never a significant military or political force. After the war, Novak claimed that the Blue Guards had armed encounters with Italian troops and gathered intelligence on the Italians for Mihailović, but according to the historian Jozo Tomasevich the first claim is groundless as the Italians allocated an operational zone to Novak's principal unit and indirectly provided it with supplies, and its size and restrictions on its movement precluded the gathering of much useful intelligence.[7]

Based on authorizations of Draža Mihailović, Novak organized Chetnik units in Slovenia, known also as Blue Guard.[8] All major resistance factions in Slovenia had their representatives in Novak's headquarters, including Slovenian Legion, National Legion and Sokol Legion.[9] Novak was the only Chetnik commander who exercised complete political and military control over units under his nominal command.[10]

Near Novo Mesto, in August 1943 Novak established Ljubljana Chetnik Detachment.[11] Major Novak was in Ljubljana during the Battle of Grčarice and commanded his units through radio connection. After the defeat of his units in this battle Major Novak went to Rome to avoid German attempts to arrest him in Ljubljana.[12] On 25 December 1943 Mihailović promoted Novak to the rank of Leutenant Colonel. In January 1944 Novak and Dobrosav Jevđević, head of intelligence service of Mihailović in Italy,[13] established Chetnik military unit in Slovenian maritime and rallied its first Detachment in Gorizia Hills.[14] Novak was some kind of Mihailović's envoy with Allies in Italy and had intention to use this new Chetnik unit as nucleus of new Chetnik action in Slovenia, so he requested from Mihailovic's headquarters to get financial support from Yugoslav Ambassy in Switzerland.[15]

Novak died in Athens in 1975.[16]

References
  1. (Крањц 2006, p. 183): "LUDVIG - major Karl Novak, četniški poveljnik Slovenije (Ludwig, drugo ime v rojstnem listu) ."
  2. (Крањц 2006, p. 21)
  3. (Крањц 2006, p. 21)
  4. Vojno-istoriski glasnik. 1983. p. 191. Karel Novak, major of the pre-war Yugoslav Army,
  5. (Latas & Dželebdžić 1979, p. 68)
  6. (Marković 1988, p. 57)
  7. Tomasevich 2001, pp. 109–111.
  8. (Minić 1993, p. 82): "У Словенији радио је на организовању четника Карло Новак, кога је у Словенију са овлашћењИма упутио Дража Михаиловић. "
  9. Vojno-istoriski glasnik. 1962. p. 4.
  10. (Karchmar 1973, p. 529): "Only Novak in Slovenia had full military and political control over his nominal command,..."
  11. (Kristen 2006, p. 266)
  12. (Mlakar 2003, p. 135): "Majorja Novaka so v Ljubljani Nemci hoteli aretirati, a se je izmaknil z odhodom v Rim, toda tudi od tam je po svojih zvezah ... 1943"
  13. (Šubelj 1999, p. 24): "Jevdjevič je bil namreč vodja obveščevalne službe Draže Mihailoviča v Italiji."
  14. (Nose 2008, p. 25): "Januarja 1944 sta začela Dobrosav Jevdjevič in Karel Novak, »ki ga je general Mihailovič za božič 1943 povišal v čin podpolkovnika«... "
  15. (Kristen 2006, p. 136):"Karel Novak, po katastrofi v Grčaricah neke vrste Mihailovića »delegat« za stike z zahodnimi zavezniki v Italiji, je prav ta odred v januarju 1944 nameraval uporabiti za »jedro nove akrý'e v Slovený'i« in je zaradi tega štab Draže Mihailovića naj pri vladi doseže izplačilo določene vsote denarja preko Švice in tamkajšnjega jugoslovanskega poslaništva "
  16. (Крањц 2006, p. 21)

Sources

Further reading
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