Territorial Defense (Yugoslavia)

The Territorial Defense (Serbo-Croatian: Територијална Oдбрана, Teritorijalna odbrana; TO for short)^[a] was the gendarmerie and military reserve force component of the armed forces of Yugoslavia that was the primary means of organized armed resistance against an enemy under the Constitution of Yugoslavia. Similar to the U.S. National Guard, each of the Yugoslav constituent republics had its own Territorial Defense military formations, to remain separate from the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), which also maintained its own reserve forces and could take command of Territorial Defense in case of war. This would be done under the command of the Presidency of Yugoslavia as Supreme Commander of Armed Forces through the Minister of Defense, who was the highest military rank that could command both Yugoslav People's Army and Territorial Defense simultaneously under the constitution. While the President of Yugoslavia was in function he was under constitution supreme commander of armed forces, including the JNA and TO, and he could also pass duties as supreme commander to minister of defense.