In the absence of law and order, chaos reigns. This is doubly true in the aftermath of conflict. With the departure of the Austro-Hungarian forces from the lands of Slavonia, Bosnia, and Syrmia – areas all relatively far from infrastructure and have fallen victim to roving bands of brigands and murders. In Syrmia, Croatian Austro-Hungarian deserters known as the “Green cadres” have taken to plundering settlements and extorting the locals. By the end of the war, these numbered 50,000 who claimed they were acting on the orders of Svetozar Boroević as stay-behind pillagers, but even now, a year later, several hundred maintain their reign of terror along the roads going from Belgrade to Zagreb.

In Bosnia, prisoners of war that were released after Brest-Litovsk also formed bands of rebels. These were of particular concern to our state as many of them had seen the Revolution in Russia firsthand and were, therefore, radicalized and particularly dangerous. Though less organized, these bandits jeopardize the already fragile livelihood that is build built in the peasant villages of Bosnia and, before we can quash them, it will be difficult for us to attempt any major development of the region.

In addition to this, the problem of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization also looms on the horizon, though those terrorists will require a more heavy hand and will be addressed shortly after the formation of the Kingdom. For now, it is ensuring that the transit of goods and people between the capital and our second largest city can proceed unmolested.

25,000 troops under the command of Brigadier General Kosta Antonović were given the task of enforcing the law in Syrmia and Slavonia, with the support of Brigadier General Milan Atanacković’s forces out of Osijek. 15,000 troops under the Brigadier General Blažo Djukanović, experienced with putting down the Christmas Rebellion earlier this year and Brigadier General Dušan Dodić will deal with the Bosnian radicals. Both operations were coordinated by the personal adjunct to the Prince Regent, Divisional General Jevrem Damjanović.

The general policy toward the bandits was the following: Austro-Hungarian deserters, in having deserted from the occupier’s forces, are to be given the opportunity for amnesty, and demobilization, with their weapons being confiscated and prison sentences only for those that can be confirmed to have committed crimes. As to the bandits in Bosnia, any affiliation to socialist or anarchist groups was to be warrant for arrest, and forces were instructed to be less understanding after their initial offers of amnesty.