The Royal Croatian Home Guard (, often simply ''Domobranstvo'' or ''Domobran'' in singular, in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: ''Croatisch-Slawonische Landwehr'') was the Croatian-Slavonian army section of the

Royal Hungarian Landwehr Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Roya ...

(), which existed from 1868 to 1918. The force was created by decree of the

Croatian Parliament The Croatian Parliament () or the Sabor is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Croatia. Under the terms of the Constitution of Croatia, Croatian Constitution, the Sabor represents the nation, people and is vested with legislative power. ...

on December 5, 1868, as a result of the

Croatian–Hungarian Settlement The Croatian–Hungarian Settlement (; ; ) was a pact signed in 1868 that governed Croatia's political status in the Hungarian-ruled part of Austria-Hungary. It lasted until the end of World War I, when the Croatian Parliament, as the representati ...

The settlement specified four conditions: # Croats would serve their military service within Croatia # Military training would be conducted in Croatian # Cadet and Domobran academies would be formed # Croatian military units could take on Croatian names

Formations and units

The Home Guard initially consisted of 8 squadrons, garrisoned in 6 town: * 79th Home Guard Squadron (

Varaždin Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011). The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...

) * 80th Home Guard Squadron (

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

) * 81st Home Guard Squadron (

Virovitica Virovitica () is a Croatian city near the Hungary, Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,688, with 21,291 people in the municipality (census 2011). I ...

) * 82nd Home Guard Squadron (

Vukovar Vukovar (; sr-Cyrl, Вуковар, , ) is a city in Croatia, in the eastern Regions of Croatia, regions of Syrmia and Slavonia. It contains Croatia's largest river port, located at the confluence of the Vuka (river), Vuka and the Danube. Vukova ...

) * 29th Home Guard Squadron (Varaždin) * 30th Home Guard Squadron (Varaždin) * 31st Home Guard Squadron (

Vinkovci Vinkovci () is a city in Slavonia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in eastern Croatia. The city settlement's population was 28,111 in the 2021 census, while the total population was 30,842, making it the largest town of the county. It is a local tr ...

) * 32nd Home Guard Squadron (Vinkovci) Following a reform, it was reorganized into 8

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

s each garrisoned in a different town: * 83rd Home Guard Battalion (

Sisak Sisak (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavina (Sava basin ...

) * 84th Home Guard Battalion (

Bjelovar Bjelovar (, , Czech language, Czech: ''Bělovar'' or ''Bělovár,'' Kajkavian dialect, Kajkavian: ''Belovar,'' Latin: ''Bellovarium'') is a city in central Croatia. In the Demographics of Croatia, 2021 census, its population was 36,316 . It is ...

) * 87th Home Guard Battalion (

Gospić Gospić () is a town in Lika, Croatia. It is the seat of the Lika-Senj County. Geography Gospić is located in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika. It is the administrative center of Lika-Senj County. Gospić is located n ...

) * 88th Home Guard Battalion (

Ogulin Ogulin () is a town in central Croatia, in Karlovac County. It has a population of 7,389 (2021) (it was 8,216 in 2011), and a total municipal population of 12,251 (2021). Ogulin is known for its historic stone castle, known as Kula, and the nearby ...

) * 89th Home Guard Battalion (

Švarča Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...

) * 90th Home Guard Battalion (

Glina Glina is a word of Slavic origin, meaning "clay". It may refer to: * Glina, Croatia, a town in Croatia * Glina (river) in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina * Glina, Piotrków County, a village in Łódź Voivodeship, central Poland * Glina, Sie ...

) * 91st Home Guard Battalion (

Nova Gradiška Nova Gradiška is a town located in the Brod-Posavina County of Croatia, population 14,229 (2011). It is located in the historic region of Slavonia, near the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first word in the name means ''New'', and there' ...

) * 92nd Home Guard Battalion ( Mitrovica) Following a second reform, it was reorganized into 5

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

s, each in 5 major cities: * 25th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Zagreb) **

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...

served in this regiment (). * 26th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...

) * 27th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (Sisak) * 28th Home Guard Infantry Regiment (

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

) * 10th Home Guard Cavalry Regiment (Varaždin)

Commanders

World War I

In August 1914, the

42nd Home Guard Infantry Division The 42nd Home Guard Infantry Division (, also ), nicknamed the Devil's Division (), was an infantry division of the Royal Croatian Home Guard within the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Composed primarily of Croatian troops, the divisi ...

consisting of the 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Home Guard Infantry regiment under the command of

Stjepan Sarkotić Stjepan Freiherr Sarkotić von Lovćen (also ''Stefan Sarkotić'', ''Stjepan Sarkotić'', or ''Stephan Sarkotić''; 4 October 1858 – 16 October 1939) was an Austro-Hungarian Army generaloberst of Croatian descent who served as Governor of Bosn ...

took part in the

Serbian campaign The Serbian campaign was a series of military expeditions launched in 1914 and 1915 by the Central Powers against the Kingdom of Serbia during the First World War. The first campaign began after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 ...

, together with the 104th

Landsturm In various European countries, the term Landstorm (, Swedish and , roughly "land assault", ) was historically used to refer to militia or military units composed of conscripts who are not in regular army. It is particularly associated with Pru ...

(pučko-ustaška) Brigade under the command of . In late 1918, elements of various Royal Croatian Home Guard regiments took part in occupation of Međimurje.

Legacy

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

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 The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...

, a part of the

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...

was formed that was also called the "

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

" ("Domobranstvo"). It ceased to exist in a 2003 reorganization.

References

{{Authority control Austro-Hungarian Army Military history of Croatia 19th century in Croatia 20th century in Croatia Military units and formations established in 1868 Military units and formations disestablished in 1918 19th-century military history of Croatia 20th-century military history of Croatia

Formations and units

Commanders

World War I

Legacy

See also

References