General information
First Active Year: 1992
Current Name: Serbian Republic of Krajina
Current Name full English: Serbian Republic of Krajina
Current Name full native language: Republika Srpska Krajina
Original Name: Serbian Republic of Krajina
Original Name full English: Serbian Republic of Krajina
Original Name full native language: Republika Srpska Krajina
Actor Chronology
This section contains information about (if applicable) group splinters, name changes, and alliances according to the UCDP definitions of these concepts.
UCDP has not recorded any Chronology Activities involving this group.
Conflict issues
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Conflict Goal Issues: The Serbian Republic of Krajina was a secessionist Croatian Serb nationalist rebel group that emerged in 1991 and was later expanded through its coalition with three other autonomous Serb regions into the group in 1992. Prior to the establishment of the coalition, the Serbian Republic of Krajina, the group was known as the Serbian autonomous region of Krajina, which is considered the same group. The group was closely related to the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and with less structured elements of militant Serbian forces which are grouped together as Serbian Irregulars. During its first year, during which it was called the Serbian autonomous region of Krajina, the group released several statements where its leader Milan Babic expressed intentions to establish autonomous and independent Serb regions within Croatian territories which would implement the Serbian constitution and laws. These decisions also signaled intent to unify the regions with Serbia, then part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).
As the conflict emerged, and the Serbian Republic of Krajina was established and renamed, in 1992, statements pertaining to autonomy and implementation of Serbian constitution and judiciary were not reemphasized. Focus on independence and irredentism continued to be communicated. However, irredentism, the calls for reunification with Serbia and the FRY, were not communicated following the FRY’s decision to withdraw support from the group. Calls for independence from the Croatian government continued throughout the conflict, however. In the final year of conflict, the group also pronounced its opposition to a peace agreement as it raised concerns that its implementation would grant the government control over water, electricity, and infrastructure resources which may strip the Croat Serb population of access to public goods.
Throughout the conflict, the Serbian Republic of Krajina and its predecessor Serbian autonomous region of Krajina continuously and frequently mentioned its struggle for independence from Croatia, even following the withdrawal of Milosevic’s support. This issue was also heavily emphasized and became a foundational issue, which is why independence is considered the group’s main conflict goal issue.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Whilst no issues pertaining to the dynamics of the conflict were communicated by the Serbian autonomous region of Krajina, the Serbian Republic of Krajina stated several conflict dynamics issues after its establishment as the conflict progressed. In 1992, the group stated its opposition against planned and implemented peacekeeping operations and international monitoring by the UN within its claimed regions and called for such operations to only be implemented on the borders between the group’s controlled regions and Croatia. The Serbian Republic of Krajina also stated that the intended UN operations would “enable the Croatian authorities to follow through their genocidal plan against the Serbs” indicating suspicions of Croatian intentions of collective targeting against Croatian Serb civilians. The group also expressed its opposition to returning refugees and internally displaced people to the areas it controlled, stating that “There is a serious threat that the returning groups will include people who never lived here and who are being prepared to commit acts of sabotage.” In 1993, the group called for the assistance of the JNA to support its efforts and called upon the UN to pressure Croatian forces to withdraw from the group’s territories. In the later stages of conflict, issues of collective targeting were reemphasized and were also joined with allegations of atrocities against civilians from the Croatian government. The other issues were not stated again.
The only continuously stated conflict dynamics issues were the accusations of intended and conducted collective targeting against Croatian Serbs by the Croatian government, which was also heavily emphasized the times it was communicated. This is why this is considered the group’s main conflict dynamics issue.
Conflict Resolution Issues: No conflict resolution issues were pronounced by the group in its first year of existence, and only a few issues were raised throughout the entire conflict. In 1992, the group called for continued negotiations with the Croatian government, whilst also opposing a proposed peace agreement on the grounds of its non-representation of Croatian Serb opinions and desires. Further opposition to peace agreements was pronounced in 1994, but no further calls for negotiations were made.
As no conflict resolution issues were pronounced with particular emphasis throughout the conflict, no particular main issues pertaining to conflict resolution was interpreted for the Serbian Republic of Krajina.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Autonomy, Water resources, Change judicial system, Constitutional issues, Independence, Irredentism, Public services
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, Collective targeting: ethnic, DFI: Withdrawal of international monitoring, DFI: Withdrawal of military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: Military intervention/foreign forces, IFI: Use of foreign influence, Non-refoulement of refugees/IDPs
Conflict Resolution Issues: Call for negotiations, Opposition to peace agreement
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1992
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Republic of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
1993
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
1994
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
1995
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Group Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1992 Group Archive
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Comment on Name: The Serb warring parties have been coded as two separate parties - The Serbian Republic of Krajina and Serbian irregulars. The Krajina Serbs were local Serbs, who originated from Croatia. On the other hand, the Serb irregulars were non-local Serbs, who originated from Serbia (or possibly from Bosnia). Even if this (and some other) distinction (s) could be made, it was not always possible to separate the two parties as for the action undertaken. For instance, for a period the Serb militia group the Serbian Volunteer Guard effectively was the armed force of Eastern Slavonia (one of the Serb Autonomous Regions that made up the Serbian Republic of Krajina), in principle accountable to the Croatian Serbs "Prime Minister" Hadzic. When there has been no separate data for the two parties, the same information has been given in both dyads. The army of the Serbian Republic of Krajina was somewhere between a party/politicians-army and an official territorial defence force. A part of it was known also as "Knindze" as it emerged in Knin in Krajina. In Eastern Slavonia, this army was referred to as "the Red Berets".
Comment on Active: The Serbian Republic of Krajina included Croatian Serbs in different areas of the country. Milan Babic was the authority in Krajina proper and Goran Hadzic was the main figure in Eastern Slavonia.
Troop Size: 16 000
Comment on Troop Size: It was unclear whether these troops were the same as the Serbian irregulars or an additional force of the Serbian Republic Krajina.
Republic of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Comment on Name: The Serb warring parties have been coded as two separate parties - The Serbian Republic of Krajina and Serbian irregulars. The Krajina Serbs were local Serbs, who originated from Croatia. On the other hand, the Serb irregulars were non-local Serbs, who originated from Serbia (or possibly from Bosnia). Even if this (and some other) distinction (s) could be made, it was not always possible to separate the two parties as for the action undertaken. For instance, for a period the Serb militia group the Serbian Volunteer Guard effectively was the armed force of Eastern Slavonia (one of the Serb Autonomous Regions that made up the Serbian Republic of Krajina), in principle accountable to the Croatian Serbs "Prime Minister" Hadzic. When there has been no separate data for the two parties, the same information has been given in both dyads. The army of the Serbian Republic of Krajina was somewhere between a party/politicians-army and an official territorial defence force. A part of it was known also as "Knindze" as it emerged in Knin in Krajina. In Eastern Slavonia, this army was referred to as "the Red Berets".
1993 Group Archive
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Comment on Name: The Serb warring parties have been coded as two separate parties - The Serbian Republic of Krajina and Serbian irregulars. The Krajina Serbs were local Serbs, who originated from Croatia. On the other hand, the Serb irregulars were non-local Serbs, who originated from Serbia (or possibly from Bosnia). Even if this (and some other) distinction (s) could be made, it was not always possible to separate the two parties as for the action undertaken. For instance, for a period the Serb militia group the Serbian Volunteer Guard effectively was the armed force of Eastern Slavonia (one of the Serb Autonomous Regions that made up the Serbian Republic of Krajina), in principle accountable to the Croatian Serbs "Prime Minister" Hadzic. When there has been no separate data for the two parties, the same information has been given in both dyads. The army of the Serbian Republic of Krajina was somewhere between a party/politicians-army and an official territorial defence force. A part of it was known also as "Knindze" as it emerged in Knin in Krajina. In Eastern Slavonia, this army was referred to as "the Red Berets".
Comment on Active: The Serbian Republic of Krajina included Croatian Serbs in different areas of the country. Milan Babic was the authority in Krajina proper and Goran Hadzic was the main figure in Eastern Slavonia. In December 1993, multi-party elections were held in the Serbian Republic of Krajina. In January the following year, Milan Martic was elected to the post of "President" of the Serbian Republic of Krajina. The elections were declared illegal by Croatia.
Troop Size: 15 000 - 18 000
Comment on Troop Size: The Serb forces were organised into an army and various "police" forces.
Secondary Support: The Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was together with Serbia the only sources of trade or supply for the Krajina Serbs.
1995 Group Archive
Government of Croatia - Serbian Republic of Krajina
Comment on Active: The Serbian Republic of Krajina included Croatian Serbs in different areas of the country. As a result of the successful Croatian offensives in Krajina proper in 1995, huge numbers of Croatian Serbs fled this area. An important part of the support base for the Serbian Republic of Krajina was thereby wiped out.
Troop Size: 35 000 - 50 000
Comment on Troop Size: Apart from the army of the Serbian Republic of Krajina, this figure included Serb militias (Arkans Tigers, Chetniks, the White Eagles, Captain Dragan etc) who were not registered as active in the conflict in 1995. The source did not specify the number of Serbian militias.
Secondary Support: On 20 February, the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbian Republic of Krajina (Serbs in Croatia) signed a military pact. This guaranteed mutual assistance in the event of attack and provided for the establishment of a Joint Supreme Defence Council. The Defence Council was to be led by Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Croatian Serb leader Milan Martic.
