Croatian Defence Forces
| Croatian Defence Forces Hrvatske obrambene snage | |
|---|---|
 Patch of the Croatian Defence Forces | |
| Active | 22 January 1991 – 5 April 1993 |
| Disbanded | September 1991 (Croatia) 21 August 1992 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
| Country |  Croatia Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Allegiance |  Croatian Party of Rights |
| Branch | Paramilitary Army |
| Role | Guerrilla warfare Urban warfare Patrolling Security operations Counterinsurgency |
| Size | 8,000 – 24,000 |
| Headquarters | Zagreb, Croatia Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Nickname | Blacks (Crnci) |
| Motto | Za dom spremni |
| Colors | Black |
| March | Himna HOS-a |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Political Leader | Dobroslav Paraga |
| 1st Chief of Staff | Ante Paradžik |
| 2nd Chief of Staff | Blaž Kraljević |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
The Croatian Defence Forces (Croatian: Hrvatske obrambene snage, HOS) were the paramilitary arm of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) from 1991 to 1992, during the first stages of the Yugoslav Wars. During the Croatian War of Independence, the HOS organised several early companies and participated in Croatia's defence. At the peak of the war in Croatia, the HOS was several battalions in size. The first HOS units were headed by Ante Paradžik, an HSP member who was killed by a group of Croatian police officers at a checkpoint near the Ministry of Internal Affairs building in September 1991. After the November 1991 general mobilisation in Croatia and the January 1992 cease-fire, the majority of the HOS was absorbed by the Croatian Army.
The HOS units in Bosnia and Herzegovina consisted of Croats, Bosniaks and foreign volunteers led by Blaž Kraljević. On 9 August 1992, Kraljević and eight staff members were assassinated by soldiers of the Croatian Defence Council under the command of Mladen Naletilić Tuta. Following the assassination, the HVO forcibly dismantled the HOS command structure. The remaining HOS units were subsequently absorbed into the HVO or the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) as the Croat-Bosniak War intensified, with the final HOS unit officially dissolving on 5 April 1993 in central Bosnia.