Croatian Defence Forces Hrvatske obrambene snage | |
---|---|
Active | 22 January 1991 – 5 April 1993 |
Disbanded | September 1991 (Croatia) 21 August 1992 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
Country | Croatia Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Allegiance | Croatian Party of Rights |
Branch | Army |
Size | 8,000 [1] – 24,000 [2] |
Headquarters | Zagreb, Croatia Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Nickname(s) | Blacks (Crnci) |
Motto(s) | Za dom spremni [3] |
Colors | Black |
March | Himna HOS-a [4] |
Engagements | Battle of the Barracks Battle of Gospić Siege of Slunj Battle of Vukovar Siege of Dubrovnik Siege of Mostar Battle of Kupres (1992) Battle of Posavina Attack on Piperi Siege of Sarajevo Siege of Kotor Varoš |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Dobroslav Paraga Blaž Kraljević |
Insignia | |
Flag |
The Croatian Defence Forces (Croatian : Hrvatske obrambene snage or HOS) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars. During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS organised several early companies and participated in Croatia's defence. At the peak of the war in Croatia, the HOS was several battalions in size. The first HOS units were headed by Ante Paradžik, an HSP member who was killed by Croatian police in September 1991. After the November 1991 general mobilisation in Croatia and the January 1992 cease-fire, the HOS was absorbed by the Croatian Army.
The HOS units in Bosnia and Herzegovina consisted of Croats, Bosnian Muslims and foreign volunteers led by Blaž Kraljević. [5] On 9 August 1992, by order of President Franjo Tuđman, who opposed HSP backed Croat-Bosniak cooperation, Kraljević and eight staff members were assassinated by Croatian Defence Council (HVO) soldiers under the command of Mladen Naletilić. [6] The HOS was disbanded shortly afterwards, with its remaining military assets absorbed by the HVO and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the Croat-Bosniak War. [5] The last HOS unit was dissolved on 5 April 1993 in central Bosnia. [7]
The Croatian Party of Rights was reestablished in Croatia on 26 February 1990, with Dobroslav Paraga president and Ante Paradžik vice-president. [8] The Croatian civilian population began arming itself, and on 21 December 1990 the Serbs of Croatia rose; soon, the Yugoslav People's Army combined with the insurgent Serbs and the Croatian Party of Rights considered forming its military wing.
Although the first HOS squad was established in January, the HOS was officially founded on 25 June 1991 by Dobroslav Paraga, Ante Paradžik, Alija Šiljak and other leaders of the HSP. [9] Soon after establishing the HOS general staff, Paradžik became its chief. The general staff was at Starčević Center, the HSP headquarters in Zagreb. At first, the HOS was poorly armed and its soldiers used their weapons. However, they performed well in conflicts with Serb forces and attracted the attention of the Croatian public.
The HSP received donations from the Croatian diaspora and HSP branches in Australia and Canada, enabling it to buy weapons and increase its membership. However, not every HSP member supported a military wing, and secretary Krešimir Pavelić left the party in protest. Many HOS recruits came from the diaspora, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and overseas. In addition, HOS attracted trained soldiers from abroad.
The HOS used the roman salute and wore black uniforms; its headquarters featured portraits of Ustaše leaders and its units were named after Ustaša generals. Their outward association with WWII-era fascists prompted worries to the Croatian government who feared their image would damage Croatia's international reputation. By early 1992 they were disbanded and recruited into the regular Croatian Army. [10]
At the beginning of the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS comprised about 6,000 soldiers. Although they were members of the Croatian National Guard (ZNG), they obeyed orders from HOS officers. [11] Because of an unwritten rule that HOS members could only be members of the HSP, the HOS was considered a party paramilitary organisation. The HOS and the ZNG were involved in the Battle of the Barracks and other minor battles in Croatia. The HOS increased in popularity within the HSP, and soon the HOS were in nearly every town where the HSP was active. [12] On 10 September 1991, Paraga and Paradžik organised a demonstration of a HOS company for 10,000 spectators in Jelačić Square. Shortly after the demonstration, the company was involved in the Battle of Vukovar under Robert Šilić. [13] [14] [15]
At this time, HOS units were founded in Dalmatia. Until May 1991, Dalmatian HOS units were company-sized. In an agreement between Paraga and the Slovene Minister of Defence Janez Janša, the units were sent to Slovenia for training. By October 1991 the unit had grown to battalion size; it was called the 9th Battalion and was commanded by Jozo Radanović, president of the HSP branch in Split. This unit became one of the most popular Croatian units; in early December 1991, Radanović was promoted to colonel in the HOS.[ citation needed ]
Paradžik was shot at a police checkpoint near Zagreb on 21 September 1991, in what was described by the authorities as an accident. They justified the killing because the police "received an anonymous tip that the Martić's family were in the car." [16] On 23 November the Croatian government began a general mobilisation, and most HOS militiamen joined Croatian Army units. Shortly after the cease-fire in January 1992, the HOS ceased operations in Croatia.[ citation needed ]
The Croatian Defence Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina had its headquarters in Ljubuški and mostly operated in the southern area of the country. Their commander was Blaž Kraljević. At the beginning of the Bosnian War, they fought against the Serb forces together with the HVO and ARBiH. [7] The strength of HOS forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina was estimated at up to 5000 members armed with infantry weapons. [17] They included many Bosnian Muslims in their ranks and advocated a confederation between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, [18] frequently using the slogan "Croatia to the Drina, Bosnia to the Adriatic". [17] The HOS participated in breaking the JNA-VRS siege of Mostar in June 1992, when the HV and HVO forces pushed the Serb forces towards eastern Herzegovina. [18]
Relations between the HVO and HOS eventually worsened, though HOS did not function integrally throughout the country. In the area of Novi Travnik it was closer to the HVO, while in the Mostar area, there were increasingly tense relations between the HOS and the HVO. [19] On 9 August Kraljević was killed in unclear circumstances at a police checkpoint in the village of Kruševo, [7] by HVO soldiers under the command of Mladen Naletilić. [6] On 23 August 1992 HVO and HOS leaders in Herzegovina agreed to incorporate the HOS into the HVO. The remaining HOS forces were later recognised by the Sarajevo government as part of the ARBiH. The HOS forces in central Bosnia merged with the HVO in April 1993. [7] Most of the Bosniaks that were members of the HOS joined the Muslim Armed Forces (MOS). [20]
The HOS had a black flag with its emblem in the centre: a circle of triple wattle containing a chequered shield (with white first square) over a four-sided blue-and-white triple-wattle symbol; above, the inscription "HOS"; below, "HSP, Za dom spremni ", which was the Ustaše salute during WW2 in the Independent State of Croatia. [21] HOS symbols have become a contentious issue in recent years as the popularity of its flag with the Za Dom Spremni slogan has grown with right-wing fans at sporting events and HOS veterans continue to use HOS and Ustaše insignia at public events. [10]
Name | Symbol | Headquarters | Commander |
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1st Battalion Ivan Vitez Brdar (1. bojna Ivan Vitez Brdar) | Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mate Šukan | |
2nd Battalion Stojan Vujnović "The Serb" (2. bojna Stojan Vujnović Srbin) | Domaljevac, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Stojan Vujnović | |
4th HOS Battalion (4. bojna HOS-a) | |||
6th Battalion Marijan Baotić (6. bojna Marijan Baotić) | Vinkovci, Croatia | Ivica Zupković Ivan Zoraja | |
9th Battalion Rafael Vitez Boban (9. bojna Rafael vitez Boban) | Split, Croatia | Jozo Radanović Marko Skejo | |
1st Company Ante Paradžik (1. satnija Ante Paradžik) | Jasenovac, Croatia | Miroslav Martinovski | |
Vukovar HOS Company (Vukovarska satnija HOS-a) | Vukovar, Croatia | Robert Šilić | |
13th Battalion Jure Vitez Francetić (13. bojna Jure vitez Francetić) | Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ivan Mamić | |
The Knights (Vitezovi) | Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Darko Kraljevic | |
101st Battalion To Drina (101. bojna Do Drine) | Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Mate Matasin | |
19th Battalion Vitez Jure Francetić (19. bojna Vitez Jure Francetić) | Gospić, Croatia | Valentin Rajković | |
Black Wolves (Crni vukovi) | Kalesija, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Refik Fiko Brđanović | |
Marked Ones (Žigosani) | Novi Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Hunter Company (Satnija Lovci) | Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Independent Security Company (Samostalna satnija osiguranja) | Zagreb, Croatia | ||
Mostar HOS Battalion (Mostarska bojna HOS-a) | Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Ljubuški HOS Company (Ljubuška satnija HOS-a) | Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Zenica HOS Company (Zenička satnija HOS-a) | Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Tuzla HOS Company (Tuzlanska satnija HOS-a) | Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Čapljina HOS Company (Čapljinska satnija HOS-a) | Čapljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of triple-wattle within which is a chequy shield over a four-sided blue-white triple wattle (similar to the one used as Ustasha symbol, on flags of the Independent State of Croatia in World War II), above the inscription HOS, below HSP, ZA DOM SPREMNI (For Homeland. Ready!).
The Croatian Party of Rights is an extra-parliamentary nationalist and neo-fascist political party in Croatia. The word "right(s)" in the party's name refers to the legal and moral reasons for the autonomy, independence, and sovereignty of Croatia.
The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started on 6 April 1992, following several earlier violent incidents. It ended on 14 December 1995 when the Dayton Accords were signed. The main belligerents were the forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, and the Republika Srpska, the latter two entities being proto-states led and supplied by Croatia and Serbia, respectively.
Anto Đapić is a Croatian far right politician and the former president of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). He served as a representative in the Croatian Parliament, a post he was elected to at the 1992, 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2007 elections.
Dobroslav Paraga is a Croatian right-wing politician. He was first president of the Croatian Party of Rights, after the party was reestablished in 1991. In 1993 he founded the Croatian Party of Rights 1861 following a political split from Anto Đapić.
Ante Prkačin is a Croatian politician and businessman and a former general of the Croatian Army and the Croatian Defence Council.
Blaž Nikola Kraljević was a Bosnian Croat paramilitary leader who commanded the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) during the Bosnian War. An immigrant to Australia, Kraljević joined the Croatian Revolutionary Brotherhood (HRB) upon his arrival there in 1967. During his return to Yugoslavia in January 1992 he was appointed by Dobroslav Paraga, leader of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), as leader of the HOS in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, often referred to as Bosnian Army, was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was established by the government of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War.
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The Croatian Defence Council was the official military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, an unrecognized state that existed in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1996. The HVO was the main military force of the Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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The Croat–Bosniak War was a conflict between the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, supported by Croatia, that lasted from 19 June 1992 – 23 February 1994. The Croat-Bosniak War is often referred to as a "war within a war" because it was part of the larger Bosnian War.
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