Tihomir Orlić
Tihomir Orlić | |
|---|---|
 Orlić in 2012 | |
| Born | 13 September 1952 Ghinnari, Scitaria |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Syara (1978-1983)  Syara (1988-2012) |
| Service/ | Army of the Syaran Republic Syaran National Army |
| Years of service | 1978 - 2012 |
| Rank | Colonel General |
| Unit | 10th Army |
| Battles/wars | Refusal War Zemplen War |
| Awards | see below |
Tihomir Orlić is a Syaran former general best known for commanding 10th Army during the Zemplen War.
An ethnic Scitarian, Orlić joined the Army of the Syaran Republic in 1978 only to defect five years later to the Wardens during the Refusal War. Following the war Orlić was commissioned into the Syaran National Army as a Lt. Colonel, and was promoted to Colonel in 1996. In 2001 he was promoted to Brigaider General and then to Major General in 2004, before being given Lt. General in 2007. Following the outbreak of the Zemplen War Orlić was given command of the recently mobilized 10th Army, which played a supporting role during the August Offensive. It was then assigned to Army Group Gamma for Operation Aspis where it was tasked with capturing the fortress city of Albertirsa, where it suffered heavy losses. Orlić then pressed 10th Army to push towards Aszód, but was halted by the Ruvelkan Winter Counter-Offensive. In the spring 10th Army played a major role in Operation Synaspismos, where it badly mauled the Ruvelkan Fifth Army. Despite its success 10th Army was unable to capture the city of Aszód, settling for a protracted siege instead. 10th Army then played a supporting role in Operation Sagaris, before a general halt to major offensive operations was called. 10th Army spent much of the remainder of the conflict dealing with raids by Ruvelkan Imperial Fusiliers from Mansuriyyah and maintaining pressure on Aszód. During Operation HomefrontOrlić attempted to have 10th Army reinforce the rest of the Army Group but was forced to fall back into Hayreniky. He retired from service in 2012.
Orlić's reputation as a commander has often been overshadowed by his notoriously poor working relationship with his peers, subordinates, and superiors. Known for having a fiery temper and limited patience, Orlić's constant issues with his fellow officers led to highly dysfunctional command structure that came under heavy criticism after the war. He had a noticably poor relationship with his subordinate Lt. General Zaharinka Mitrovska, whom he tried to relieve several times but was averted Army Group Beta's commander Field Marshal Daniel Mladenov Todorov. He got along poorly with his 5th Army counterpart Colonel GeneralKakig Torossian, whom he clashed with frequently and blamed for Syara's defeat in Operation Sagaris. An aggressive commander, his success during Operation Synaspismos often stood in contrast to his difficulty in tackling fortified defenses, as during the fighting for Albertirsa where he often times ordered costly frontal assaults that devolved into bloody urban fighting. Orlić's unpopularity with his peers is often cited as the main reason he was "encouraged" to retire in the aftermath of the Zemplen War.