"I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle."
Draza Mihailovich was born in 1893 in the small town of Ivanytza near Chachak, Serbia, Yugoslavia, where his father was a schoolmaster. In 1910 Mihailovich entered the Military Academy, but his studies were interrupted in 1912 when he took part in the SerboTurkish War as a Cadet-Corporal. Twice decorated for acts of bravery, he was promoted to Cadet- Sergeant and later to Second-Lieutenant in the Serbo- Bulgarian War, and participated in all operations.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Mihailovich served with his regiment and was decorated several times. He particularly distinguished himself in an action in September, 1918 near Shtip and was promoted to First-Lieutenant and decorated with the White Eagle.
After the armistice, Mihailovich resumed his military studies. In 1929 he took a six months' course in the French Army. Promoted to Staff Offficer, then professor of tactics at the Higher College of the Military Academy, he was appointed Military Attache first in Soffa and subsequently in Prague.
On the eve of the present war, Mihailovich submitted a report to the Yugoslav General Staff in which he forecast almost everything that took place in April, 1941. He was of the opinion that the idea of defending practically indefensible Northern frontiers should be abandoned and proposed concentrating all forces in mountainous regions where the overwhelming superiority of the German tanks would be ineffectual. Hewroteabook on guerrilla warfare which secured him a considerable following.
At the time that war broke out Colonel Mihailovich was Chief of Staff of a motorised division in Doboy, a small town in Bosnia. When capitulation was ordered by General Simovich without the knowledge of the Yugoslav Government, he refused to accept it and resolved to try to break through with chosen troops in the direction of Eastern Bosnia and Serbia, where he hoped to find an established front, and to join up with the regular army. On the way there he and his men were attacked by strong German formations, which, after fierce fighting, routed the troops; the commander of the small tank formation was taken prisoner, while Mihailovich was forced to withdraw into the hills.
Asked whether he had heard anything about the capitulation, Mihailovich answered:
"Capitulation ? I do not know what capitulation is. l have served in the army for many years, but I have never heard this word."