“Brandenburg” vs. Yugoslavia, 1941–1945
“Brandenburg” vs. Yugoslavia, 1941–1945

Summary/Abstract: Third Reich’s main special forces unit, known as the „Brandenburg“, continues to capture the public imagination even after almost eight decades since the end of the biggest conflict in world history. The exploits from the early phase of the Second World War, notably those that took place in the Soviet Union and North Africa, invariably occupy a central place in these narratives. In stark contrast, the “Brandenburg” ’s service in occupied Yugoslavia has, at best, received scant coverage despite the fact that all of its major sub-units saw action there at one point or another. Using largely unpublished primary sources, the article at hand will seek to outline the unit’s involvement in what has once been aptly described as “the Wehrmacht’s Balkan quagmire”. It will also argue that its performance in counterinsurgency warfare did not live up to its general reputation.

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