After Italy’s capitulation in September 1943, Bela krajina became liberated territory, marking the onset of a crucial chapter in national history. It housed the Main Headquarters of the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Slovenia, the Executive Committee of the Liberation Front, and various other institutions. To quell the partisan movement, German forces and their collaborators launched multiple incursions to regain control of the region. One such offensive targeted the liberated territory of Žumberk and Bela krajina, commencing on July 10 and lasting until July 17, 1944. Metlika and neighboring towns bore the brunt of this invasion.

Immediately following the conflict’s end, the Commission of the Presidency of the SNOS for the Establishment of the Crimes of the Occupier and his Auxiliaries documented enemy atrocities and assessed the damage based on victim and witness testimonies. The Commission extensively surveyed affected areas, inspected burial sites, heard numerous witnesses, obtained death certificates from parish offices for murdered residents, and sought medical reports on physical injuries. During its investigation from July 18 to 28, 1944, it determined that the assault was executed by the army under the command of Lieutenant-General Helmuth von Pannwitz, leader of the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division. Despite their Nazi ideology, the Germans employed individuals they considered racially inferior, such as Asiatics.

The article presents some of the documents, documentary photographs, testimonies, extracts from records, various writings and reactions to the offensive. It also presents some eyewitness testimonies of those who are still alive today.