Bajo Stanišić

Bajo Stanišić (1890—1943) was a military officer of the Royal Yugoslav Army. During the Second World War he participated in the 1941 Uprising in Montenegro as a counselling member of the Temporary Supreme Command of the insurgent forces. In February 1942, after the suppression of the uprising, Stanišić became one of the commanders of the Chetnik units in Montenegro.

Uprising in Montenegro
Stanišić was a member of the Supreme command of the insurgent forces during the Uprising in Montenegro and was a member of the Supreme Command of the insurgent forces.

Anti-communist struggle and collaboration with the Italians
On 11 February 1942, after the uprising was already suppressed, Stanišić conducted a coup near Danilovgrad. On that occasion two companies from "Bijeli Pavle" insurgement detachment switched sides to join him. On 17 February and 6 March 1942, Stanišić concluded the first collaboration agreements between the Italians and the Chetniks by signing agreements with Alessandro Pirzio Biroli.

Stanišić was a commander of the Zeta Chetnik Detachment. According to the agreement with Italians, this detachment was responsible for the territories of Nikšić, Danilovgrad and Podgorica. Stanišić wanted to negotiate with Partisans but Ivan Milutinović, a commander of the Partisan forces in Montenegro, did not want to reply to Stanišić's offer. Shortly before his death, Stanišić proposed to Draža Mihailović to soften his position toward the Greens in Montenegro.

Death
In mid October General Đukanović and Stanišić with 25 of their soldiers were in their headquarter in the Ostrog Monastery. They were besieged by the stronger Partisan units who offered them to surrender, otherwise they would destroy the monastery and kill all of them. To protect the monastery and their lives General Đukanović and 22 soldiers surrendered while Stanišić and three of his relatives decided not to allow communists to capture them alive. Stanišić was shot dead by the Partisans while Stanišić's relatives committed suicide.

General Đukanović and 22 of his soldiers who surrendered to the Partisans were executed on the same day. They were buried in two mass graves. In 1948 the communists built pit toilets above the graves of Đukanović and his Chetniks for workers who built a railway Nikšić—Podgorica.

Stanišić was buried in Ostrog, below the Upper Monastery. Two years later, on 20 October 1945 the communists excavated his bones and threw them into sinkholes around the monastery. The monks collected his bones and secretly buried them in a grave below the Upper Monastery.

Legacy
The murder of Bajo Stanišić and Blažo Đukanović is commemorated in a song the "Victory below Ostrog" (Побједа под Острогом).