an Allied Coalition in Teheran conference of 1943. As ever more people joined their ranks, NOVJ guerilla warfare evolved into a full-fledged army – Jugoslavenska Armija (JA) by 1945. On the other hand, by 1944, NDH authorities were forced to merge their Ustaše militia with their regular Homeguard units into Croatian Armed Forces (HOS). As war came to its end in Spring 1945, remnants of HOS units with Ustaša government pulled out towards the Austrian border to surrender to the Allies, however British who awaited them there insisted for HOS to surrender to JA. After the surrender, the HOS members along with many civilians who accompanied them were massacred in Bleiburg rapatriations. Battles of World War II: Invasion of Yugoslavia (1941) Battle of Stalingrad (1942) Battle of Neretva (1943) Battle of Sutjeska (1943) Battle on Lijevča field (1945) Battle of Sarajevo (1945) Battle of Odžak (1945) Cold War Trieste Crisis United Nations Emergency Force Croatian War of Independence In 1991, as Croatia proclaimed its intependance, tensions between new Croatian government on one side and Croatian Serbs militia backed by Yugoslav federal army (JNA) on the other escalated into Croatian War of Independance. With Croatian Territorial Defense (TO) weapons being locked by the Federal Army, Croatia saw urgent need to form its own armed forces. They did it by expanding its police force and then forming Croatian National Guard (ZNG) subordinated to newly formed Ministry of Defense. In September 1991, Croatian National Guard and Police blocked Yugoslav Federal Army's barracks throughout Croatia and in Battle of Barracks succesfuly forced JNA to withdraw from most of Croatia. By doing this Croatians succesfuly managed to get their hands on heavy weapons and most of its TO arsenal, especially after the capture of Varaždin barracks. In September 1991, Croatia also formed its general staff. Croatian troops at a time despite being well motivated, were just a "loosely organized and hastly trained" light infantry force supported with limited number ot tanks and artillery. On 3 November 1991 ZNG was formally renamed to Croatian Army (HV) Nonetheless, after succesfuly defending Croatia in 1991, Croatians continued to improve their army in following years by creating their own doctrine, military culture and professional troops with the main aim of retaking self proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina, a separatist proto-state. In 1992, HV established officers school for platoon and company commanders, as well as command/staff school for staff officers