Croatia's declaration of independence

Following unsuccessful talks with Belgrade aimed at transforming the Yugoslav Federation into a confederation, and as the escalation of violence continued, an overwhelming majority of Croats (93.24%) voted in favour of Croatian independence in a referendum on 19 May 1991. One month later, on 25 June, the Croatian Parliament declared the Republic of Croatia "an independent and sovereign State", simultaneous with neighbouring Slovenia. The declaration of independence explicitly guaranteed all national minorities, in particular the Serb minority, the respect of their civic, political, cultural, religious and linguistic rights.

1991

July–August

Photo: LZMK

Open and intensive intervention of the Yugoslav Army against Croatia

After the Yugoslav Army intervened briefly in Slovenia, it launched an attack on Croatia with 3000 armoured combat vehicles, 2000 pieces of heavy artillery and 450 fighter planes. Once a common federal army, financed by all the federal republics, the army now supported the regime of Slobodan Milošević in Belgrade, the last Communist leader in Europe, who used it to wage war and carve the borders of a Greater Serbia on the ruins of the Yugoslav Federation. The disarmed Croatia tried to cope by forming a national guard.