Pajica Omčikus

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.{{harv|Jovanić|1988|p=35}}:"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,{{harv|Jovanić|1988|p=35}}:"Za vrijeme stare Jugoslavije bio je pristalica samostalnih demokrata. " but later joined the far-right Yugoslav Radical Union ({{langx|sr|Југословенска Радикална Заједница}}).{{harv|Majstorović|1961|p=115}}

At the beginning of the Srb uprising, Omčikus—together with Pera Rajak, Miloš Torbica, and other rebels—attacked Srb and destroyed the Ustaše garrison.{{harv|Плећаш|2004|p=267}}:"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.{{harv|Damjanović|1972|p=133}}

In August 1941, the Chetnik Regiment "King Peter II" was established in Lika; and Omčikus was appointed as its commander.{{harv|Majstorović|1961|p=115}}:"»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.{{harv|Đuretić|1997|p=334}}:".. 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."

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.{{harv|Redžić|2005|p=15}} 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.{{harv|Дедијер|1951|p=223}}:"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.{{harv|Redžić|2005|p=16}} Italy supported Serb rebels in helping to establish Italian influence beyond the zones they occupied per formal agreements.{{harv|Redžić|2005|p=16}}

Some post-war communist sources emphasized that Omčikus surrendered to the communist-led Partisans with the intention of joining them.{{harv|Jovanović|Rešetić|1963|p=387}} Voivode Momčilo Đujić, who was commander of Yugoslav Chetnik forces in Lika, sent an ultimatum to communists to release Omčikus.{{harv|Damjanović|1972|p=282}}:"...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,{{cite book|author=Vojnoistorijski institut (Belgrade, Serbia)|title=Zbornik Dokumenta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pEMyAQAAIAAJ|year=1952|page=29}} while contemporary communist reports stated that Omčikus and a group of 30 Yugoslav Chetniks were captured and murdered by communists.{{cite book|author=Vojnoistorijski institut (Belgrade, Serbia)|title=Zbornik Dokumenta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CkQyAQAAIAAJ|year=1954|page=75|quote=Streljali smo oko 30 četničkih razbojnika među njima i P. Omčikusa.}}{{Cite web|last=Horvatić|first=Petar|date=2018-10-20|title=20. listopada 1941. Marko Orešković – što niste znali o suradnji četnika i partizana u NDH?|url=https://narod.hr/kultura/20-listopada-1941-marko-oreskovic-sto-niste-znali-o-suradnji-cetnika-i-partizana-u-ndh|access-date=2020-10-09|website=narod.hr|language=hr}}

The leaders of the Serb rebels who belonged to Chetnik units of the Dinara Division agreed on the basic principles of their further struggle. This was presented in a document composed between 8 and 12 March 1942 and was titled "Elaborat of Dinara Division" ({{langx|sr|Елаборат Динарске дивизије}}).{{harv|Николић|2009|p=84}} The main objective of their struggle of establishing a Serb nation-state was stipulated in detail, and signed by Momčilo Đujić, Pavle Popović, Pavle Omčikus, Branko Bogunović, and Mane Rokvić.{{harv|Николић|2009|p=84}}:" „Елаборат" су потписали Момчило 'Бууий, Павле ПоповиН, Павле Омчикус, Бранко БогуновиН и Мане Роквип." On the other hand, the Croatian Communist forces undertook all necessary measures to destroy any attempt to establish a Serbian nation-state by the "murders of national leaders and Chetniks" and waging against them "a war until extreme limits of life".{{clarify|date=November 2020|reason=poorly worded translation}}{{harv|Николић|2009|p=85}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Omčikus, Pavle}}

Category:1912 births

Category:1942 deaths

Category:Serbian collaborators with Fascist Italy

Category:Chetnik personnel killed in World War II

Category:People killed by Yugoslav Partisans

Category:Royal Yugoslav Army personnel