СТВАРАЊЕ И ОРГАНИЗАЦИЈА СРПСКЕ ДРЖАВНЕ СТРАЖЕ 1941/1942. ГОДИНЕ
THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF THE SERBIAN STATE GUARD 1941/1942

Summary/Abstract: The subject of this research are the circumstances that led to the establishment of the Serbian State Guard, a collaborationist formation created in early March 1942 in occupied Serbia, and its organization, as well. It arose from the need of the occupiers and collaborators for a stronger and more organized unit that would more successfully oppose the insurgent forces in the territory of Serbia. Formed on the basis of the pre‐war gendarmerie, in the specific conditions of the war chaos in Serbia, it retained its primary police character, although it could establish larger and more mobile military formations if necessary. The first initiative came from the collaborationist government. The information about the new formation appeared in the daily press as early as the beginning of January, and the organization was completed in February 1942. Although there were other ideas for the name (Serbian State Police, Serbian National Guard) at meetings with General Milan Nedić, it was agreed to name the new formation Serbian State Guard. The decree on the organization was published on March 3, 1942. According to that decree, the SDS was defined as a uniformed and armed troop performing the police executive and border service. It included members of the former gendarmerie, police guards, armed detachments and border financial control bodies. Members of the SDS were in the service of the Ministry of the Interior. The Serbian State Guard was divided into: 1) the City State Guard, which served in Belgrade and other cities, 2) the Field State Guard, which served in the entire territory of the country except in the areas of city guards and 3) the Border Guard, which performed the border service. In the territory of the City of Belgrade, as a special unit that was directly subordinated to the Governor of the City of Belgrade, the service was performed by the Serbian State Guard of the Administration of the City of Belgrade. The SDS was led by the commander, who together with the headquarters formed the SDS Command. Members had to meet certain conditions regarding height, age, literacy, etc. Primarily, the material stored in the Military Archive in Belgrade was used, mainly the” Nedić Archive” fund, as well as the corresponding published material, literature and periodicals.

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