Pavle Omčikus (1912—1942), nicknamed Pajo or Pajica, was a leader of the Serbian rebels during the July 1941 Srb uprising in the Independent State of Croatia. He later commanded the royalist Chetnik Regiment "King Peter II" and collaborated with Italian occupiers. He was killed in Partisan custody in March 1942.
Early life Pavle Omčikus was born in 1912 in Srb in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary. His father was named Gajo, and his mother Marija. Omčikus' family was well known in the region, as Pavle's father and grandfather were presidents of a Serb municipality.:"To je Pajica Omčikus iz Srba, iz imućne porodice Omčikusa, čuvene još u austrougarskoj državi, kada su mu otac i djed bili predsjednici općine srbske." Omčikus completed elementary school in Srb and a gymnasium in Gospić. He served in the Royal Yugoslav Army in Meljine in Kotor Bay from 1933 to 1934. He was a supporter of the social liberal Independent Democratic Party,:"Za vrijeme stare Jugoslavije bio je pristalica samostalnih demokrata. " but later joined the far-right Yugoslav Radical Union ().
World War II
Uprising At the beginning of the Srb uprising, Omčikus—together with Pera Rajak, Miloš Torbica, and other rebels—attacked Srb and destroyed the Ustaše garrison.:"У Лици је Пајица Омчикус, са Пером Рајаком, Милошем Торбицом и другим устаницима напао Срб и у њему су уништили усташку посаду . Истога дана лички устаници су пресекли жељезничку пругу Госпић-Книн и заузели Отрић" Omčikus organized the use of trucks to transport rebels to front-line positions.
In August 1941, the Chetnik Regiment "King Peter II" was established in Lika; and Omčikus was appointed as its commander.:"»Puk kralja Petra« kojem je na čelu stajao Pajica Omčikus." He publicly disagreed with communist leaders in Lika, accusing them of being responsible for political division among Serbs.:".. сукоба дошло је приликом оснивања и смотре пука “Краљ Петар II“, када су посланици ЈРЗ Рађеновић и Пајица Омчикус изразили пуно неслагање с комунистичким руководством Лике оптужујући га за разбијање српског народа."
Italian assistance Italy used the uprising as an excuse to attempt to expand the territory of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) under Italian control deeper into western Bosnia. Chetnik leaders Omčikus, Radjenović, and Major Rašeta claimed that the Italians would save the Serbs from being terrorized by the Ustasha; and that the Italians should be welcomed as liberators.:"Четничке вође Рађеновић, мајор Рашета и Омчикус, почеле да говоре како Италијане треба дочекати као ослободиоце и да они спасавају народ од усташког зулума. " On 26 August 1941, the NDH and Italy agreed that the Second Italian Army would occupy and pacify rebels in the second and third zones. Italy supported Serb rebels in helping to establish Italian influence beyond the zones they occupied per formal agreements.
Death Some post-war communist sources emphasized that Omčikus surrendered to the communist-led Partisans with the intention of joining them. Voivode Momčilo Đujić, who was commander of Yugoslav Chetnik forces in Lika, sent an ultimatum to communists to release Omčikus.:"...u Tiškovcu je četnički vojvoda pop Momčilo Đujić, komandant zamišljene dinarske četničke divizije, okupljao četnike, slao poruke i ultimatum partizanskim jedinicama da se pusti zarobljeni komandant »četničkog puka« Pajica Omčikus,..."
Some communist sources claimed that Omčikus committed suicide in a communist-held prison in Krbavica, while contemporary communist reports stated that Omčikus and a group of 30 Yugoslav Chetniks were captured and murdered by communists.
References
Sources
Sources published in Yugoslavia during communist rule