SUMMARY

The Republic of Croatia, in its modern form, was declared independent on 25 June 1991, and thus seceded from the Yugoslavian federation. Franjo Tudjman, the nationalist leader of the HDZ party (Croatian Democratic Union, Hrvatska demokratska zajednica), became the first president of this independent state.

The federal authorities of Yugoslavia violently resisted Croatia’s secession, leading to an intrastate conflict in Yugoslavia over Croatian territory in 1991. In 1992 the Yugoslavian authorities relinquished all territorial demands over Croatia, which thus became recognized as an independent state. The government of Croatia however immediately engaged in an intrastate conflict with the Serbian Republic of Krajina between 1992 and 1995.

Croatian forces in the aforementioned conflicts were composed mainly of the regular army of Croatia, the HV (Hrvatska Vojska, Croatian Armed Forces), and police forces. From 1991 until the end of the conflicts the armed forces grew from a force of 10 000 National Guardsmen and about 40 000 policemen to become approximately 200 000 integrated troops.

During the conflict between 1992 and 1995 the government of Croatia at times cooperated with Croat fighters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also received military training from the government of the USA.

The government of Croatia has been involved in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.