Political and Legal Problems of the Soviet-Yugoslav Military Co-Operation During the World War II: The Case of the 1st Yugoslav Rifle Brigade

The first, fundamental step of Soviet-Yugoslav military co-operation during the Second World War was the formation of the 1st Yugoslav Rifle Brigade. It was made on the own initiative of the Soviet leadership, without the participation of the any Yugoslav authorities. The political state of this military unit from the very beginning was unstable due to the obviously low loyalty of most of the personnel. The Soviet authorities chose a cautious, soft course for their political work in the unit. However, the leadership of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia (PLA), which incorporated the Yugoslav military unit created in the USSR, considered it necessary to take decisive measures to eradicate any disloyalty. Gradually, at the direction of the leadership of the PLA, the brigade underwent a radical 'political reformatting'.