Rade Korda

Rade Korda (Раде Корда) or Rade Kordić was a Montenegrin Serb gendarmerie sergeant and Chetnik commander (vojvoda, вoјвода) in the region of Bijelo Polje (modern-day Montenegro) in occupied Yugoslavia during the World War II. Since Sandžak Muslim militia burned houses of Orthodox Christian villagers in Godiljeva during the Uprising in Montenegro in July 1941, Korda's preoccupation became struggle with Muslims. Korda became an influential Chetnik commander in the region of Bijelo Polje and Sjenica who was opposed to Chetniks' anticommunist policy. Formally, Korda was subordinated to Chetnik command from Nova Varoš and Major Glišić until 1943 when he became subordinated to Pavle Đurišić, while actually remaining quite independent commander of Chetnik forces from Serb populated villages between Bijelo Polje and Sjenica. The Godiljevo Chetnik Detachment established and commanded by Korda had between 300 and 600 men.

Early life and military ranks
According to some pro-Chetnik sources, Korda was born in Tutići-Vrbica village, in the Bijelo Polje county. Korda completed elementary school and did not continue his education. Before the World War II Korda was a sergeant in gendarmerie.

Formally within Chetniks legalized in Serbia
At the beginning of Wold War II in Yugoslavia, Korda organized and led a detachment of Serbs established in Bare near Sjenica to protect their villages from newly established pro-Croat and pro-Albanian authorities in Sjenica. Korda was formally under command Chetnik Headquarter in Nova Varoš commanded by Major Miloš Glišić and legalized by the Government of National Salvation in Serbia to whom he reported on 26 April that his attempts to establish good relations with Muslims failed, emphasizing that they killed one of his men a day earlier.

During the Uprising in Montenegro, Korda was one of the commanders of the rebel forces. At the beginning of September 1941 Korda killed Šukra Pilica, commander of Muslim militia in Zaklopača hamlet in Bare, Sjenica.

In November 1941, after the suppression of rebellion, Korda was elected as regional commander and some time later, Korda established and commanded the Giljevo Chetnik Detachment. According to some sources, Korda received a rank of Chetnik voivode. In April 1942 Muslim militia from Bijelo Polje attacked the forces under Kordas command several times. Korda did not respond to those attacks based on the order of Major Glišić from Raška to whom he was subordinated at that time.

Some Yugoslav postwar sources emphasized that Korda was not fully under Chetnik control because he fought not only against Balli Kombetar, Sandžak Muslim militia and partisans but also against the Chetniks. He held under his control several small villages from his "headquarter" in a cave near the top of some hill. Some sources emphasize that he was opposed to Chetniks' anticommunist policy while Axis occupying forces in Montenegro blamed him for protecting communists who lived in the region under his responsibility. His conflicts with Pavle Đurišić, along with conflicts among other Chetnik commanders in the region, made impossible effective centralized control over all Chetnik units in Montenegro. Korda reported on 3 June 1942 that numerous delegations of Chetnik headquarter from Bijelo Polje visited him and requested him to subordinate himself to Pavle Đurišić, which Korda continued to refuse until then and in next several months.

The rugged behavior or many independent Chetnik leaders in the region, including Korda's abruptness, sent very negative message about the Chetniks to the population of the region. According to some documents, because of his refusal to really subordinate himself to Chetnik command, Mihailović ordered Korda's execution who avoided it by taking part in actions organized against occupying Axis forces and Muslims. One of many reasons for conflict between Pavle Đurišić and Miloš Glišić was control over Bijelo Polje and Rade Korda.

Formally within Chetniks legalized in Montenegro
After Miloš Glišić and his Chetniks were expelled from the territory of Nova Varoš, Korda became formally subordinated to Pavle Đurišić while remaining the quite independent in his control over Serb populated villages on the border between Bijelo Polje and Sjenica. Korda was appointed by Đurišić as the commander of the 2nd Bijelo Polje brigade of the Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment. The unit under his command had 150 fighters. According to Chetnik published postwar sources, Pavle Đurišić appointed Radenko Tmušić as deputy of Korda, based on Korda's request to send him one professional military officer.

Korda was one of the Chetnik commanders who participated in the Đurišić's January raids of revenge against Sandžak Muslims, many being innocent villagers, with the original motive to settle the account with Sandžak Muslim militia. A group commanded by Lukačević began with attack on 5 January 1943. As soon as Chetnik began with attacks, the Italian forces tried to intervene with Korda to stop with the attacs, but were caught in crossfire and forced to retreat without reaching him. On the same day a unit commanded by Rade Korda burned 15 houses and killed 15 people. The unit commanded by Miraš Savić began with attack on 6 January 1943.

On 12 June 1943 Italian forces attacked Korda's men in village Tocilovo near Brodarevo and killed 5 Chetniks and imprisoned Korda's sister and neece.

On 25 June 1943 Italian 2nd Battalion of 83rd Regiment from Bijelo Polje organized a cleansing action of the region controlled by Korda, probably based on the request of local Muslims. The group of 60 Chetniks of Giljevo Chetnik Detachment ambushed the Italian soldiers supported by Sandžak Muslim Militia near village Radijelje, but had to retreat after having 5 Chetniks killed and 4 captured by Italians. During this cleansing action the Italians captured arms, ammunition and hand granades from Korda's Chetniks and inflicted heavy blow on them. In the region of Klisura, 25 km southeast of Sjenica joint forces of Sandžak Muslim militia and bicycle unit of the 104th Jäger Division (Wehrmacht) fought against Chetniks of Rade Korda. As part of wider action of destruction of Chetniks in Montenegro, at the end of June 1943 German and Italian forces supported by Sandžak Muslim militia captured the region under control of Korda's Giljevo Chetnik Detachment and killed dozens of Chetniks and Serb civilians. After initial resistance, the Chetniks and Korda retreated to the other side of river Lim.

Poetry
Several poems are composed in the honor of Rade Korda, some of them played by gusle players like Three thousand with black beards led by Korda Rade (Три хиљаде црне браде и пред њима Корда Раде).