"Oj Slavonci, oj Hrvati" ("Oh Slavonians, oh Croats") - with English subtitles.
During first World War Croats mostly fought on the Serbian battlefield and in Galicia (against Russia) and Soča (against Italy), although a smaller number of Croats participated in battles on other battlefields as well.
Some Croats also participated on the side of the Entente: Croatian volunteers from overseas countries (primarily from the USA) and prisoners of war or fugitives from the Austro-Hungarian army.
Croatia suffered huge human and economic losses during the war, which were increased even more by the Spanish flu at the end of the war.
Although they represented less than 10% of the population of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Croats made up 13-14% of the soldiers in the entire army.
The total Croatian military losses in the war most likely amounted to around 190,000 people, while data of 137,000 military and 109,000 civilian victims are also given.
In the circumstances of the collapse of the Dual Monarchy and the powerlessness and insecurity at the very end of the war, the Croatian Parliament proclaimed on October 29, 1918, the secession and accession of the State of the SHS, which soon united with Serbia in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
Such a development of events led to the neglect of the war in the historiography and collective consciousness in Croatia until recently.
From July 1918, individual Croatian units also fought on the western front as part of the XVIII. corps: the 31st fighter battalion, two squadrons of the 10th hussar home defense regiment and artillery units in the Battle of Verdun.
Croatian artillerymen also fought as part of the Austro-Hungarian battalions in Sinai and in Palestine as an aid to the Turkish forces.
The complexity of the administrative dismemberment of the Croatian countries was also reflected in the military organization, so that conscripts from the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia fought as part of the XIII. corps of the Joint Army and the 42nd Home Guard Infantry Division of the Royal Croatian Home Guard.
Soldiers from the Kingdom of Dalmatia filled the 22nd c. and cr. regiment, Zadar 23rd c. and cr. Home Guard Regiment, Dubrovnik 37th c. and cr. the Home Guard Regiment and the elite unit of the Dalmatian Ground Archers. Istrians served in the 5th c. and cr. Home Guard Regiment and 87th c. and cr. regiments, and Međimurci in the 20th kr. ug. Home Guard Regiment and 48th c. and cr. regimental. In addition, Dalmatians and Istrians were also recruited by the Austro-Hungarian navy.
At the beginning of the war in the summer of 1914, the Zagreb XIII. corps (including the 42nd Home Division) as part of the 5th Army and the Dalmatian-Herzegovina XVI Corps as part of the 6th Army were sent to Serbia, while the Istrian and Međimurje units were sent to Galicia.
Already on May 23, 1915, the XVI Corps was transferred from Serbia to the newly opened Italian front, where it remained until the end of the war.
The intention of the General Staff was clear - the Croats from Dalmatia had a special motive in the fight against Italy, because they were directly threatened by Italian plans to occupy the eastern coast of the Adriatic.
On February 27, 1918, the Zagreb XIII was also transferred to the battlefield on Soča. corps, where he remains until the end of the war.
At the end of the war, the 84th Home Guard Brigade held a defensive position near Monte Groggio, and the 83rd Brigade was in reserve near Belluno.
On October 22, 1918, the 83rd Brigade refused to replace the 84th Brigade in the position of replacement, which was the signal for the mass cancellation of the disobedience of the other nations in the Austro-Hungarian army.
Resigning on the 30th/31st.
October from Monte Groggie, the 84th brigade entered Pusterija near Brunico and, together with the 83rd brigade, was transported via Carinthia to the homeland.
Captured Croats on the Italian and Galician battlefields often ended up in the so-called to the Yugoslav Legion, where they continued to fight on the Thessaloniki front.
Among them were the future cardinal, Blessed Alojzije Stepinac and the future ban of Banovina Hrvatska, Ivan Šubašić, as well as the composer Ivo Tijardović and many others.
Respect to all fallen soldiers from all sides, especially our, Croatian, and other Slavic soldiers, may it never happen again.
7 дек 2022
