Serbian Paramilitary
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Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n
paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
units and formations throughout history. It includes Serbian volunteer militias loyal to the Habsburg Monarchy prior to Serbian independence, and organizations loyal to Serbia since. Note that many of the organizations either started out or ended up folded into official military organizations. These are distinct from institutions with formal status and a direct leadership structure under a nation-state, examples being the
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
era
First Serbian Division The First Serbian Volunteer Division ( sr, Srpski dobrovoljački korpus, italics=yes) or First Serbian Division, was a military formation of the First World War, created by Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pašić, and organised in the city of Odes ...
and the post-2006 modern
Serbian Army The Serbian Army ( sr-cyr, Копнена војска Србије, Kopnena vojska Srbije, lit=Serbian Land Army) is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. History Originally established in 1830 as the Army of Pr ...
, which do not belong on this list.


Organizations created before World War I

*
Serbian Militia The Serbian (Rascian) Militia ( lat, Rascianica militia; sr, Рашка Милиција or ) was a military unit of the Habsburg-Austrian army consisting of Serbs, that existed in ca. 1686–1704. During the Great Turkish War (1686–99) Af ...
, Habsburg militia, active in the
Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...
(1683–1699) *
Serbian Militia The Serbian (Rascian) Militia ( lat, Rascianica militia; sr, Рашка Милиција or ) was a military unit of the Habsburg-Austrian army consisting of Serbs, that existed in ca. 1686–1704. During the Great Turkish War (1686–99) Af ...
, Habsburg militia, active in the
Kingdom of Serbia (1718–39) The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Sin ...
*
Serbian Free Corps The Serbian Free Corps (german: Serbische Freikorps), known simply as ''frajkori'' ( sr-cyr, фрајкори), was a volunteer militia composed of ethnic Serbs, established by the Habsburg monarchy, to fight the Ottoman Empire during the Austro-T ...
, Habsburg militia, active in the
Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791) The term Austro-Turkish War may refer to: * Austro-Turkish War (1593–1606) * Austro-Turkish War (1663–1664) * Austro-Turkish War (1683–1699) * Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) * Austro-Turkish War (1737–1739) * Austro-Turkish War (1788–17 ...
*
Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( sr, Српска револуција / ''Srpska revolucija'') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Ottoman prov ...
ary Army, active in the Serbian Uprisings (1804–1817) * Komiti, anti-Ottoman rebels, active in the late 19th century *
Serbian Chetnik Organization Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation) ...
, anti-Ottoman rebels, active in Old Serbia and Macedonia (1903–08)


Balkan Wars and World War I

*
Serbian Chetnik Organization Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also * * * Old Serbian (disambiguation) ...
, put under the command of the
Royal Serbian Army The Army of the Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Војска Краљевине Србије, Vojska Kraljevine Srbije), known in English language, English as the Royal Serbian Army, was the army of the Kingdom of Serbia that existed between 1882 a ...
in the Balkan Wars and World War I. **
Association against Bulgarian Bandits The Association against Bulgarian Bandits ( sr, Удружење против бугарских бандита / Udruženje protiv bugarskih bandita) was a paramilitary organization based in Štip, then in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Sloven ...
, counter-terrorist unit in Macedonia in the Interwar period *
Black Hand Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to: Extortionists and underground groups * Black Hand (anarchism) (''La Mano Negra''), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based in the Andalusian region of Spain during the early 1880s * Black Hand (e ...
, secret society responsible for the assassination of Austrian Crownprince, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. **
Narodna Odbrana Narodna Odbrana ( sr-cyr, Народна одбрана, literally, "The People's Defence" or "National Defence") was a Serbian nationalist organization established on October 8, 1908 as a reaction to the Austro-Hungarian annexation of Bosnia and ...
, militant group closely tied to the Black Hand that committed war crimes in Macedonia during the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars The ''Report of the International Commission to Inquire into the Causes and Conduct of the Balkan Wars'' is a document published in Washington D.C. in 1914 by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The International Commission consisted ...
(p. 169)
**
Young Bosnia Young Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Mlada Bosna, Млада Босна) was a separatist and revolutionary movement active in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria-Hungary before World War I. Its members were predominantly ...
, militant group closely tied to the Black Hand that directly carried out the assassination * White Hand, a secret military organization in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia). It was established in order to counter the influence of the Black Hand, and relied on the People's Radical Party.


World War II

*Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army (
Chetniks The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
) **
Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment The Lim-Sandžak Chetnik Detachment ( sr, Лимско—Санџачки Четнички Одред) was a military unit of Chetniks that was established in northern Montenegro and Sandžak at the end of June 1942, during World War II. In Augus ...
**
Dinara Division The Dinara Division ( sr, Динарска дивизија / Dinarska divizija) was an irregular Chetnik formation that existed during the World War II Axis occupation of Yugoslavia that largely operated as auxiliaries of the occupying forces an ...
*
Pećanac Chetniks During World War II, Pećanac Chetniks, also known as the Black Chetniks, were a collaborationist Chetnik irregular military force which operated in the German-occupied territory of Serbia under the leadership of '' vojvoda'' Kosta Pećana ...
* Serbian Volunteer Corps


Yugoslav Wars

*
Kninjas The Kninjas ( sr, Книнџе / Knindže), also known as the Red Berets (), was a Serb paramilitary unit, a volunteer militia supporting the Army of the Republic of Serb Krajina in the Croatian War (1991–95). It was based in Knin, the capital ...
(''Knindže''), Serbian volunteer organization commanded by
Dragan Vasiljković Dragan Vasiljković ( sr-cyrl, Драган Васиљковић; born 12 December 1954), nicknamed Captain Dragan ( sr, Капетан Драган, Kapetan Dragan) is a convicted war criminal and the former commander of a Serb paramilitary unit ...
, active in Croatia. *
Serb Volunteer Guard The Serb Volunteer Guard ( sr, Српска добровољачка гарда, СДГ / ''Srpska dobrovoljačka garda'', SDG), also known as Arkan's Tigers (or only Tigers; sr, Арканови тигрови, links=no / ''arkanovi tigrovi'', ...
(''Srpska dobrovoljačka garda''), also known as "
Arkan Željko Ražnatović (, ; 17 April 1952 – 15 January 2000), better known as Arkan (), was a Serbian mobster, politician, sports administrator, paramilitary commander and head of the Serb paramilitary force called the Serb Volunteer Guard duri ...
's Tigers", Serbian volunteer organization, active in Croatia and Bosnia. *
Serbian Guard The Serbian Guard ( sr, Српска гарда / ''Srpska garda'') was a Serbian paramilitary active in the Croatian War with close ties to the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO). Eighty percent of the guard's members were members of the SPO. Th ...
(''Srpska garda''), Serbian volunteer organization, armed wing of the
Serbian Renewal Movement The Serbian Renewal Movement ( sr-cyrl, Српски покрет обнове, Srpski pokret obnove, SPO) is a liberal and monarchist political party in Serbia. History The Serbian Renewal Movement party was founded in 1990 through the merger ...
, active in Croatia in 1991. * White Eagles (''Beli orlovi''), also known as " Šešeljevci",The policy of ethnic cleansing (Final report of the United Nations Commission of Experts)
Serbian volunteer organization, armed wing of the
Serbian Radical Party The Serbian Radical Party ( sr-cyrl, Српска радикална странка, Srpska radikalna stranka, ''SRS'') is an ultranationalist political party in Serbia. It was founded in 1991, and its founder and current leader is Vojislav Še ...
, active in Bosnia and Croatia. *
Wolves of Vučjak Wolves of Vučjak ( sr, Вукови с Вучјака, Vukovi s Vučjaka) was a paramilitary unit active in the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War. It was established in Prnjavor, Bosnia and Herzegovina. They were active in figh ...
(''Vukovi s Vučjaka''), Bosnian Serb organization, active in Bosnia and Croatia between 1991 and 1993. *
Yellow Wasps The Yellow Wasps ( sr, Жуте осе / ''Žute ose'') were a Serbian paramilitary group which was active in the Bosnian War. It was headed by Vojin Vučković and Dušan Repić. The group was active in the Zvornik region. Vojin and his brother D ...
(''Žute ose''), Bosnian Serb organization, active in Bosnian Podrinje between April and October 1992. *
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
(''Škorpioni''), Serb organization, active in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. * (''Srpski sokolovi''), led by *
Greek Volunteer Guard The Greek Volunteer Guard ( sr, Грчка Добровољачка Гарда ''Grčka Dobrovoljačka Garda''; gr, Ελληνική Εθελοντική Φρουρά ''Elliniki Ethelodiki Froura'') was a unit of Greek volunteers that fought in ...
, Greek volunteer organization under the
Army of Republika Srpska The Army of Republika Srpska ( sr, Војска Републике Српске/Vojska Republike Srpske; ВРС/VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska (RS), the self-proclaimed Serb ...
, active in Bosnia and Croatia. *
Jackals Jackals are medium-sized canids native to Africa and Eurasia. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many canines of the subtribe canina, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed ...
(''Šakali''), active in Kosovo in 1999.


Current

* Serbian Honour


See also

*
Chetniks The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationa ...
, a disorganized set of militant groups associated with both World Wars and later conflicts *
Far-right politics in Serbia Far-right politics in Serbia emerged shortly before the break-up of Yugoslavia and has been present ever since. Its manifestation mostly focuses on national and religious factors. After the World War I, the far-right in Yugoslavia received lit ...
* History of modern Serbia *
Serbian hajduks The Serbian hajduks ( sr, хајдуци / ''hajduci'') were brigands (bandits) and guerrilla freedom fighters ( rebels) throughout Ottoman-held Balkans, mainly in Serbia, organized into bands headed by a ''harambaša'' ("bandit leader"), who d ...
*
Serbian Volunteers (disambiguation) Terms such as Serbian Volunteers (Srp: Srpska dobrovoljačka), Serbian Volunteer Corps, Serbian Volunteer Division, Serbian Volunteer Force, Serbian Volunteer Guard, Serbian Volunteer Military, et cetera may refer to: * Serbian Militia, a militia f ...
*
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
, anti-Nazi forces including Serbs among other ethnicities


References


External links

* Paramilitary formations * {{Serbia-hist-stub