Zelenaši

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Zelenaši (Greens) were a group of rebels that existed from 1918 - 1945 in Montenegro, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which supported the Montenegrin House of Petrović-Njegoš over the House of Karađorđević of Serbia.

Notable leaders of the Zelenaši were: Krsto Zrnov Popović and Novica Radović

1 Name
2 History
3 Order of Freedom of Montenegro

[edit] Name

Zelenaši means the Greens. Their name derives from the green voting cards that were used by Montenegrin nationalists, who supported the Kingdom of Montenegro, at the session of the illegal Podgorica Assembly in 1918.

[edit] History

[edit] Christmas Uprising of 1919

The Zelenaši were very mad at the new union created illegally by Serbia. With support from Italy, the Zelenaši organized the an uprising in 1919 with the aim to bring the Petrović dynasty back to the Montenegrin throne.

The uprising might have taken a different course had King Nikola not been deceived by the Great Powers, who promised (and never fulfilled) to reestablish the sovereign state of Montenegro by diplomatic means if he would stop supporting the uprising. Based on this promise, he issued a proclamation in January 1919 asking for a stop to the resistance.

The rebellion failed and the rebels fled to Italy.

Krsto Zrnov Popović and Novica Radović lead the uprising.

Main Organizers

Commander Savo Čelebić
Captain Đuro Drašković

[edit] Guerilla War against Serbia

After the unsuccessful uprising, the Zelenaši returned and in June started a guerrilla war.

The core of the resistance was crushed in a severe, comprehensive military campaign in 1922-1923, but guerrilla resistance continued in the highlands for several more years.

In 1926, the guerilla war had ended. The attempt by the Zelenaši had failed.

[edit] World War II and their end

In World War II, the Zelenaši were organized yet again in Montenegro under Italian occupation command and started a war against the communists - Partisans. Among the Montenegrin federalists, Krsto Zrnov Popović returned from exile in Italy to attempt to lead the Zelenaši. The Zelenaši forces were called the Lovćen brigade. Soon, they were disorganized and one group of zelenaši joined the communist and another joined pro-Serbia monarchists - the Chetniks. After the Partisan victory in 1945, many leaders of the Zelenaši were killed as the collaborationists of Italy. This marked the end of the Zelenaši.

[edit] Order of Freedom of Montenegro

Order of Freedom's one of two medals dedicated to pro-Montenegrin independence fighters

The Order of Freedom of Montenegro was issued by the exiled King Nikola in January 1919 to commemorate reestablishing of Montenegro and Montenegrin dynasty. This order was mainly dedicated to the Zelenaši.