Crusaders (guerrilla)
| Crusaders | |
|---|---|
| Leader(s) | Vjekoslav Luburić |
| Dates of operation | 8 May 1945–1950 (small remnants were active until the mid 1960s) |
| Motives | Reestablishment of the Croatian state |
| Active region(s) |
 SR Croatia SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
| Ideology |
Croatian nationalism Anticommunism |
| Status | Dissolved |
| Size | Around 2,000 |
Crusaders (Croatian: Križari, also known as Škripari) were a Croatian anti-communist guerrilla army. Their activities started after the capitulation of the Independent State of Croatia, which was at the time a Nazi puppet state, in May 1945, toward the end of World War II. The Crusaders' activity ended in 1950.
The leadership of the Independent State of Croatia was preparing for the impending major battles against the Yugoslav Partisans who were in 1944 reinforced by the Red Army. They wanted to establish a front on the Varaždin-Koprivnica-Sisak-Petrinja-Karlovac line. They also wanted to establish a guerrilla army that would fight behind the front lines. This guerrilla force would also, if necessary, fight the British, Americans and Soviets. During the penultimate meeting of the Main Ustaše Headquarters it was discussed whether a guerrilla army should be created, and if so, how this army would fight. A plan for moving the Croatian Army through Bosnia was already accepted when Ante Pavelić ordered the army's retreat to Slovenia (at the time in the British occupation zone).
Preparations for guerilla warfare began in 1943 when the Germans formed the Jagdverbände. These formations used the same tactics as the guerrillas who fought against them. Staff jobs, that is planning, logistic, technical work and training were performed by German army experts, while the Ustaše provided the manpower. The guerilla units were named S-Units (S Skupine). Due to the Italian capitulation the plan was implemented in 1944, and in 1945 the plan included the whole of what was then Croatian territory. Croatian guerilla actions against Yugoslav Partisans weren't notable during the war but they influenced post-war guerilla combat. Notable people who worked with the S-Units were Vjekoslav Luburić, Ljubo Miloš and Dinko Šakić.
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