General information
Part of Conflict: Serbia (Yugoslavia): Croatia
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1990-05-31
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: After having won the (first multiparty) republican elections in April-May 1990, Franjo Tudjman and the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) began moving Croatia in the direction of complete independence. In the election campaign, Tudjman made several nationalistic statements and advocated that an independent Greater Croatia should be formed. Croatia declared independence on 25 June 1991.
Date of first use of armed force: 1991-07-01
Comment on date of first use of armed force: On 2 July, the JNA began moving out of their barracks in Croatia. Zagreb and Karlovac were particularly affected. In early July, fighting involving the Croatian National Guard, the JNA and Serbian irregulars broke out in eastern Croatia. On 8 July, JNA troops at the Serbian-Croatian border came under mortar fire. In the latter part of July, the JNA fought for the first time openly with Croatian Serbs against the Croatian National Guard and the Croatian irregulars. Croatian missiles were fired at Yugoslavian warplanes on 18 July.
However, the JNA was indirectly involved in fighting already at an earlier stage. In August 1990, the Serbs of the Krajina region in Croatia organised an illegal referendum on Serb autonomy within Croatia. Croat police attempted to stop the vote from occurring, but were prevented from doing so by Serb militias. These militias were backed by the Yugoslavian army. The army did not yet intervene directly against Croatia, but did prevent Croatia from doing anything to stop the Krajina rebels. In February 1991, clashes between Croat police and Serb mílitias became even more serious. It is likely that the Croatian Serbs were supported by the Yugoslavian government also then.
First Battle Related Death: 1991-07-09
Comment on First Battle Related Death: A Croatian policeman was killed and three others seriously wounded in the ethnically divided Croatian region of Slavonia on the night of 9 July 1991 when Yugoslav federal troops fired on their car according to a Croatian official.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1991-07-27
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: The violence escalated on 27 July, with dozens of people reported to have been killed on that day.
By the end of July, it happened regularly that 20 - 40 people died in one day. However, it was difficult to determine how many of these deaths that occurred in battle-related fights.
Conflict issues
Conflict Goal Issues: The Republic of Croatia were a Croatian nationalist separatist group that emerged following its declaration of independence from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FYR) in 1991. The group grew out of the Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska demokratska zajednica, HDZ) and are coded as a rebel group due to its fighting against the government of Serbia, then FYR. Whilst the group officially seceded from the FYR in 1991, the Republic of Croatia stated several conflict goal issues in the year prior, 1990. In this year, they called for de-bureaucratization and modernization of governmental institutions including the restructuring of the political and judicial systems. The Republic of Croatia also declared its intent to establish a democratic system and protect democratic ideals whilst also implementing economic reform in line with liberalist ideas. The group also called for the establishment of a Croatian constitution protecting the rights and prohibition of public services for Croatian people. Finally, the group also called for the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent Croatian Republic.
In 1992, the group reaffirmed its commitment to establishing an independent and democratic Croatian Republic to protect the civil-, cultural-, and human rights of the Croatian people. Furthermore, the group began calling for the protection of Croatian cultural heritage and natural resources, particularly emphasizing the Rio Summit and sustainable development.
Whilst the brief duration of the conflict makes continuity and frequency difficult to establish, the most heavily emphasized issues by the Republic of Croatia were the establishment of Croatian independence and of a democratic political system. The rights of Croatian people were also frequently mentioned, although these were not as heavily emphasized as the interpreted main issues.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Whilst no conflict dynamics issues were interpreted by the Republic of Croatia in 1990 or 1991, the group did release statements pertaining to several issues in 1992. During this year, the group accused Serbian and Muslim communities of collective targeting against Croatian civilians. The group also called upon the international community to assist with mediatory efforts through third-party mediation from NATO. In the same statement, they also called upon human rights organizations to assist with humanitarian aid and for the implementation of the Vance plan which included the establishment of a UN protection force in the country. No main conflict dynamics issue was interpreted as no issue was stated with continuity.
Conflict Resolution Issues: During the year of its emergence, the Republic of Croatia released one statement pertaining got conflict resolution issues, when the group pronounced its intent and readiness for negotiations “with the representatives of the other nations of SFRY [Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] and federal bodies for the purpose of contractual regulations of mutual relations.”
In 1992, the group reaffirmed its commitment to negotiations, stating that “If peace is to be achieved, all the parties must accept political and territorial compromise.” Furthermore, the Republic of Croatia also called for the implementation of the proposed peace agreement in the Vance plan.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Bureaucratic setup, Rule of law, Change economic system, Civil rights, Confederation/union, Constitutional issues, CPS: Democracy, Cultural rights, Economic reforms, Foreign policy reform, Human rights, Independence, Protection of cultural heritage, Protection of natural resources/the environment, Public services, Reform judicial system, Restructure police forces
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Collective targeting: ethnic, IFI: Foreign mediator, IFI: Humanitarian aid, IFI: Military intervention/foreign forces
Conflict Resolution Issues: Call for negotiations, Peace agreement implementation
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1990
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Serbia (Yugoslavia)): n/a
Side B (Republic of Croatia): n/a
1991
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 4376 |
| Best | 2933 |
| Low | 2860 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Serbia (Yugoslavia)): n/a
Side B (Republic of Croatia): n/a
1992
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 163 |
| Best | 153 |
| Low | 153 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Serbia (Yugoslavia)): n/a
Side B (Republic of Croatia): n/a
1994
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Serbia (Yugoslavia)): n/a
Side B (Republic of Croatia): n/a
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1990 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
1991 Dyad Archive
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Many civilians died, but it was difficult to determine if/when they were killed in crossfire between the armies or/and when because of their ethnicity. Croatian health authorities stated that 1419 Croatian civilians, 1168 members of the Croatian National Guardsmen and 320 police had been killed during the year. It remained unclear how many of these were killed by the JNA. A number of other sources stated that up to 6000 people had been killed in the conflict.
Comment on Active: Already in February, the republic of Croatia clashed with Serbian militias who were likely to be supported by the Yugoslavian government. In July, the JNA fought alongside the Serbian militias and thus participated directly in the confrontations with the republic of Croatia. The largest battle took place in Vukovar, in eastern Croatia close to the Serbian border. Vukovar was under siege for more than two months. The town fell to the JNA by the end of November. In October, the coastal town of Dubrovnik was heavily attacked by the JNA. The attack on Dubrovnik was the only one where it was the army (not Croatian Serbs) that clearly took the initiative. Several ceasefires were negotiated between the parties only to be broken soon after.
Negotiations: YES
Comment on Negotiations: Talks on the future of Yugoslavia took place from the beginning of the year between the parties, but collapsed by the end of July. In August the Yugoslav Presidency and the leaders of all republics agreed borders could be changed only by democratic and legal procedures, and that the democratically expressed will of republics (and nations) to self-determination should be respected. Negotiations mediated by the EC started in June, with representatives from all republics and the Yugoslav Federal Collective Presidency participating. They continued during the autumn in the EC-sponsored peace conference in the Hague, in the Netherlands. 13 ceasefires were negotiated between the parties through this forum. The negotiations focused on a constitutional solution, on the terms for a UN peacekeeping force and on encouraging the Croatian republic to accept legislation guaranteeing minority rights.
Victory: NO
Comment on Victory: There was no clear victory in the dyad. By the end of 1991, the republic of Croatia was approaching its goal; internationally recognised independence. In May 1992, Croatia was recognised by the UN. On the other hand, there was no Croatian victory on the battlefield. The JNA and the Croatian Serbs had made significant military advancement and controlled around 30% of the Croatian territory.
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Other
Date of termination: 1991-12-31
Comment on Termination: 1991 was the last year the Yugoslav republic of Croatia existed, as Croatia was recognised as an independent state in 1992. Therefore, 1991 was also the last year the armed force was ongoing with the warring parties on the one side fighting under the name 'the republic of Croatia' and 'Croatian irregulars'.
Comment on Termination Date: On 29 June 1991, Croatia agreed on suspending the demand for independence after the Federal authorities pledged to withdraw its troops to their barracks and allow Croat representatives returning to the rotating presidency system in Yugoslavia. Croatia was recognized as an independent state on 27 April 1992, when Yugoslavia adopted a new constitution and thereby effectively acknowledged the secession of the former Yugoslavian republics.
1992 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
1994 Dyad Archive
Terminated: NO
