HOME GUARDS

(DOMOBRANCI)

Home Guards translated in Slovenian Domobranci, people from villages who were defending their homes from the Partisan atrocities. It was an army well trained, believing in their cause.  At their peak in 1944 they were numbered more then 12,000 solders. The army actually evolved from three different groups. At the very beginning of struggle against the communist led partisans, in the spring of 1942, the young people in villages established Village Guards to defend their farms from the attacks of partisans. These village defenses were organized by the Italian occupational forces, however they operated independently in their villages.