The text is intended for informational and educational purposes only.
Introduction: A Paramilitary Formation Etched into History and Collective Memory
As Yugoslavia began to disintegrate in the early 1990s to the sound of sirens and explosions, its political and military landscape was flooded with new faces, formations, and ideologies. Among them, the Serbian Volunteer Guard (SVG) (or Arkan’s Tigres) stood out, seen by some as a heroic unit, and by others as a symbol of fear and controversy. At its helm was Željko Ražnatović Arkan, a man whose name evoked dread throughout the decade, and about whom much has been said and much remains unsaid.
Formation: How Did Arkan’s Tigers Come Into Being?
The Serbian Volunteer Guard (SVG) was established in 1990, just before the outbreak of open conflict in the former Yugoslavia. It was founded by a group of volunteers, primarily supporters of the Red Star Belgrade football club, with Arkan as their leader. Though it formally operated under the umbrella of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SNO) and the Serbian Volunteer Party, it quickly became Arkan’s personal paramilitary force.
The unit was headquartered at the “Železnik” Hotel in Belgrade, while training was conducted in camps across Serbia, and on the ground during combat operations. The name “Tigers” reflected Arkan’s fascination with the speed, strength, and instinct of the animal, and the SVG logo with a tiger and the Serbian tricolor became one of the most recognizable war symbols of the time.
Composition and Training: A Mix of Loyalty, Ideology, and the Criminal Underworld
The Guard was composed of volunteers from Serbia and other Serb-populated regions, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro. Some joined out of ideological or patriotic motives, while others sought power, status, or protection from the law. It is no secret that the SVG included former criminals in its ranks, which often led to public criticism and controversy, especially in the media. The exact number of members remains unclear, with estimates ranging from several hundred to as many as 10,000 highly trained professionals and fighters.
Training was rigorous, combining military tactics, physical conditioning, and absolute loyalty to Arkan. He ran the Guard like a private army, with a strict hierarchy and its own internal rules.
Role in the Wars: Where the Tigers Fought
The Serbian Volunteer Guard was active in nearly all major conflict zones of the former Yugoslavia, particularly in:
Croatia (Vukovar, Eastern Slavonia)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bijeljina, Zvornik, Brčko, Sarajevo)
Occasionally in Kosovo, during later phases of the conflict
Their operations focused on “cleansing” territories, securing towns, and fighting against HVO forces, the Bosnian Army, and Croatian units. The SVG often coordinated with the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and the Serbian Ministry of Interior, although it was not officially part of the regular military.
Numerous domestic and international reports linked the SVG to war crimes, especially during initial operations in Bosnia. Arkan denied these allegations, claiming the Guard was “disciplined and under command, unlike many others.”
Myth and Reality: Heroes, Criminals, or Something in Between?
The public perception of the Tigers remains sharply divided. Within Serbia, part of the narrative portrays the Guard as an elite unit defending the Serbian people where official forces were absent. Conversely, international institutions, journalists, and war reports often depict it as a lawless paramilitary group.
Symbolic moments included SVG members providing security during Arkan’s public appearances at stadiums, or gracing magazine covers with gold chains, camouflage uniforms, and weapons images that amplified both their aura of raw power and their notoriety for brutality.
Disbandment and Legacy: What Remains After the Tigers?
The Serbian Volunteer Guard was officially disbanded in 1996, as international pressure on Serbia intensified. Arkan withdrew from public life and was assassinated in 2000 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Belgrade, further cementing his mythic status in Serbian history.
Many former SVG members went on to join security, private, or criminal organizations. Some remained involved in later political and military developments, including the conflict in Kosovo.
The SVG’s legacy endures in documentaries, songs, books, and popular culture. Some call them “the last warriors of patriotism,” while others see them as an extension of the chaos that defined the 1990s.
The Guard as a Symbol of an Yugoslavia-Era
The “Serbian Volunteer Guard” was not a conventional unit. It was a paramilitary force led by a man who straddled the line between crime, patriotism, and ruthless strategy. Its role in the wars of the 1990s cannot be seen in black-and-white terms; it was both a product and a driver of the turmoil that engulfed the Balkans.
Regardless of where one stands on the historical spectrum, the Tigers and their story remain a significant, dark, and complex chapter of modern Serbian history. And Arkan? He remains an enigma leader to some, symbol of injustice to others, and to all, a figure who is impossible to forget.
For more articles on the history of the former Yugoslavia, click here.
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The text is intended for informational and educational purposes only.
