Croatia commemorates the first issue of the military journal 'Gardist

Mladen Pavković reflects on the historical significance of 'Gardist', the first authentic Croatian military journal, which published its first issue on October 25, 1991. Created during the Croatian War of Independence by the 117th Koprivnica-Križevci Brigade, the publication was produced under conditions of extreme uncertainty and danger.

Due to a lack of collaborators and the prevailing atmosphere of fear, Pavković served as the editor-in-chief and wrote nearly all the texts for the inaugural issue himself. The journal was printed at the Podravka printing house in Koprivnica. General Ivan Tolj, who headed military promotion for the Croatian Ministry of Defense at the time, noted that 'Gardist' played an invaluable role in boosting the morale of Croatian soldiers and spreading the truth about the struggle for independence during a period of information darkness.