Hasan Zvizdić

Hasan Zvizdić (1892–1980) was a commander of a detachment of Muslim militia from Sjenica (in Sandžak) during the Second World War. Zvizdić was the main livestock wholesaler in the region which very much depended on animal husbandry, so his influence among Sandžak population was very strong.

Zvizdić was a wealthy Muslim whole-trader in Sjenica. He became a city governor and armed many local Muslims and organized them as militia during the war. In December 1941 Zvizdić refused to allow Partisans to capture Sjenica because he was afraid that Chetniks, German and Italian forces would attack Partisans in Sjenica and kill many of its population as well. He explained to Partisans that he have around 5,000 members of Muslim militia under his command and that he will used them against Partisans or Chetniks if they try to capture Sjenica. According to historian Živković, Zvizdić was actually concerned that his lucrative contracts to supply Italian and German army with livestock would be cancelled if Partisans capture the city.

On 22 December 1941 forces of Muslim militia from Prijepolje, commanded by Pačariz, and from Sjenica commanded by Zvizdić successfully repelled the attack of Partisans who tried to capture Sjenica. They were supported by one company from Tutin, commanded by Džemail Koničanin, who joined them based on invitation of Zvizdić.

At the beginning of February 1942 detachments of Muslim militia from Sjenica under command of Zvizdić, together with Prijepolje, Brodarevo and Komaran militia detachments in cooperation with Chetniks under command of Pavle Đurišić and with Italian forces, were planned to attack Partisans who were retreating trough Sandžak after their defeat in Užice. When Pačariz realized that Partisans managed to defeat Chetniks, he did not dare to attack Partisans, but decided to move his forces to Sjenica to help Zvizdić in case Partisans decide to attack the town again.

Zvizdić was very influential not only in Sjenica and Tutin, but also in wider region. He thought that it is useful to visit Chetnik headquarter and to negotiate with Draža Mihajlović. On 27 June Zvizdić and other Muslim and Albanian leaders (including Aćif Hadžiahmetović, Xhafer Deva, Ferhat Bey Draga and Ahmet Daca) negotiated with representatives of Chetniks of Draža Mihajlović. The negotiations ended with agreement on cooperation in the joint struggle against Communists. Milorad Ekmečić refer to Zvizdić as Muslim Chetnik leader.

Karl von Krempler planned to establish Sandžak as separate political entity and offered to Zvizdić a position of its governor. Zvizdić refused Krempler's offer. When Germans took control over Montenegro after the capitulation of Italy at the end of 1943 they established a puppet Government which member was Hasan Zvizdić as its minister without portfolio.

After the war he emigrated from Yugoslavia to avoid being captured and executed by Partisans. He died in 1980 in Adapazarı, Turkey. In 2012 a commemorative plaque was revealed in front of the house in which Zvizdić lived.