Royal Croatian Home Guard

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Kraljevsko Hrvatsko domobranstvo
Royal Croatian Home Guard
Royal Croatian Home Guard Cap Badge.jpg
Home Guard Cap Badge
Active 1868 - 1918
Country Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia
Branch Army
Motto Za kralja i Domovinu (For King and Country)
Engagements World War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Svetozar Borojević
Stjepan Sarkotić

The Royal Croatian Home Guard (Croatian: Kraljevsko Hrvatsko Domobranstvo, often simply Domobranstvo or Domobran in singular), in German "Croatisch-Slawonische Landwehr" was the Croatian army section of the Royal Hungarian Army (Hungarian: Magyar Királyi Honvédség), which existed from 1868 to 1918. The force was created by decree of the Croatian Parliament on December 5, 1868 as a result of the Croatian-Hungarian Settlement.

Uniform of the Hungarian Honvéd

The settlement specified four conditions:

  1. Croats would serve their military service within Croatia
  2. Military training would be conducted in Croatian
  3. Cadet and Domobran academies would be formed
  4. Croatian military units could take on Croatian names

First units

eight squadrons:

then eight battalions:

in the next five years:

  • 25th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Zagreb)
  • 26th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Karlovac)
  • 27th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Sisak)
  • 28th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Osijek)

and the:

  • 10th Home Guard Cavalry Regiment (Varaždin)

Commanders of the Royal Croatian Home Guard

All commanders of the Royal Croatian Home Guard Command, rank general, where Croatians:

  • Count Miroslav Kulmer (1869–1875),
  • Dragutin Višnić (1875–1880),
  • Milan (Emil) Musulin (1881–1890),
  • Matija Raslić (1890–1893),
  • Eduard Lukinac (1893–1897),
  • Josip Bach (1897–1901),
  • Ðuro Ćanić (1901–1903),
  • Radoslav Gerba (1903–1907),
  • Svetozar Borojević (1907–1912),
  • Stjepan Sarkotić (1912–1914),
  • Ivan Salis Seewis (1915),
  • Anton Lipošćak (1915–1916, 1917),
  • Luka Šnjarić (1916–1917),
  • Mihael Mihaljević (1917–1918),
  • Teodor Soretić (1918).

Croatian Home Guard in the First World War

The 42nd Home Guard Infantry Division consisting of the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Home Guard Infantry regiment under the Command of Stjepan Sarkotić took part in the battle against Serbia in August, 1914 together with the 104th Landsturm (pučko-ustaška) Brigade under the Command of Theodor Bekić.[1]

Croatian Home Guard after 1918

During World War II, the Independent State of Croatia was formed and its regular army was also called the "Croatian Home Guard". It existed from April 1941 to May 1945.

On 24 December 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, a part of the Croatian Army was formed that was also called the "Home Guard". It ceased to exist in a 2003 reorganization.[2]

See also

References