Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "In the beginning there had been two resistance movements in Jugoslavia, the chetniks and the partisans. The resistance of the chetniks had lasted only until the autumn of 1941, their leaders then going over to the enemy or returning to passivity."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "By the middle of 1943 partisan resistance to the Germans and their allies had grown from the dimensions of a mere nuisance to those of a major factor in the general situation. In many parts of occupied Europe the enemy was suffering losses at the hands of partisans that he could ill afford. Nowhere were these losses heavier than in Jugoslavia."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "In that August of my arrival there were over 30 enemy divisions on the territory of Jugoslavia, as well as a large number of satellite and police formations of Ustashe and Domobrani (military formations of the puppet Croat State), German Sicherheitsdienst, chetniks, Neditch militia, Ljotitch militia, and others. The partisan movement may have counted up to 150,000 fighting men and women (perhaps five per cent women) in close and inextricable co-operation with several million peasants, the people of the country. Partisan numbers were liable to increase rapidly."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "General Mihaylovitch saw his contribution to the common cause in turning anti-German feeling into anti-partisan feeling. Only on the most Jesuitical grounds can his action be represented as anything but damaging to the cause of the Allies."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "At home in England bien-pensant ladies and gentlemen would be earnestly discussing the value of the chetniks and the wrongs done by the British to General Mihaylovitch of blessed memory; here in the Mayevitsa the partisans were busy with one and a half German divisions, and chetniks sniped their couriers and their wounded."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "The partisan army had long since grown into a regular fighting formation comparable to the armies of other small States, and infinitely superior to most of them, and especially to the pre-war Jugoslav army, in tactical skill, fieldcraft, leadership, fighting spirit and fire-power."
Basil Davidson: PARTISAN PICTURE "It was indeed all too clear to everyone of us who served with the partisans that they had existed in very concrete and combatant form before we had ever appeared upon the scene—and even, in the days when we were supplying the chetniks, in spite of our mistaken efforts—and that they would have existed, and probably have triumphed, whatever course we had chosen to take."
