Croatian Defence Forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Croatian Defence Forces, Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS |
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| Active | 1991–1992 |
| Garrison/HQ | Zagreb (Republic of Croatia), |
| Disbanded | 1991:
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| Commanders | |
| Last commander | Blaž Kraljević |
The Croatian Defence Forces (Croatian: Hrvatske obrambene snage or HOS) was one of the first armed forces assembled by the Croats during the Croatian War of Independence and the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. HOS was the military arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP)[1]. In 1992 the leader of the group, Blaž Kraljević, was killed and the HOS dissolved being absorbed into the Croatian ground army in Croatia and into the Croatian Defence Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina[2]. The unit consisted of Croats, Bosniaks and many western European volunteers.
[edit] Blaž Kraljević
Blaž Kraljević (September 17, 1947 - June 9, 1992 (aged 44)) was a Croat paramilitary leader during the first few months of the Bosnian War who commanded the HOS[2]. When the war began Kraljevic began to position his group as the main Croat militia in Bosnia. Unlike the other Croat militia, the HVO (Hrvatsko Vijeće Obrane-Croatian Defence Council, he opposed the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the creation of an ethnically cleansed Greater Croatia, instead he wanted to federate Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia. [3][4]
[edit] Flag
The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of tripple-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 (motto also used in World War II Croatian state).[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Bosnia and Herzegovina - Croatian Party of Rights (HTML). http://www.crwflags.com+(2007).+Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
- ^ a b ITCY (HTML). UN (1 Wednesday, 4 September 2002). Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
- ^ IT-98-34-T, the Prosecutor versus Naletilic and Martinovic (HTML). ICTY (Wednesday, 17 July 2002). Retrieved on 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
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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?” - ^
Proclamation by Blaž Kraljević against the devision of Bosnia and Herzegovina - ^ HOS, Croatian Defence Forces (HTML). crwflags (2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-11. “The HOS used a black flag with the emblem in the middle, with a circle of tripple-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!) (motto that rooted from the Ottoman days,when Croats fought the Turks but was also used in World War II Croatian Nazi-Puppet state).”
