Hrvatsko domobranstvo u Drugom svjetskom ratu

The author analyzes the political, military and social circumstances that led to the creation of the Home Guard, which represented an attempt to create a national army within the complex context of the German and Italian occupation and the influence of the Ustasha regime.

Košutić provides an overview of the structure and military hierarchy of the Home Guard, its relations with the Ustasha army, the German Wehrmacht and the Italian army, and the specifics of the battles in which they participated, most often against partisan units. Special attention is paid to the everyday life of soldiers, training, equipment and the morale within the units. The author also considers the political instrumentalization of the Home Guard, its position within the NDH and the fate of its members after the war, including mass incarcerations, liquidations and the Bleiburg Stations of the Cross.

Košutić strives to take an objective and scientific approach, with a critical review of the role of the Home Guard in the broader context of the war and political circumstances. The work contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of Croatian military history during World War II and offers valuable insight into an often neglected component of the military structures of the time.