Aleksandar Čorić
Aleksandar Čorić | |
|---|---|
 Čorić in 2006 | |
| Born | 2 November 1950 Khozhany, Makedon |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Syara (1970-1983)  Syara (1987-2012) |
| Service/ | Army of the Syaran Republic Syaran National Army |
| Years of service | 1970-2012 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Unit | Army Group Beta |
| Battles/wars | Refusal War Imerti Conflict Zemplen War |
| Awards | see below |
Aleksandar Čorić is a Syaran former Field Marshal best known for commanding Army Group Beta during the early months of the Zemplen War.
An ethnic Makedonian, Čorić was born to an aristocratic family and comissioned into the Army of the Syaran Republic in 1970. Following the outbreak of the Refusal War Čorić was promoted to Colonel and given command of a Royalist brigade, but defected to the Wardens in 1986. After the war Čorić joined the Syaran National Army and was given the rank of Major General, and oversaw the reformation of the Syaran Commonality Armed Forces. In 1996 he was promoted to Lt. General and given oversight of Syaran Army training and administration. In 2000 Čorić was promoted to Colonel General and given command of 1st Army, which played a major role in the Imerti Conflict, including expelling Ruvelkan forces from the region in 2005. Afterwards Čorić was promoted to Field Marshal, and following the outbreak of the Zemplen War was given command of Syaran forces mobilizing in the central border regions. Dubbed Army Group Beta, Čorić then oversaw Syaran operations during the August Offensive, followed later by Operation Aspis. Following success during the Battle of Balatonalmádi, Operation Hippikon, and Operation Kontos, Army Group Beta halted its offensive operations in mid-November 2008. Čorić was summonned back to Zovahr to report on the progress of his forces to Chief of Central Command Vakhtang Avakian, where he insisted that the Imperial Armed Forces of Ruvelka were in ruin and would be unable to resist further Syaran advances. The subsequent launch of the Ruvelkan Winter Counter-Offensive, which badly mauled Army Group Beta, diminished Central Command's faith in Čorić, especially after it was revealed that he deliberately ignored the warnings of his deputy commander Arisdages Koundakjian. Čorić was relieved of his command in January and recalled to Syara, where he oversaw training programs until he was encouraged to retire in 2012.
Considered a skilled administrator by his peers, Čorić's battlefield acumen was nevertheless criticized by his superiors and subordinates alike. Many of Army Group Beta's successes have often been attributed to his Army and Corps commanders rather than to himself, with Čorić often receiving blame for Syara's lack of strategic vision at the onset of the Zemplen War.