Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina
Encyclopedia
The Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina (TORBIH) were the first official armed forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 at the beginning of the Bosnian war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...

. Which eventually transformed into the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...

.

History

Teritorijalna odbrana (TO) was the name of a special force in the former Jugoslavian Army. The TO was organized in their respective country with a separate command that of the JNA. The TO was a Civilian Home Guard, roughly like a paramilitary or a reserve military force. The regions of the TO were in charge of mobilization with the help of the local population.

TORBIH in Bosnia

The TO was the official army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the separate Bosnian military forces formed by Sefer Halilović
Sefer Halilovic
Sefer Halilović is a former general and commanding officer of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2001, he was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and eventually acquitted...

 the Patriotic League
Patriotic League
The Patriotic League was the first military unit of Territorial Defence Force of the Republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina formed after the Bosnian Territorial Defense Forces were gained by the SDS party.- History :...

 (PL). The TO, from 1991 to April 1992, absorbed all units of the PL and districts military formations into the TO, which was eventually transformed at the end of May 1992 into the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...

.

Organization

The TO was organized into 7 regions (two refused to join the TORBIH), each controlling about 12 districts (totaling 73 districts, 36 refused to join). On April 15, 1992 all PL units joined the TORBIH.

At the end of April 1992, the TO was reorganized into 4 regions (Bihać, Sarajevo, Tuzla and Zenica) and two tactical groups that controlled TO, PL and newly formed brigades. The Sarajevo TO was transformed in the general headquarters. There were soon 26 brigades (named after districts).

On 20 May 1992 the TORBIH was renamed The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was the military force of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina established by the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 following the outbreak of the Bosnian War...

.

April 1992-May 1992

TORBIH GHQ, Sarajevo
  • Colonel Hasan Efendić (Commander of the TORBIH)
  • Colonel Stjepan Šiber
    Stjepan Šiber
    Stjepan Šiber was a war time general of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After finishing high school in Gradacac, he went to Ljubljana where he finished schooling at the military academy. Afterward, he became an officer in the Yugoslav People's Army. By 1992, he had become a...

     (Chief of Staff)
  • Colonel Jovan Divjak
    Jovan Divjak
    Jovan Divjak was a Bosnian general in the Bosnian army during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War. He was the deputy commander of the Main Staff until 1994. Although he was born to Serbian parents, he is a self-declared Bosnian.-Early life and military career:He was born in Belgrade to Serbian parents...

    (Deputy chief of Staff)

March 1991 - March 1992

Independent detachments throughout Bosnia all under the control of the TORBiH.
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