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Croatian Defence Forces
*Hrvatske obrambene snage*
Croatian Defence Forces; Hrvatske obrambene snage
	; Flag of the Croatian Defence Forces
Active	1991–1993
Country	Croatia,; Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Type	Paramilitary organization
Size	5,000
Garrison/HQ	Zagreb, Republic of Croatia; Ljubuški, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Disbanded	September 1991 in Croatia; August 21, 1992 in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commanders
Last commander	Blaž Kraljević

Patch of Ninth battalion Rafael "the knight" Boban.

The Croatian Defence Forces (Croatian: Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS) was the military arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)^[4] from 1991 to 1992 during the first stages of the Yugoslav wars. In 1992, the leader of the group Blaž Kraljević was killed, and the HOS was shortly afterwards disbanded and absorbed into the Croatian Army in Croatia and into the Croatian Defence Council and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[5]^{[dead link]}^[1] The unit consisted of Croats, Bosniaks and foreign volunteers.^[1] The last HOS unit was dissolved in 1993 in central Bosnia.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Name

The frequently used Croatian abbreviation of the organization, "HOS" (Hrvatske obrambene snage), is identical to the abbreviation for the military of the World War II Nazi puppet state, the Independent State of Croatia. The military of the Independent State of Croatia were the Croatian Armed Forces (Hrvatske oružane snage), also abbreviated "HOS" in Croatian.

[edit] History

Proclamation by Blaž Kraljević against the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Franjo Tuđman and Slobodan Milošević.

Blaž Kraljević was a Croat paramilitary leader during the first few months of the Bosnian War who commanded the HOS.^[5] When the war began Kraljević began to position the HOS as the main Croat militia in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unlike the other Croat militia, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), the HOS opposed the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the creation of an ethnically cleansed Greater Croatia, instead he wanted to ally Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia.^[6]

After many early successes a large number of HVO soldiers defected and joined the HOS.^[7] In the summer of 1992 the HOS successfully defended Stolac, and launched an offensive into eastern Herzegovina which seized parts of the municipality of Trebinje. Much of the Serb population of Trebinje and Bileća had begun to pack up run. This went against the Graz agreement that Serbia and Croatia made regarding the division of the country.

[edit] Flag

The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of triple-wattle within which is a chequy shield (with white first square) over a four-sided blue-white triple wattle symbol, above the inscription HOS, below HSP, Za dom spremni.^[8]

[edit] Units

1. bojna Ivan Vitez Brdar (1st battalion Ivan "the knight" Brdar) - Livno
2. bojna Stojan Vujnović Srbin (2nd battalion Stojan Vujnović "the Serb") - Domaljevac
4. bojna HOS-a (4th battalion of HOS)
6. bojna Marijan Baotić (6th battalion Marijan Baotić) - Vinkovci
IX. bojna Rafael vitez Boban (9th battalion Rafael "the knight" Boban) - Split
1. satnija Ante Paradžik (1st company Ante Paradžik) - Jasenovac
Vukovarska satnija HOS-a (Vukovar company of HOS) - Vukovar
13. bojna Jure vitez Francetić (13th battalion Jure "the knight" Francetić) - Tomislavgrad
Vitezovi (The knights) - Vitez
101. bojna Do Drine (101st battalion To Drina) - Sarajevo
19. bojna Vitez Jure Francetić (19th battalion "The knight" Jure Francetić) - Gospić
Crni Vukovi (Black Wolfs) - Kalesija
Žigosani (Marked Ones) - Novi Travnik
Satnija Lovci (Company The Hunters) - Ljubuški
Samostalna satnija osiguranja (Autonomous company of security) - Zagreb
Mostarska bojna HOS-a (Mostar battalion of HOS) - Mostar
Ljubuška satnija HOS-a (Ljubuški company of HOS) - Ljubuški
Zenička satnija HOS-a (Zenica company of HOS) - Zenica
Tuzlanska satnija HOS-a (Tuzla company of HOS) - Tuzla
Čapljinska bojna HOS-a (Čapljina battalion of HOS) - Čapljina

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Yugoslav Wars: Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992 - 2001 pg 21
^ Absorbed into the Croatian ground army
^ Absorbed into the Croatian Defence Council and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
^ "Bosnia and Herzegovina - Croatian Party of Rights". http://www.crwflags.com. 2007. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ba%7Dhsp.html. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
^ ^a ^b "ICTY". UN. 1 Wednesday, 4 September 2002. http://www.un.org/icty/transe34/020904ED.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
^ "IT-98-34-T, the Prosecutor versus Naletilic and Martinovic". ICTY. 17 July 2002. http://www.un.org/icty/transe34/020717ED.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-25. "Q. Well, sir, during the time that you lived in Mostar, during these years, and in that region, did you ever -- did you understand that HOS was a unit that -- an organisation that believed more in a multi-ethnic Bosnia of the Croats and Muslims working together? ... wasn't it because of the HDZ's conflict with that philosophy, that Mr. Kraljevic was ultimately murdered?"
^ Pg 85 - "From Ottawa to Sarajevo: Canadian Peacekeepers in the Balkans" (PDF). Centre for International Relations, Queen's University Kingston, Ontario Canada. 1998. http://www.queensu.ca/cir/files/Martello18.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-25. ISBN 0889117888
^ "HOS, Croatian Defence Forces". crwflags. 2008. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ba%7Dhsp.html#hos. Retrieved 2008-03-11. "The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of triple-wattle within which is a chequy shield (with white first square) 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!)."

[edit] External links

"HOS-CROATIA" Forum za domace i strani Dobrovoljci HOSa! (iskljucivo za HOSovce!) Forum about HOS (English and Croatian)

[The_Yugoslav_Wars_pg_21-0] The Yugoslav Wars: Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992 - 2001 pg 21

[1] Absorbed into the Croatian ground army

[2] Absorbed into the Croatian Defence Council and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina

[crwflags-3] "Bosnia and Herzegovina - Croatian Party of Rights". http://www.crwflags.com. 2007. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ba%7Dhsp.html. Retrieved 2007-09-24.

[un-4] "ICTY". UN. 1 Wednesday, 4 September 2002. http://www.un.org/icty/transe34/020904ED.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-24.

[ICTY_020717ED-5] "IT-98-34-T, the Prosecutor versus Naletilic and Martinovic". ICTY. 17 July 2002. http://www.un.org/icty/transe34/020717ED.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-25. "Q. Well, sir, during the time that you lived in Mostar, during these years, and in that region, did you ever -- did you understand that HOS was a unit that -- an organisation that believed more in a multi-ethnic Bosnia of the Croats and Muslims working together? ... wasn't it because of the HDZ's conflict with that philosophy, that Mr. Kraljevic was ultimately murdered?"

[queens-6] Pg 85 - "From Ottawa to Sarajevo: Canadian Peacekeepers in the Balkans" (PDF). Centre for International Relations, Queen's University Kingston, Ontario Canada. 1998. http://www.queensu.ca/cir/files/Martello18.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-25. ISBN 0889117888

[crwflags_HOS-7] "HOS, Croatian Defence Forces". crwflags. 2008. http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ba%7Dhsp.html#hos. Retrieved 2008-03-11. "The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of triple-wattle within which is a chequy shield (with white first square) 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!)."

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