Battle of Ovaro

Operation Ataman During the summer of 1944, Northern Friuli became a major center of partisan activity, culminating in the proclamation of the Republic of Carnia on 26 September. In response, SS and Police leader Odilo Globocnik, based in Trieste, initiated Operation Ataman, which brought about 22,000 Cossacks including soldiers, elders, and families and 4,000 Caucasians to the region using around fifty military trains. After suppressing the partisan republic, the Cossacks established the so-called "Kosakenland in Norditalien", a semi-autonomous territory promised by the Germans, complete with their own institutions, religion, and lifestyle. Verzegnis became the headquarters of their supreme commander Pëtr Nikolaevič Krasnov, and several local towns were renamed after Russian cities, while Tolmezzo hosting the Cossack's autonomous council. The area was divided between Cossack and Caucasian settlements, the latter under Sultan Klych-Girey. Despite the majority of the Cossacks being aligned with the Germans, some Cossacks and Caucasians defected to the Italian Resistance, forming the so-called "Stalin Battalion". == Battle ==

The Canin Battalion, part of the wider Brigate Garibaldi partisan unit, entered the cities of Chialina and Ovaro at 16:00 CET, 1 May 1945. The Battalion, upon trying to intimidate the Cossacks within the area and demanding for them to lay down all of their arms, was met with fire and even some grenades at around 21:00 CET. The battalion was forced to retreat to Chialina in order to reorganize. A night of planning followed, The attack by the partisans, including the Brigate Garibaldi, the Osoppo Brigade and the "Stalin battalion" (the Georgians) had begun. killing up to 89 civilians (including Gemona del Friuli) and setting the town on fire. In response to the attack, other reprisals took place in nearby communities still occupied by the Cossacks, such as Avasinis, where up to 63 additional civilians were killed. By the start of the next day, the Cossacks had left. == Aftermath ==

On 3 May 1945, the CLN in Tolmezzo tried to intimidate the Cossacks to surrender by using small military standoffs and political pressure. However, the Cossacks stated they would only surrender to an Anglo-American military commander as they headed towards the border crossing with Austria, with the partisans unable to stop them. Most of them would die. == Bibliography ==