Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Ustaše Militia
The Ustaše Militia (Croatian: Ustaška vojnica) was the military branch of the Ustaše, established by the fascist and genocidal regime of Ante Pavelić in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), an Axis puppet state established from a large part of occupied Yugoslavia during World War II.
The militia went through a series of re-organisations during its existence, expanding to include all armed elements of the NDH government outside of the Croatian Home Guard, Navy, and Air Force. It amalgamated with the Home Guard in December 1944 and January 1945 to form the Croatian Armed Forces (Hrvatske oružane snage, HOS), although the amalgamation did not result in a homogeneous organisation; former Ustaše militia officers dominated HOS's operations and held most command positions.
The Ustaše militia were responsible for some of the most egregious atrocities committed by the Ustaše regime during World War II, including playing a key role in the establishment and operation of about 20 concentration camps in the NDH. Its units included the Black Legion (Crna Legija), commanded by Jure Francetić and Rafael Boban, and the Ustaše Defence Brigades, commanded by Vjekoslav Luburić.
The Ustaše militia was created on 11 April 1941 when Marshal Slavko Kvaternik appointed a separate staff to control the various volunteer armed groups that had risen spontaneously throughout the NDH as the Yugoslav Army collapsed in the face of the Axis invasion. On 10 May 1941, Ante Pavelić issued a special order which detailed its formal organisation. However, some of the groups that formed early were irregular or "wild" Ustaše units that were not included in the formal organisation, which initially numbered 4,500. The number of irregular Ustaše across the NDH was reportedly as high as 25,000–30,000. Both formal and irregular units were soon involved in atrocities against Serbs, Jews, Gypsies, and all alleged and actual opponents of the Ustaše regime.
The militia consisted mostly of volunteers, and only 25% of the officer corps were professionally trained. Members were indoctrinated in Ustaše ideology and committed to defending Pavelić and the Ustaše regime. Whilst Pavelić was its titular commander-in-chief, he exercised no practical control over its military operations, as Ustaše formations and units in the field were placed under command of Home Guard or Axis forces.
The militia had a significant number of Muslims, although their numbers fell after mid-1943, and there were no Muslim militia leaders and few promoted to higher ranks. It also included the small Volksdeutsche militia (German: Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft, EDM), which was created in July 1941 and grew to 1,500 regular and 1,200 reserve troops by June 1942. The main task of the EDM was to protect German communities in Yugoslavia, mainly in Slavonia and Syrmia.
In August 1941, the Ustaše Surveillance Service (Ustaška nadzorna služba) was created to combat anti-Ustaše activities throughout the NDH. The Surveillance Service consisted of four elements: the Ustaše Police, Ustaše Intelligence Service, Ustaše Defence Brigades, and Personnel. The head of the Surveillance Service was appointed by and directly accountable to Pavelić.
In the first months after Independent State of Croatia has been established, most of Ustaše groups were not under centralized control: besides 4,500 regular Ustasha Corps troops, there were some 25,000-30,000 "Wild Ustasha" (hrv. "divlje ustaše"). The government-controlled press and the state officials encouraged these poorly organized and very aggressive groups to fight enemies of the regime. After mass crimes against Serb populace committed by Ustaše during the Summer months of 1941, the regime decided to blame all the atrocities to the irregular Ustaše - undisciplined, uncontrolled and paid for their service only with the booty; authorities even sentenced to death and executed publicly in August and September 1941 many of them for unauthorized killing and looting against Serbs and Gypsies. To put an end to Wild Ustasha uncontrolled activities, the central government used some 6,000 gendarmes and some 45.000 newly recruited members of "Domobranstvo" forces. In the rest of the war, some "village militias" (hrv. "seoske straže") composed of the Wild Ustaše remained.
Hub AI
Ustaše Militia AI simulator
(@Ustaše Militia_simulator)
Ustaše Militia
The Ustaše Militia (Croatian: Ustaška vojnica) was the military branch of the Ustaše, established by the fascist and genocidal regime of Ante Pavelić in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), an Axis puppet state established from a large part of occupied Yugoslavia during World War II.
The militia went through a series of re-organisations during its existence, expanding to include all armed elements of the NDH government outside of the Croatian Home Guard, Navy, and Air Force. It amalgamated with the Home Guard in December 1944 and January 1945 to form the Croatian Armed Forces (Hrvatske oružane snage, HOS), although the amalgamation did not result in a homogeneous organisation; former Ustaše militia officers dominated HOS's operations and held most command positions.
The Ustaše militia were responsible for some of the most egregious atrocities committed by the Ustaše regime during World War II, including playing a key role in the establishment and operation of about 20 concentration camps in the NDH. Its units included the Black Legion (Crna Legija), commanded by Jure Francetić and Rafael Boban, and the Ustaše Defence Brigades, commanded by Vjekoslav Luburić.
The Ustaše militia was created on 11 April 1941 when Marshal Slavko Kvaternik appointed a separate staff to control the various volunteer armed groups that had risen spontaneously throughout the NDH as the Yugoslav Army collapsed in the face of the Axis invasion. On 10 May 1941, Ante Pavelić issued a special order which detailed its formal organisation. However, some of the groups that formed early were irregular or "wild" Ustaše units that were not included in the formal organisation, which initially numbered 4,500. The number of irregular Ustaše across the NDH was reportedly as high as 25,000–30,000. Both formal and irregular units were soon involved in atrocities against Serbs, Jews, Gypsies, and all alleged and actual opponents of the Ustaše regime.
The militia consisted mostly of volunteers, and only 25% of the officer corps were professionally trained. Members were indoctrinated in Ustaše ideology and committed to defending Pavelić and the Ustaše regime. Whilst Pavelić was its titular commander-in-chief, he exercised no practical control over its military operations, as Ustaše formations and units in the field were placed under command of Home Guard or Axis forces.
The militia had a significant number of Muslims, although their numbers fell after mid-1943, and there were no Muslim militia leaders and few promoted to higher ranks. It also included the small Volksdeutsche militia (German: Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft, EDM), which was created in July 1941 and grew to 1,500 regular and 1,200 reserve troops by June 1942. The main task of the EDM was to protect German communities in Yugoslavia, mainly in Slavonia and Syrmia.
In August 1941, the Ustaše Surveillance Service (Ustaška nadzorna služba) was created to combat anti-Ustaše activities throughout the NDH. The Surveillance Service consisted of four elements: the Ustaše Police, Ustaše Intelligence Service, Ustaše Defence Brigades, and Personnel. The head of the Surveillance Service was appointed by and directly accountable to Pavelić.
In the first months after Independent State of Croatia has been established, most of Ustaše groups were not under centralized control: besides 4,500 regular Ustasha Corps troops, there were some 25,000-30,000 "Wild Ustasha" (hrv. "divlje ustaše"). The government-controlled press and the state officials encouraged these poorly organized and very aggressive groups to fight enemies of the regime. After mass crimes against Serb populace committed by Ustaše during the Summer months of 1941, the regime decided to blame all the atrocities to the irregular Ustaše - undisciplined, uncontrolled and paid for their service only with the booty; authorities even sentenced to death and executed publicly in August and September 1941 many of them for unauthorized killing and looting against Serbs and Gypsies. To put an end to Wild Ustasha uncontrolled activities, the central government used some 6,000 gendarmes and some 45.000 newly recruited members of "Domobranstvo" forces. In the rest of the war, some "village militias" (hrv. "seoske straže") composed of the Wild Ustaše remained.