Communists Devastated HOS Monument in Split

[Domobran7]

Communists Devastated HOS Monument in Split

Monument to the IX Battalion of Croatian Defense Forces (HOS) in Split was devastated during the night from 20th onto 21st October 2023 by an unknown individual. The person removed the part of the …

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Monument to the IX Battalion of Croatian Defense Forces (HOS) in Split was devastated during the night from 20th onto 21st October 2023 by an unknown individual. The person removed the part of the monument where slogan “Za Dom Spremni” (“For Home Ready”) was written. This act was immediately condemned by the Domovinski Pokret (“Homeland Movement”) of the Split-Dalmatian Region.

The Association of the IX Battalion of HOS made a statement, reading as follows:

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[A Person]

The person removed the part of the monument where slogan “Za Dom Spremni” (“For Home Ready”) was written.

The HOS shouldn't have recycled the Ustashe symbols, including this phrase.

 

[Domobran7]

The HOS shouldn't have recycled the Ustashe symbols, including this phrase.

It is not even clear if that phrase is even of the Ustashi origin. Phrase "Za Dom", albeit without the response "spremni", had been used for centuries in Croatia. During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Croatian Peasants' Party - which by the way was very hostile to the Ustashe - used za dom, za hrvatski seljački dom - spremni! Ustashi certainly did use the phrase, but they also used the phrase "Bog i Hrvati", so...

During Yugoslavia the historic Croatian coat of arms was considered "Ustashi symbol" merely because it was used by the Ustashi. Today they had "merely" reduced it to coat of arms with the first white field, which is still BS. So even without the above, the question whether "Za Dom Spremni" is really "Ustashi symbol" or not is not exactly clear. Unlike Nazis, Ustashi never made up anything wholesale. They merely used things that had already been in use in Croatian culture.

At any rate, if - as is often claimed - Ustashi using the coat of arms with first white field can somehow sully it, then HOS using Ustashi symbolism should have cleaned it. Also, Croatia was at the time being attacked by Chetniks, so saying that HOS "shouldn't have recycled the Ustashe symbols" is simply dumb take. That is like saying Ukraine shouldn't have recycled the Black Sun for Azov, or that French soldiers in Mali shouldn't have been using skull masks.

 

[A Person]

Also, Croatia was at the time being attacked by Chetniks

Yeah, it is true that far-right groups are usually the first to react when the nation is attacked. After all, external aggression vindicates their ideology. In Croatia like in Ukraine, this has prompted the government to integrate the group into the regular armed forces to get them under control and try to limit the damage to the country's reputation.

That is like saying Ukraine shouldn't have recycled the Black Sun for Azov,

Yeah, they shouldn't have. Especially the Black Sun as this one cannot be argued to have a history from before the Nazis. Ukraine still needs to defend itself against allegations of nazism, as pro-Russian influencers love to use that to erode support for Ukraine in the West.

or that French soldiers in Mali shouldn't have been using skull masks.

That soldier was disciplined for this, so yeah, he shouldn't have, either.

 

[Domobran7]

Yeah, it is true that far-right groups are usually the first to react when the nation is attacked. After all, external aggression vindicates their ideology. In Croatia like in Ukraine, this has prompted the government to integrate the group into the regular armed forces to get them under control and try to limit the damage to the country's reputation.

Yeah, they shouldn't have. Especially the Black Sun as this one cannot be argued to have a history from before the Nazis. Ukraine still needs to defend itself against allegations of nazism, as pro-Russian influencers love to use that to erode support for Ukraine in the West.

That soldier was disciplined for this, so yeah, he shouldn't have, either.

I guess you have to balance the emotional charge, defiance and practicality. I mean, during the Homeland War, attitude at the front was basically "they consider us the Ustashi anyway, so why the hell not". HOS intentionally used Ustashi symbolism (all-black uniforms reminiscent of the Black Legion, some of the ranks, and so on) partly as defiance and partly as psychological warfare, but things like "Za dom spremni" and Ustashi songs ("Evo zore, evo dana, evo Jure i Bobana") were widespread among the regular troops as well. Chetniks' goal was to murder us all anyway, so why care what they think?

Whether you consider it bad idea or not however, fact remains that "Za dom spremni" is element of the official insignia of (originally paramilitary, but then legalized and regulated) Croatian military formation from the Homeland War. So when used in that specific context at least, it cannot (or at least should not) be considered illegal, "hate speech" or whatever.