The Bombing of Belgrade (1941) - Germans Launch Operation Retribution

Operation Retribution, also known as the German bombing of Belgrade in April 1941 or Operation Punishment, was a military campaign conducted by Nazi Germany against the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II which kicked off the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia. At the time, Yugoslavia was a recently formed country consisting of several ethnic and religious groups. In March 1941, a coup d'état occurred in Yugoslavia, resulting in the overthrow of the pro-Axis government and the installation of a new government that was opposed to German influence. In response to the coup, Adolf Hitler ordered the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) to launch Operation Retribution, aimed at swiftly and forcefully subduing Yugoslavia. The initial target of the operation was the Yugoslav capital, Belgrade. The German forces, under the command of General Wilhelm List, conducted a massive aerial bombardment of Belgrade. The Luftwaffe (German air force) launched a series of intensive air raids, employing dive bombers and other aircraft. The bombings caused widespread destruction and casualties in the city.
History Hustle presents: The Bombing of Belgrade (1941) - Germans Launch Operation Retribution.
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SOURCES
- The Second World War (Antony Beevor).
- Death of the Wehrmacht. The German Campaigns of 1942 (Robert M. Citino).
- Belgrade: A Cultural History (David Norris).
- To Destroy a City: Strategic Bombing and Its Human Consequences in World War II (Hermann Knell).
- Hitler's New Disorder. The Second World War in Yugoslavia (Stevan K. Pavlowitch).
- Serbia under the Swastika. A World War II Occupation (Alexander Prusin).
- War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945. Occupation and Collaboration (Jozo Tomasevich).
- www.rferl.org/a/nazi-terror-b... (27-06-2023).
- www.sbs.com.au/language/serbi... (27-06-2023).
IMAGES
Images from commons.wikimedia.org.
MUSIC
"Constancy Part One" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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"Devastation and Revenge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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"Crossing the Chasm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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SOUNDS
Freesound.org.
E-MAIL
historyhustle[at]gmail.com

[@HistoryHustle]

Why Hitler Attacked Yugoslavia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4iTd4qbls13o6Msi=7RdgnY9nF4FJLTFC

[@milosppf88]

Great video and thanks for choosing this date to publish the video. I only want to add a slight correction: the books and documents that were destroyed predate the Ottoman period and go back to medieval Serbia. It is estimated that around 1300 medieval manuscripts (some as old as the 12th century) written on paper and parchment were destroyed, 300.000 printed books, newspapers and magazines, including the earliest printed works in the Serbian language, and over 2000 letters written by notable Serbian people. By a streak of luck, the oldest Serbian manuscript, the Gospel of Miroslav was not destroyed because it was kept in a different place. The act of bombing was a crime against humanity and an attempt to erase the culture of a country and people as an act of revenge. Cheers from Serbia.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing this additional information!

[@svetozarevic]

WOW!...Few days ago you were like somewhere in South America and today just to remind us of April's bombing of Belgrade you appeared from the bushes of national library ruins in Serbia.

[@LikeICare155]

The library was not being bombed. It was being robbed by two Germans who set it on fire and stole the most valuable books and documents. It all went to Vienna and Berlin by train. They just set the fire but people were bussy saving their lives , so everybody just assumed it was being bombed. Those books are all over Europe now.

[@stephmaccormick3195]

Thanks, Stefan! Amazing. Ko to tamo peva.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching. I wasn't singing.

[@natkojurdana9673]

@@HistoryHustle It's a famous serbian film from 1980. A bittersweet tragic comedy set in 1941 just a couple of days before the attack. If you get the chance watch it. You'll cry and laugh at the same time

[@natkojurdana9673]

@@HistoryHustle Forgot to add that "Ko to tamo peva" is the title of the film :)

[@panonskyavar9653]

My grandmother was living in the bombed house on the coverphoto of this video.....

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing. What can you tell us about her experiences? Feel free to share.

[@panonskyavar9653]

@@HistoryHustle My grandmother worked in the secretariat of the forestry minister. She rented an apartment in Terazije Street The building next to the famous Moscow Hotel in Belgrade was owned by the Popovic family. She traveled home to visit her parents the day before the bombing but her brother stayed in Belgrade and turned completely gray in one day at the age of 26 from the stress of the bombing..

[@HistoryHustle]

Incredible to read. Thanks for sharing.

[@paolazamora9443]

Creative videos and great content! Keep going

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks Paola!

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

As always great work. Thanks. It is staggering the number of cultural and historic artifacts lost because of German ambitions.

[@LikeICare155]

That's called-erasing history , writing a new one

[@gibraltersteamboatco888]

@@LikeICare155 Adolf & Co. definitely tried. As part of their plan they confiscated or destroyed any WW! memorials in France and Belgium that put Germans in a bad light. Ferdinand Foch’s railroad dining car in Compiègne was #1 on the list. The Monument to the Heroes of the Black Army in Reims and hundreds other statues disappeared

[@LikeICare155]

​@@gibraltersteamboatco888the "Atlantis" people😂

[@mirola73]

Not only them, countless warring parties around the world past and present.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks👍

[@xvsj5833]

Stefan, fascinating nugget of forgotten history! Thank you 💪🏻✌🏻🫶🏻

[@HistoryHustle]

😎👍

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Our around the world traveling teacher does it again 👍 Greets, TW,

[@HistoryHustle]

😁👍

[@peterhughes8699]

Thanks again Stefan. Yugoslavia never had a chance simply due to its location. Every country with borders with the Reich was brutally invaded/occupied

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching.

[@xvsj5833]

Thanks!

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks for your donation Jesse!

[@dj2875]

and what about britain involment in coup ?

[@LikeICare155]

Britts + Russians

[@HistoryHustle]

More on the course of events prior to the bombing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4iTd4qbls13o6Msi=7RdgnY9nF4FJLTFC

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@LikeICare155 Just British. Soviets were trying to appease Germans at that time.

[@LikeICare155]

​@@aleksazunjic9672No, you still have to learn. British politics towards Serbia always was in tune with the Soviets.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@LikeICare155 Nope. Completely wrong.

[@dloviisa]

What I learned here is that the "new" government was willing to honor the previously signed agreement with Germany. Operation Punishment was a foolish and unecessary campaign by Hitler. Imagine no opertion punishment and an earlier attack on the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa in May. I suspect it would have resulted in Moscow falling and a German victory. An earlier attack would have taken out the weather factor that hampered German troops. In essence, The Serbs indirectly played a large role in Germany's ultimate defeat. Theoretically, that is. Thoughts?

[@LikeICare155]

That's why both Britts and Russians urged the bombing, to postpone the attack on Russia.

[@LikeICare155]

True, that's why Britts and Russians wanted Serbia and Montenegro to enter the war. The other parts already were in the axis , Croatia greeted German liberators four days later and created concentation camps for Serbs , Jews and Gypsies.

[@HistoryHustle]

More on the course of events prior to the bombing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4iTd4qbls13o6Msi=7RdgnY9nF4FJLTFC

[@aleksazunjic9672]

There would not be Operation Barbarossa in May cause spring thaw (Rasputitsa) lasted unusually long that year. In fact, it was the reason Germans had forces available for the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece in the first place .

[@TheLocalLt]

This is a myth, Operation Barbarossa was conducted at the earliest possible date. Large-scale offensives in Ukraine and Belarus are usually impossible before mid-June due to the Rasputitsa. The French invasion in 1812 began on June 24th, the German invasion in 1941 on June 22nd, and many other major operations in the region (including ones during the current war) have been launched in mid-June. The WWII in Real Time channel did a special all about this using primary source material

[@fonzaug3355]

Hey Stefan. I've been a fan for several years, and I love your work. I also teach History and I keep updated by watching your vids. Keep up the great work. :)

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks Fonz!

[@CARL_093]

thanks bro

[@HistoryHustle]

👍👍👍

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage video about Nazism Luftwafa bombarding of (Belgrade) Yugoslavian capital. During WW2... which labeled the national laboral destruction and books 📚 burnt ... Thank you for an excellent ( History Hustle) channel introduced by🙏 Sir Stefan

[@HistoryHustle]

Many thanks for your reply!

[@frank-rk5sq]

Please see if you could add separate episodes on the 1944 bombing of Belgrade and the earlier bombing of Sofia.

[@InsertCoolNameHereYeah]

Also on Easter

[@mammuchan8923]

When it’s called Operation Retribution, it’s going to be tragic. The loss of human lives is always terrible. An attack on a library is a cynical attempt to also kill people’s history and culture 😶

[@LikeICare155]

Yes , also to introduce " panslavism" , the invented term who served only to put a bunch of different people into one basket in order to contol them better.

[@HistoryHustle]

Sad times indeed.

[@LikeICare155]

Actually , the library was not being bombed. It was robbed before the bombing by two Germans who worked there. Later , during the bombing of Belgrade they just set the fire. The library was burning for many hours but noone was there to save it , everybody ran to save their own lives. So, 25 wagons filled up with books from the library went to Vienna and Berlin. You can see those books from time to time on auctions and in Museum in Munich, for example.

[@LikeICare155]

True , this is just another Titoist lie

[@user-wj5yz2pw5t]

Nun Jovana, born Sibila Ler, granddaughter of Alexander Ler lives today in the Serbian monastery Soko Grad near the town of Ljubovija.

[@LikeICare155]

Yes , Sibila Ler , took orthodoxy and became a nun .

[@HistoryHustle]

Interesting to read.

[@LikeICare155]

​@@HistoryHustleAlexander Ler's grandmother was an ortodox.

[@rogerhudson9732]

When Lohr was commander of all German troops in 1945 and surrendered to Soviet/Partizan troops his adjutant asked what would happen, Lohr replied " Tod" (death), he was hanged.

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Harikejn]

Here is one interesting thing as well. Also, there was a revenge attack of Yugoslav bomber crew. Cause the capital city Belgrade suffered a bombing on April 6th 1941, Yugoslav bomber crew decided to do the revenge bombing for Belgrade. They bombed Vienna, and Graz, and they made a big delays to advancing German army, believe it or not.

[@HistoryHustle]

Didn't know this. Thanks for sharing.

[@Harikejn]

@@HistoryHustle You're welcome.

[@rjames3981]

Very interesting again 👌

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@justanapple8510]

Yugoslavia had it rough in ww2....

[@LikeICare155]

Srbs mostly, others played different game , a diabolical one.

[@crnacpanker]

Serbs had it rough, rest joined Nazis against Serbs

[@HistoryHustle]

@crnacpabker: Very oversimplified if you ask me.

[@crnacpanker]

@@HistoryHustle from all ex yu, only in Serbia was rule, for one dead German soldier 100 civilians shot, for wounded 50. Do you see where I am getting at?

[@serdradion4010]

Both Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Kingdom of Greece were attacked on the same day by the one operational plan Marita. Goal was to bypass the Greek fortified mountain defense line Metaxis trough the Yugoslav North Macedonia flat lands.

[@HistoryHustle]

Covered the invasions in seperate videos 👍

[@LikeICare155]

In that time in history , knez Paul( Pavle) was in charge of the state , because king Petter II Karađorđević was a minor. Knez Paul signed a pact with Germany along with the goverment Cvetkovic- Machek , knowing that our country cannot handle a much stronger enemy. But Britain and Russia had other plans for our country , mainly Serbia , cause the other parts of Yugoslavia played along with the axis . The traitors and foreign spies, serbian generals Simovic and Mirkovic fabricated a rebellion on march 27th, armed with paroles " Better war than a pact" and " Better grave than a slave" , threw down the government of knez Paul and put on the throne a kid , king Peter II. The ordinary Serb was ignorant of what was actually happening. Our diplomat in Germany, the famous Nobel prize winner Ivo Andric warned our polititians about the plans for bombing Belgrade, but the corrupted polititians already had that in mind. Hitler, enraged for the breakage of pact, bombed Belgrade on april 6th. Bombing lasted for four days , number of victims unknown, 50% of the city destroyed , but the primary target was the king's palace and Public library that went to ashes with 350000 books , most of them valuable artefacts from the middle ages. The same day Belgrade was bombed , Churchil held a speech -" Early this morning the people of Yugoslavia have found their souls.."And , indeed they did. This was the beginning of the genocide against the Serbs. The resistance lasted only for 11 days , after which 370000 serbian officers and soldiers were sent in concentration camps. Generals Simovic and Markovic fled with their whole families from Athens to London three days before the fall, taking young king Peter II with them. From London they constantly spoke on the radio about Tito , the great leader and invited people to join his army. We all know how it ended- Tito who was introduced by Churchill and Stalin as our saviour , became the life president , doing his job on destroying Serbia while spending the king's gold. After the WWII Tito and Udba murder about 56000 Serbian intelectuals snd orthodox priests and divided Serbia into three parts .

[@aleksazunjic9672]

Not Russia, just Britain. USSR was at that time trying to appease Germans.

[@LikeICare155]

​@@aleksazunjic9672Yes , Russia , as always. They were never out " brothers" , they always used us as targets. And Britts saw us as " little Russians" so both are destroying us , even these days.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@LikeICare155 Well, they were never brothers of you Croats, that is for sure 😁 In this case, USSR was trying to not to provoke Germans, so they did not involve themselves in Balkan matters.

[@zgemboadislic9350]

Con you translate name Dragoljub? 😅 Liketokiss Michaels Peter ll Blackgeorges

[@LikeICare155]

​@@aleksazunjic9672I am a Serb

[@theodorossarafis7370]

thank you stefan for the knowledge and also for risking your life in the jungle of library :)

[@HistoryHustle]

😎👍

[@icecoffee1361]

Another great episode Stefan, looking at some comments you have opened a hornet’s nest with the nato comment 🙈

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for watching!

[@jefftarwood4594]

You gotta love Facists. Nothing but power and control matters. And of course, money. I really enjoy your vids both in locations and your style of delivery. Your Dutch students had/have a great teacher.

[@HistoryHustle]

I don't love fascists.

[@jefftarwood4594]

@@HistoryHustle I was being sarcastic as I often am. I despise the Americans who think this is a good idea.

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@marcoskehl]

6:58 I can not imagine how controversial a video from this topic would be. I would like to read thhe comments from the serbs bellow. Obrigado, Stefan! ヽ(͡◕ ͜ʖ ͡◕)ﾉ 🍀 🇧🇷

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for your reply. Balkan history always turns comment sections into interesting things.

[@user-th1ci7rx9g]

The German leadership has never had sympathy for the Serbian people - we have had a problem with them since the Frankish Empire until the NATO aggression (1991-1999). Excellent video.

[@DD-qw4fz]

Thats a Serb victimhood myth, Srbia would have been left alone if not for the miltary coup aligning with the pro Allied camp, nothing special and for sure nothing personal, Iran was neutral in ww2 (but pro axis) so the Allies invaded them s well.

[@user-th1ci7rx9g]

@DD-qw4fz It is not a myth, but a reality based on historical facts. We are all aware that the Germans needed peace with the Serbs until they finished with the Russians on the Eastern Front. They will never get over their defeat in WW1.

[@szakachdekapolna4372]

Try not to assassinate idk, Franz Ferdinad maybe?

[@iiiooo3803]

He shouldnt have come to my country! ​@@szakachdekapolna4372

[@user-th1ci7rx9g]

@szakachdekapolna4372 Remind us, what exactly is the Austro-Hungarian duke doing on Serbian territory? Collecting flowers?

[@LikeICare155]

The library was actually not bombed, it was set on fire by two Germans who worked in there. But before doing it the most valuable books and documents were being robbed and sent to Vienna and Berlin. People saw the fire and just though it was being bombed. Noone put out the fire because everyone was busy saving their own lives. Yugoslavia did ask the return of the books in 70's and small number was being returned but not to Belgrade. They were sent to Zagreb and Croats today speak of them as " ancient Croatian cirilic books" , which is a total and obvious absurd.

[@HistoryHustle]

Really? Any source on that?

[@LikeICare155]

​@@HistoryHustleGo to the Munich library or visit the library in Zagreb. Berlin and Viena you can forget , but every few years there is some auction held in London.

[@LikeICare155]

​​@@HistoryHustleYour last video on Jasenovac was so biased , superficial. All you did was emphasising that the majority of Croats were not mad killers . Well , they can say ten Holly Marries and all is forgotten, together with the right number of victims. There were three genocides in NDH- one on Serbs , the other on Jews and the third on Roma people. And Gideon Greif defends the number of 800000. He is not a you tuber , he is an expert on genocides.

[@bigsarge2085]

✌

[@HistoryHustle]

👍

[@NemanjaM.83]

"For the first time, I am ashamed to be a German.” - Wilhelm II, German Emperor. (1938)

[@HistoryHustle]

Did he claim that?

[@NemanjaM.83]

@@HistoryHustle he said that after he saw what nazis did in crystal night no matter he was antisemite...still he was honorable man...

[@NemanjaM.83]

i mean in general german reich under psychotic hitler...was one big fail...as we can see back in 1945...for me Rommel or Doenitz were perfect leaders....hitler was the biggest killer of german people....total idiot

[@HistoryHustle]

Thanks for sharing m

[@gumdeo]

A major strategic error. Greece could still have been invaded via Bulgaria and then Yugoslavia would have been completely surrounded by the Axis.

[@LikeICare155]

Bulgaria had other plans. They always targeted the east and south of Serbia and Macedonia.

[@BeforeDear]

Omg, you should check if you got some ticks in that grass.

[@HistoryHustle]

Got none ✌️

[@dominikbt7891]

Hello stephan can you please make videos on serbian genocides of its neighbours because it seems like your making them look like inocent and sinless and like your denying their attrocities

[@HistoryHustle]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKOwiWWYbbF_qrssi=M_u7sljh-JQ9A2vF

[@LikeICare155]

Gideon Greif , the world's greatest expert on genocides , with ten experts on phorensics from all over the world, proved that there was no genocide. He even wrote a book " There was no genocide in Srebrenica". He found the exact number of victims 3,7 thousand , not nine thousand as muslims drag dead bodies from other graveyards. The definition of a genocide is - the total elimination of one people. Serbia soldiers did nothing to women , children and old people, in fact they evacuated them. UN protectors just watched and did nothing. And the event by itself was a mass murder as an answer yo muss murdering done on Serbian civilians around Srebrenica villages. And women and children were not spared. Even BBC , who always uses antiserb rethorics , used a word " massacre" . Gideon Greif wrote a book on a real genocide and it was done on Serbs by NDH in WWII " Auschwitz on Balkans".

[@captstevedc873]

Thanks!

[@HistoryHustle]

Thank you for your support!