Mission Yugoslavia

Focusing on the wartime activities of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Axis-controlled Yugoslavia during World War II, this book chronicles American policy, plans for sending aid and agents, and the establishment of the first training bases in North Africa and the Mediterranean. OSS missions and field operations with the Chetniks and Partisans are cataloged and analyzed for the first time, along with OSS views on Yugoslav border claims against Italy and Austria, the OSS position on Slovenia in postwar Yugoslavia, and the role of Yugoslavs cooperating within the OSS.

Blaž Torkar is a research fellow and assistant professor of history. He works at the Military Schools Centre of the Slovenian Armed forces. His research areas include the history of intelligence services, Allied military missions in Yugoslavia during WWII, the Yugoslav People’s Army and Territorial Defense, and the Slovenian War of Independence in 1991.

Blaž Torkar
Foreword by Božo Repe
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 191
Bibliographic Info: 15 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8239-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4063-1
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword by Božo Repe 1
Preface 3
1. OSS and the Beginning of the Second World War in Yugoslavia 11
From COI to OSS  11
General Donovan in Yugoslavia  13
The United States, the Coup d’État, and the April Occupation of Yugoslavia  15
2. OSS in North Africa and the Mediterranean 20
OSS–SOE Agreements and British Primacy in the Balkans  20
OSS Cairo and Bari: Creation of the Yugoslav OSS Section  21
Training Yugoslav and American Agents in Yugoslav OSS Sections in Cairo and Bari  29
3. OSS Missions in the Chetnik Movement 32
OSS Officers and Missions with the Chetniks  32
The Halyard Mission  35
The Ranger Mission  37
4. OSS Missions in the Partisan Movement 40
OSS Officers and Missions with the Partisans  40
American Mission at Tito’s Headquarters and the Arrival of the First U.S. Diplomats  47
OSS Missions with Slovenian Partisans  53
5. The U.S. and the ­Anti-Nazi Resistance in Austria 95
Infiltration to Austria  95
The Orchid Team  97
The Maple Mission  103
The Grady–Mansion Mission  107
The Dania Mission  108
The Guthrie Mission, and Other Teams and Individuals  112
6. Sabotage on the Dalmatian Islands 115
7. Slovenians in the U.S. and Their Cooperation with OSS 119
Ivan Marija Čok  123
Louis Adamic  126
Franc Snoj  129
Ily Bratina  132
Andrej Kobal  132
8. Vladimir Vauhnik and Connections with OSS 135
9. Allen Dulles and Connections with Yugoslavia 138
10. Department of National Security and the Supervision of OSS Agents 140
11. The Postwar Role of Slovenia Inside the Yugoslav State 144
Conclusion 155
Chapter Notes 159
Bibliography and Primary Sources 172
Index 181