Kammala jumla mai zuwa: An haifi Jovanović a shekara ta 1914 a Valjevo, Serbia ta Tsakiya, dangin dangi na masu mallakar ƙasa da 'yan kasuwa. Ya kammala makarantar sakandare a can, ya shiga Kwalejin Falsafa a Jami'ar Belgrade. Duk da haka, kafin ya kammala karatunsa, Žikica, kamar sauran masu ra'ayin ra'ayin ra'ayi a fadin Turai, ya ba da gudummawa don taimakawa Jamhuriyar Mutanen Espanya ta ƙi juyin mulkin Fascist da aka kaddamar a lokacin rani na 1936. Duk da yake a Spain ya yi yaƙi da wasu bambanci a cikin yakin basasa na Spain, kuma ya zama ƙwararren masanin yaƙin guerrilla mai daraja da kuma mayaƙan ƙungiyar.
Gidan Jami'ar Madrid Yaƙi tsakanin 'yan sa-kai na Jamhuriyar Republican da Sojojin Spain na Afirka. Ya ci gaba da yaƙi a kan jagorancin Balkan Volunteer Brigade a cikin wasu kamfen kamar Yaƙin Ebro da Teruel har zuwa faduwar Barcelona a 1939, tare da mummunan rushewar Jamhuriyar.