Pro-Government Militias
Chetniks (Yugoslavia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 386 |
| Country: | Yugoslavia |
| Date formed: | June 18, 1990 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | On 18 June 1990, Šešelj organized the Serbian Chetnik Movement (SČP). It was not permitted official registration, due to its obvious Chetnik links. Serbian President Slobodan Milošević contributed to launching the Chetnik insurrection from 1990s onwards. (Wikipedia) |
| Date dissolved: | Oct. 8, 2000 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The Chetniks were active until late 1995. There is no evidence of Chetnik operations afterwards. As the Chetniks were linked to Milosevic and the SRS party (via Seselj) it became anti-government after Milosevic and the SRS party lost their influence on government in late 2000. |
| Termination Type(s): | change in government |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no information | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | Serbian Radical Party |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | nationalist |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | ethnic |
| Location: | None |
| Force Strength: | [7000, 30000] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Croats (Yugoslavia); Bosniaks/Muslims (Yugoslavia) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Serbs (Yugoslavia) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Like the Beli Orlovi/White Eagles, the Chetniks had links to the SRS party and their leader Seselj. There are also Chetnik paramilitary who operated under different command, which distinguishes them from the Beli Orlovi PGM. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the Chetniks was to expel non-Serbs from what Milosevic considered Greater Serbia (Wikipedia). The Chetniks were useful to Milosevic as they intimidated and silenced his opposition. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Chetniks engaged in mass murders and war crimes (Wikipedia). It is not clear, however, how many of Chetnik atrocities were actually committed on Serbian ground (and be therefore considered a PGM action). The majority of Chetnik crimes were committed in former Yugoslav republics. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Members were volunteers, recruited by Seselj in Serbia and Montenegro (Wikipedia). Chetnik members were encouraged by Mr Seselj in fanatical speeches. They were described as dedicated to purifying the Serb race. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The Chetnik group Serb Volunteer Guard (SDG) led by Željko Ražnatović had between 1,000 and 1,500 men. Seselj himself recruited volunteers, which he sent as Chetniks abroad; these numbered around 5,000 men in Croatia and up to 30,000 men in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Wikipedia). News sources speak of 7,000 to 30,000 men led by Seselj. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The SRS’s Chetniks received weaponry from the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and Serbian police (Wikipedia). According to news sources, Chetniks have guns and automatic pistols. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic contributed to launching the Chetnik insurrection and funding the movement. Chetnik paramilitary groups were linked to so-called Chetnik parties. The first was the Serbian National Renewal (SNO), founded by Seselj, Draskovic and Jovic. IN March 1990, Draskovic and Seselj formed a separate Chetnik party, the Serbian Renewal Movmeent (SPO). On June 18, 1990 Seselj created the Serbian Chetnik Movement (SCP),which merged with the Naitonal Radical Party (NRS) in 1991, forming the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) with Seselj as president. According to Seselj, the Chetniks acted within the marks of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and the Serbian police. Another Chetnik movement was the Serb Volunteer Guard, established in October 1990 by Raznatovic; this particular Chetnik movement was connected to the Serbian Ministry of Interior, operated under JNA command and reported directly to Milosevic. They received instructions from the Yugoslav Counterintelligence Service. (Wikipedia) |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.