The borders of the RSK c. 1994 (both Serb-held and UNPA areas) superimposed on 1981 census ethnic data. Serbs are shown in blue, Croats in orange, and Muslims (today's Bosniaks) in green.

The Republic of Serb Krajina (Serbian: Република Српска Крајина, РСК; sometimes also translated "Republic of Serbian Krajina") was a self-proclaimed Serbian entity in Croatia during the 1990s. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. Its main portion was overrun by Croatian forces in 1995; a rump remained in existence in eastern Slavonia under UN administration until its peaceful reincorporation into Croatia in 1998. Download high resolution version (1032x817, 181 KB)Ethnic map of RSK, from de:Bild:Etnicka karta. ... Download high resolution version (1032x817, 181 KB)Ethnic map of RSK, from de:Bild:Etnicka karta. ... Serbs (Serbian: Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Bosniaks (natively: Bošnjaci) are South Slavs descended from those who converted to Islam during the Ottoman period (15th-19th century). ... The Serbian language is one of the standard versions of the Å tokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and by Serbs everywhere. ... Serbs (Serbian: Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia. ... See also 1990s, the band Seinfeld was a pop cultural phenomenon during the 90s and became one of the most popular TV programs ever. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Coat of arms Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Origins of Krajina

The original Krajina was carved out of parts of the crown lands of Croatia and Slavonia by Austria in 1553 - 1578 in order to form a Military Frontier with the Ottoman Empire as a means of defending the border. Krajina (in various versions) is a Slavic toponym which means: borderland i. ... Crown land is a designated land belonging to the Crown, the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it. ... Coat of arms Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. ... // Events June 26 - Christs Hospital in London gets a Royal Charter July 6 - Edward VI of England dies July 10 - Lady Jane Grey is proclaimed Queen of England - for the next nine days July 18 - Lord Mayor of London proclaims Queen Mary as the rightful Queen - Lady Jane Grey... Events January 31 - Battle of Gemblours - Spanish forces under Don John of Austria and Alexander Farnese defeat the Dutch. ... Military Frontier (Military Border, Military Krajina, Vojna Krajina, Војна Крајина, Militärgrenze, Confiniaria militaria) was a borderland of Habsburg Austria which acted as the cordon sanitaire against the Turks from the Middle Ages (Croatian Krajina) or from the late 17th and 18th centuries (Slavonian and Banat Krajina) until the 19th century. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl...

Many Serbs immigrated into the region and participated in the fight against the Ottomans. The Austrians controlled the Frontier from military headquarters in Vienna and did not make it a crown land, though it had some special rights in order to encourage settlement in an otherwise deserted, war-ravaged territory. The abolition of the military rule took place between 1869 and 1871. In order to attract Serbs to be part of Croatia on 11.5.1867 the Sabor solemnly declared that "the Triune Kingdom recognizes the Serbian people living in it as a nation identical and equal with the Croatian nation." After that, the Military Frontier was reincorporated in Croatia in 1881. Crown land is a designated land belonging to the Crown, the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Map of the original Krajina, the Military Frontier

Following World War I, the regions formerly part of the Military Frontier became part of Yugoslavia where it was in the Sava Banovina with most of old Croatia-Slavonia. Between the two world wars the Serbs of the Croatian and Slavonian Krajinas, as well as the Bosnian Krajina and other territories west of Serbia, organized a notable political party, the Independent Democratic Party under Svetozar Pribićević. Various German military commanders gave different figures for the number of Serbs, Jews and others killed on the territory of the Independent State of Croatia. They circulated figures of 400,000 Serbs (Alexander Lehr); 350,000 Serbs (Lothar Rendulic); between 300,000 (Edmund Glaise von Horstenau); more than "3/4 of million of Serbs" (Hermann Neubacher) in 1943; 600-700,000 until March 1944 (Ernst Fick ); 700,000 (Massenbach). The autonomous political organisations of the region were also suppressed by Tito; however, the Yugoslav constitutions of 1965 and 1974 did give substantial rights to national minorities including the Serbs in SR Croatia. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x312, 114 KB)Austro-Hungarian Military Frontier, from de:Bild:Militärgrenze. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x312, 114 KB)Austro-Hungarian Military Frontier, from de:Bild:Militärgrenze. ... Military Frontier (Military Border, Military Krajina, Vojna Krajina, Војна Крајина, Militärgrenze, Confiniaria militaria) was a borderland of Habsburg Austria which acted as the cordon sanitaire against the Turks from the Middle Ages (Croatian Krajina) or from the late 17th and 18th centuries (Slavonian and Banat Krajina) until the 19th century. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian dead: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First World War, also known as... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Map showing Yugoslav banovinas in 1929 (The Sava Banovina is coloured pink, on the top left part of the map) The Sava Banovina or Sava Banate (Croatian: Savska banovina) was a province (banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1939. ... Bosanska Krajina (lit Bosnian Bosnia and Herzegovina enclosed by three rivers - Sava, Una and Vrbas. ... Motto: none Anthem: Bože Pravde Capital Belgrade Largest city Belgrade Official language(s) Serbian1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Formation and independence    - Formation of Serbia 850   - Formation of the Serbian Empire 1345   - Independence from the Ottoman Empire July 13, 1878   - Serbia and Montenegro union... The Democratic Party was formed in 1942, during the Second World War, in support of free enterprise, although supportive of limiting excessive individual incomes. ... Svetozar Pribićević (1875 - 1936) was a Croatian Serb politician who worked hard for creation of Yugoslavia. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...

The net effect of the region's troubled 20th century history was that, by the end of the 1980s, many Serbs were very distrustful of the Croatian government. Nationalist feelings grew on both sides of the ethnic divide. Serbs began to increasingly fear a nationalist Croatian government, and the return of fascism and ethnic killing. Whether realistic or otherwise, such talk provided a powerful rallying point for Serbian nationalists opposed to the prospect of living in a newly independent Croatian state. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ...

The emerging Serbian Krajina would include three kinds of territories:

• much of the historical Military Frontier, in areas with a majority or a plurality of Serbian population
• areas such as parts of northern Dalmatia, that were never part of the Frontier but had a majority of Serbian population
• areas that bordered with Serbia and where Serbs were in a plurality or in a minority

The creation of the RSK

Coat of Arms of the Republic of Serbian Krajina

Flag of the Republic of Serbian Krajina

The Serbian Krajina was a central concern of the Croatian and Serbian nationalist movements of the late 1980s, led respectively by Franjo Tuđman and Slobodan Milošević. The incidents started in 1988 and turned into full-scale Serbian political rallies in 1989. The Croatian nationalists' victory in 1990, based on a platform of achieving independence for Croatia, only made things worse, especially since the country's Serbian minority was supported both politically and militarily by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serbia under President Milošević. Image File history File links Coat of Arms of the Republic of Serbian Krajina File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Coat of Arms of the Republic of Serbian Krajina File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Serbian_Krajina1991. ... Image File history File links Serbian_Krajina1991. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Franjo TuÄ‘man (May 14, 1922 - December 10, 1999) was the first president of Croatia in the 1990s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The Yugoslav Peoples Army (Serbian Југословенска народна армија/Jugoslovenska narodna armija, ЈНА/JNA, Croatian and Bosnian Jugoslavenska narodna armija, JNA, Slovene Jugoslovanska ljudska armada, JLA, Macedonian Jугословенската народна армија, JНA) was the military force of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ...

At the time, Serbs comprised about 12.2% of Croatia's population: 581,663 people declared themselves Serbs in the census of 1991.

Serbs became opposed to the regime of Tuđman for his demands of an independent Croatia. More specifically, they saw this process as resulting in a loss of certain number of their minority rights. After the election of Tuđman in April 1990, a new Croatian constitution was passed in December 1990. This constitution declared Croatia to be the nation state of Croats. The constitution downgraded the status of Serbs from a nation within Croatia to that of a minority. This only heightened the sensitivity of Serb demands for cultural autonomy, language rights among many other demands. The constitution contradicted the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, despite Croatia still being legally apart of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Serbs responded to these rejections by leaving parliament. The rebellion of the Croatian Serbs was thus set in motion. Current Constitution of the Republic of Croatia was adopted by the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia on December 22, 1990. ... A nation-state is a specific form of state (a political entity), which exists to provide a sovereign territory for a particular nation (a cultural entity), and which derives its legitimacy from that function. ... Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and its predecessor, Federal Peoples Republic of Yugoslavia (FPRY) was developed after the World War II as follows: Constitution of FLRY, adopted on January 31, 1946 Constitutional Law of the FLRY, adopted on January 13, 1953 Constitution of SFRY, adopted... Official language Serbo-Croatian, Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian, Bosnian, Macedonian Capital Belgrade Largest city Belgrade Area (1991)  - Total  - % water Ranked xxst 255,804 km² Negligible Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Ranked xxth 20,522,972 80/km² Currency Yugoslav dinar Time zone  - in summer CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) National anthem...

Nationalist Serbs in the Krajina established a Serbian National Council in July 1990 to coordinate opposition to Tuđman's policies. Milan Babić, a dentist from the southern town of Knin, was elected its President. The Krajina Serbs established a paramilitary militia under the leadership of Milan Martić, the police chief in Knin. Barricades of logs were erected across roads throughout the Krajina as a physical expression of separation from Croatia. This effectively severed the Croatian coastal region of Dalmatia from the rest of the country, in an incident which became commonly known as the "log revolution". This article is about the year. ... Milan Babić in Hague courtroom Milan Babić (February 26, 1956 – March 5, 2006) was from 1991 to 1995 the leader of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a largely Serb-populated region that broke away from Croatia. ... Knin is a historical town in the Å ibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organised in a military fashion. ... Milan Martić (born 18 November 1954, near Knin, Yugoslavia) is an ethnic Serbian politician from Croatias Serbian minority. ... Map of Croatia with Dalmatia highlighted Dalmatia is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ...

In August 1990, a referendum was held in the Krajina on the question of Serb "sovereignty and autonomy" in Croatia. The resolution was confined exclusively to Serbs and, not surprisingly, passed by a majority of 99.7%. Equally unsurprisingly, it was declared illegal and invalid by the Croatian government.

The Krajina Serbs did not initially seek independence for their area. Instead, on September 30, 1990, the Krajina Serbian National Council declared "the autonomy of the Serbian people on ethnic and historic territories on which they live and which are within the current boundaries of the Republic of Croatia as a federal unit of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." It was theoretically possible that the Serbian Krajina could have seceded from Croatia to remain part of a Yugoslavia minus Croatia and Slovenia. Indeed, this was a source of significant tension within Krajina Serb politics. The Krajina Serbs were divided between supporters of a unified Yugoslavia and ultranationalist supporters of a "Greater Serbia". September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... Greater Serbia is a name for a Serbian nationalist concept. ...

Babić's administration announced the creation of a Serbian Autonomous District (Srpska autonomna oblast or SAO) of Krajina on December 21, 1990. On April 1, 1991, it declared that it would secede from Croatia to join (or, rather, not leave) Yugoslavia. Other Serb-dominated communities in eastern Croatia announced that they would also join the SAO and ceased paying taxes to the Zagreb government. December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Croatia held a referendum on independence on May 19, 1991, in which the electorate—minus many Serbs, who chose to boycott it—voted overwhelmingly for independence with the option of confederate union with other Yugoslav states. On June 25, 1991, Croatia and Slovenia both declared their independence from Yugoslavia. As the JNA attempted unsuccessfully to suppress Slovenia's independence in the short Slovenian War, clashes between Krajina Serbs and Croatian security forces broke out almost immediately, leaving dozens dead on both sides. May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... The Ten-Day War, sometimes called the Sloveninan War, was a brief military conflict between Slovenia and Yugoslavia in 1991 following Slovenias declaration of independence. ...

The fighting in the Krajina generally took the form of Serbian attacks on Croatian police posts and state buildings, with the Croatian police fighting back. In addition, there were numerous attacks on civilian targets, such as the blowing up and burning of houses belonging to people of the "wrong" ethnic group, and inevitably the killing of civilians. Serb paramilitaries were often initially armed with small arms. However the JNA soon gave them free access to army equipment, up to and including armoured vehicles and artillery. The European Union and United Nations attempted to broker ceasefires and peace settlements. The truces however were repeatedly broken, often after only a few hours, as one side tried to play the diplomats for their political advantage. United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Around August 1991, the leadership of the Serbian Krajina, and that of Serbia, allegedly agreed to embark on what war crimes prosecutors would later describe as a "joint criminal enterprise". This consisted of permanently and forcibly removing the non-Serb population of Krajina in order to make them part of a new Serb-dominated state. The leaders are documented to have included Milan Babić, and other Krajina Serb figures such as Milan Martić, the Serbian militia leader Vojislav Šešelj and Yugoslav Army commanders including General Ratko Mladić, who was at the time the commander of JNA forces in Croatia. Milan Babić in Hague courtroom Milan Babić (February 26, 1956 – March 5, 2006) was from 1991 to 1995 the leader of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a largely Serb-populated region that broke away from Croatia. ... Milan Martić (born 18 November 1954, near Knin, Yugoslavia) is an ethnic Serbian politician from Croatias Serbian minority. ... A poster for the 2004 presidential elections, for which Å eÅ¡elj himself was not running, due to the fact that he was awiting trial for crimes against humanity in the Hague. ... General Ratko Mladić during UN-mediated talks at Sarajevo airport in 1993. ...

According to testimony given by Babić in his subsequent war crimes trial, during the summer of 1991 the Serbian secret police—under Milošević's command—set up "a parallel structure of state security and the police of Krajina and units commanded by the state security of Serbia". Shadowy groups of paramilitaries with names such as the "Vukovi sa Vucjaka" ("Wolves from Wolftown") and the "Beli Orlovi" ("White Eagles"), funded by the Serbian secret police, were also a key component of this structure. A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organised in a military fashion. ... Secret police (sometimes political police) are a police organization which operates in secrecy for the national purpose of maintaining national security against internal threats to the state. ...

A wider-scale war was launched in August 1991. Over the following months, a large area of territory, amounting to a third of Croatia, was seized. The non-Serbian population suffered heavily, fleeing or evicted with numerous murders, leading to the term of ethnic cleansing. The bulk of the fighting occurred between August and December 1991, during which time approximately 80,000 Croats and Muslims were expelled (and some were killed). Many more died and or were deplaced in fighting in eastern Slavonia (this territory along the Croatian/Serbian border is not part of the Krajina, and it was the JNA that was the principal actor in that part of the conflict). This article or section is missing references or citation of sources. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Coat of arms Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. ...

Map of the territory held by the RSK, circa 1992–1995

On December 19, 1991, the SAO Krajina proclaimed itself the Republic of Serbian Krajina. On February 26, 1992, the SAO Western Slavonia and SAO Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem joined the RSK, which initially had only encompassed the territories within the SAO Krajina. The RSK occupied an area of some 17,028 km² at its greatest extent. It was located entirely inland, although its southern portion came close to the Adriatic Sea coastline because of Krajina Serb control of the Novigradsko more, a small, protected bay located to the east of Zadar. The acquisition of coastline near Zadar and Šibenik, and a smaller town between these two, Biograd na Moru, was a key strategic goal for the Krajina Serb authorities, as this would have given the republic a vital outlet. This objective was never realised, but the Krajina Serbs did partially succeed in cutting the overland route between Dalmatia and the rest of Croatia. Map of RSK, from de:Bild:Krajina. ... Map of RSK, from de:Bild:Krajina. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... A satellite image of the Adriatic Sea. ... Zadar (Italian Zara, Latin Iader or Iadera) is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 82 000 (2005). ... Zadar (Italian Zara, Latin Iader or Iadera) is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of 82 000 (2005). ... Å ibenik Å ibenik (German: Sibenning, Italian: Sebenico) is an historic town in Croatia, population 51,553 (2001). ... Coat of arms Biograd na Moru is a town in northern Dalmatia, Croatia. ...

The uneasy peace of 1992

A ceasefire agreement was signed by Presidents Tuđman and Milošević in January 1992, paving the way for the implementation of a United Nations peace plan put forward by Cyrus Vance. Under the Vance Plan, four United Nations Protected Areas (UNPAs) were established in the territory of the RSK. The Vance Plan called for the withdrawal of the JNA from Croatia and for the return of refugees to their homes in the UNPAs. The JNA officially withdrew from Croatia in May 1992 but much of its weaponry and many of its personnel remained in the Serb-held areas and were turned over to the RSK's security forces. Refugees were not allowed to return to their homes and the few Croats and other non-Serbs who had remained in the RSK were expelled in the following months. On February 21, 1992, the creation of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) was authorised by the UN Security Council for an initial period of a year, to provide security to the UNPAs. Cyrus Vance Cyrus Roberts Vance (March 27, 1917 – January 12, 2002) was the United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1980. ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Pocket badge of the UNPROFOR The United Nations Protection Force, UNPROFOR, were the primary UN peacekeeping troops in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ...

The agreement effectively froze the front lines for the next three years. Croatia and the RSK had effectively fought each other to a standstill. The ceasefire had little effect on the RSK's international standing. It was not recognized in the sense that it exchanged diplomatic credentials with other countries, but the republic's de facto independence had to be acknowledged by the countries of the region as a fact of life. It gained support from Serbia's allies in the Yugoslav Wars, Greece, Russia, and Romania.

With the creation of new Croatian counties on December 30, 1992, the Croatian government also set aside two autonomous regions (kotar) for ethnic Serbs in the areas of Krajina. However Serbs considered this too little too late, as it was not the amount of autonomy they wanted, by now they had declared defacto independence and lastly they asked for autonomy, similar to the Kotar's proposed, over two years ago and the Croatians rejected it. As well the proposed Kotars were smaller then the area controlled by the Republic of Serbian Krajina, and did not in any way include the area of Western Srijem, Eastern Slavonia, and Baranja. The counties of Croatia are called županije in Croatian, županija is the singular form. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ...

War in former Yugoslavia

UNPROFOR deployed throughout the region in order to maintain the ceasefire, although in practice its light armament and restricted rules of engagement meant that it was little more than an observer force. It proved wholly unable to ensure that refugees returned to the RSK. Indeed, the Krajina Serb authorities continued to make efforts to ensure that they could never return, destroying villages and cultural and religious monuments to erase the previous existence of the non-Serb inhabitants of the Krajina. Milan Babić later testified that this policy was driven from Belgrade through the Serbian secret police—and ultimately Milošević—who he claimed were in control of all the administrative institutions and armed forces in the Krajina. This would certainly explain why the Yugoslav National Army took the side of the Krajina Serbs in spite of its claims to be acting as a "peacekeeping" force. It should be noted that Milošević has denied this, claiming that Babić had made it up "out of fear". Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1887x1192, 61 KB) Summary Map of former Yugoslavia during last wars. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1887x1192, 61 KB) Summary Map of former Yugoslavia during last wars. ... Pocket badge of the UNPROFOR The United Nations Protection Force, UNPROFOR, were the primary UN peacekeeping troops in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. ...

Demographics

By the start of the 1990s and before the war, about two thirds of the Krajina (later UNPA zones North and South- not Western or Eastern Slavonia) population was Serb. These Serbs accounted for about 29% of their total population in the then-SR Croatia. The increase in ethnic tensions caused the demographic proportions to shift markedly even before the fighting broke out. See also 1990s, the band Seinfeld was a pop cultural phenomenon during the 90s and became one of the most popular TV programs ever. ...

The official census held in the spring of 1991, just before the war began, is recorded in Republic of Croatia statistics books, but not currently available online. Hence, there are two different sources for pre-war population distribution: the ICTY indictment against Milošević, given in the 1st table below, and the official Croatian data excerpted from the books, presented in the 2nd table. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

The allocation of the population in the different parts of the RSK was, according to the ICTY source, as follows:

However, the cited figures differ from those published in official Croatian census, which gives the following data:

Both calculations does not include "pink zones" (zones outside UNPA, but inside RSK). These zones are usually with much bigger percentage of Serbs than UNPA zones. Examples of rose zones include Medak, Vrlika, Teslingrad, Vrhovine, and Plaski. The largest discrepancy is in the UNPA Sector West, which might refer to the fact that this zone originally included large patches of western Slavonia (areas around Grubišno Polje, Daruvar, Pakrac and the western slopes of Papuk), but these weren't controlled by the RSK in the later stages of the war.

During the period when the RSK was formed, it was difficult to determine the exact population due to the war situation. Many Serb refugees from elsewhere in Croatia and Bosnia settled in the Krajina and a steady stream of people left the region to escape its pervasive poverty.

According to a local census by the RSK authorities from 1993, there were 480,000 residents: 91% Serbs (433,595), 7% Croats and 2% others. In 1994, the RSK's government estimated the population at 430,000 people [1]. The apparent fall in the population may have been due to the RSK authorities' efforts to drive out the non-Serb minorities as well as the ongoing exodus of Serbs. On the other hand, Croatian authorities hold these figures to be a pure morale-boosting fiction; the number of Serbs (virtually all of the population) who fled Eastern Slavonia and UNPA zones North and South in 1995 have been estimated by UN authorities to range between 150,000-200,000 people. Since the sector East did not account, after ethnic cleansing, for more than 50,000-70,000 inhabitants, the entire "RSK" population, as estimated by Croatian authorities, oscillated somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ...

The decline of the RSK

A 5,000 Dinar bill of RSK (1992)

The partial implementation of the Vance Plan drove a wedge between the governments of the RSK and Serbia, the RSK's principal backer and supplier of fuel, arms and money. Milan Babić strongly opposed the Vance Plan but was overruled by the RSK's assembly. On February 26, 1992, he was deposed and replaced as President of the RSK by Goran Hadžić, a Milošević loyalist. Babić remained involved in RSK politics but as a considerably weaker figure. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1835x854, 295 KB) Summary Banknote of Republika Srpska Krajina Author: Marian Gladis Selfmade Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Dinar Republic of Serbian Krajina Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1835x854, 295 KB) Summary Banknote of Republika Srpska Krajina Author: Marian Gladis Selfmade Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Dinar Republic of Serbian Krajina Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Goran Hadzic (b. ...

The position of the RSK eroded steadily over the following three years. On the surface, the RSK had all the trappings of a state: an army, a parliament and president, a government with its own ministries and even its own currency and stamps. Its economy was, however, wholly dependent on support from the rump Yugoslavia, which had the effect of importing that country's hyperinflation. The RSK issued its own currency, the Krajina dinar (HRKR), in parallel with the Yugoslav dinar in July 1992. This issue was followed by the "October dinar" (HRKO), first issued on October 1, 1993 and equal to 1,000,000 Reformed Dinar, and the "1994 dinar", first issued on January 1, 1994, and equal to 1,000,000,000 October dinar. In economics, hyperinflation is inflation which is out of control, a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a currency loses its value. ... Krajina Dinar, 5 million dinar note The dinar was the currency in Republic of Serbian Krajina between 1992 amd 1994. ... Obverse of 10 Yugoslav Dinars issued by the National Bank of Yugoslavia during 1960s Reverse of 10 Yugoslav Dinars issued by the National Bank of Yugoslavia during 1960s Yugoslav dinar was the official valute in former Yugoslavia. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...

The economic situation in the Krajina soon became disastrous. By 1994, only 36,000 of its citizens were employed out of a population of 430,000. The war severed its trade links with the rest of Croatia, with its few industries left idle. It had few natural resources on which to rely and had to import most of its resources, goods and fuel. Its agriculture was devastated, operating at little more than a subsistence level.[2] Professionals went abroad to Serbia or elsewhere to escape the Republic's grinding poverty. To make matters worse still, the RSK's government was grossly corrupt and the region became a haven for black market and other criminal activity. It was clear by the mid-1990s that the RSK was economically unviable without a peace deal and reintegration into Croatia. This was especially clear in Belgrade, where the RSK had become an unwanted economic and political burden for Milošević. His government sought to push the Krajina Serbs into settling the conflict but was rebuffed, much to its frustration.

The republic's weakness also affected its armed forces, the Vojska Srpske Krajine (VSK). Since the 1992 ceasefire had been agreed, Croatia had spent large sums of money importing weapons and training its armed forces with the aid of American contractors. At the same time, the VSK had grown steadily weaker, with its soldiers poorly motivated, trained and equipped. The VSK had only about 55,000 soldiers available to cover a front of some 600km in Croatia plus 100km along the border with the Bihać pocket in Bosnia; 16,000 of these were stationed in eastern Slavonia, leaving only some 39,000 to defend the main part of the RSK. In reality, only 30,000 of the theoretical 55,000 were capable of being fully mobilised. The VSK had little mobility and faced a far stronger Croatian army. It was also politically divided between supporters of Hadžić and Babić. On occasion, this rivalry broke out into clashes between rival units, which left several people wounded. Coat of Arms Location of Bihać municipality Bihać (Cyrillic: Бихаћ) is a town on the Una river in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, center of the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

An early demonstration of the new Croatian capabilities came in January 1993, when the revitalised Croatian army launched an attack on Serbian positions around Maslenica in southern Croatia (which prevented them from utilizing sea access via Novigradsko more). In a second offensive in September 1993, the revitalised Croatian army overran the Medak pocket in the southern Krajina. The Croatian action was halted by the successful intervention of Canadian UN peacekeepers. Although the Krajina Serbs were able to bring up reinforcements fairly quickly, the strength of the Croatian forces proved a shock. Hadžić sent an urgent request to Belgrade to send reinforcements, arms and equipment. In response, around 4,000 paramilitaries under the command of Vojislav Šešelj (the "White Eagles") and the notorious "Arkan" (the "Serb Volunteer Guard") arrived to bolster the VSK. They found that the RSK's government and military was in a chaotic state. Maslenica is a port and village in Zadar County, Dalmatia, Croatia. ... Operation Medak Pocket (Croatian: Medački džep) was a military operation undertaken by the Croatian army between September 9 — September 17, 1993 in which the small area around the village of Medak in the south-central Lika region of Croatia, then under the control of the rebel Republic of Serbian Krajina... Željko Ražnatović or in Serbian Cyrillic writing Жељко Ражњатовић, (April 17, 1952 - January 15, 2000), widely known as Arkan or Аркан, was a Serbian paramilitary leader, nationalistic politician, assembly representative, folk hero, owner of a soccer club, shady businessman, mafia boss and war profiteer. ... The Serb Volunteer Guard PGH (Serbian: Српска добровољачка гарда/Srpska dobrovoljačka garda) was a volunteer military unit founded and led by Željko Ražnatović, widely known as Arkan/junior. ...

The final invasion and fall

The RSK's end came in 1995, when Croatian forces liberated western Slavonia in Operation Flash (May) and overran the rest in Operation Storm (August). As a consequence, almost the entire Serbian population fled. A number of Croatian army officers (such as general Ante Gotovina; apparently ICTY was also preparing an indictment against the then president of Croatia Franjo Tudjman) were indicted by the ICTY in the Hague on the basis of their command responsibility for the attrocities committed by Croatian soldiers against the civilian Serbian population. Serbia did not intervene, having earlier indicated in the state-controlled media that it was finally washing its hands of the Krajina Serbs. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina Commanders Croatian Military Command Strength 7,200 soldiers 5000 soldiers Casualties 55 killed, 162 wounded 250 killed, 1,500 POW Operation Flash (Croatian: ) was a brief and successful offensive conducted in the beginning of May 1995 by the the Croatian Army, which removed Serb... Combatants Croatia Republic of Serbian Krajina Commanders general Zvonimir Červenko general Mile Mrkšić Strength 150,000 soldiers, 350 tanks, 800 artillery pieces, 50 rocket launchers, 30 aircraft and helicopters 40,000 soldiers, 200 tanks, 350 artillery pieces, 25 rocket launchers, 20 aircraft and helicopters Casualties 174 soldiers killed, 1...

Around 150,000–200,000 Serbs fled the RSK in 1995, most of whom ended up in Serbia, and some went to eastern Slavonia. The bulk of them were evacuated immediately by the RSK authorities, while others fled after the operation due to fear and uncertainty caused by the Croatian invasion. The widespread fear wasn't unsupported, because a number of Serb civilians were indeed killed by advancing Croatian forces and in several atrocities following the operation - UNPROFOR documented more than two hundred murders by November, while rumours amounted to several thousand. There was also widespread arson committed by the Croatians, in what ICTY judged to be an action organized to prevent the Serbs from returning. The end result was that only 4,000 Serb inhabitants remained in the main part of the RSK (i.e. excluding eastern Slavonia) after the offensive.

Some Serbs and most of the expelled Croats have since returned, but the Krajina Serb population is still only a fraction of its pre-1995 numbers. The autonomous regions planned by the government in 1992 were disbanded on February 7, 1997 and the areas were integrated into civic counties. February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The parts of Krajina in eastern Croatia (along the Danube) remained in place as the Republic of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem (previously the Srpska Autonomna Oblast Slavonija, Baranja i zapadni Srem, or sometimes called Sremsko-Baranjska Oblast). The national and local authorities signed the Erdut Agreement in 1995, sponsored by the United Nations, that set up a transitional period during which the UNTAES peacekeepers would oversee a peaceful reintegration of this territory into Croatia. This process was completed in 1998. The Danube bend at Visegrád is a popular destination of tourists The Danube (ancient Danuvius) is Europes second-longest river (after the Volga). ... Baranya county within Hungary Osijek-Baranja county within Croatia Baranya (in Hungarian) or Baranja (in Croatian and Serbian, also Cyrillic Барања) is a geographical region between the Danube and the Drava rivers. ... Srem District in Vojvodina Vukovar-Srijem county within Croatia Syrmia (Serbian: Срем or Srem, Croatian: Srijem, Hungarian: Szerémség or Szerém, Slovak: Sriem, German: Syrmien, from Latin: Syrmia or Sirmium) is a fertile region of the Pannonian plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers before they join... ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Government in exile

Main article: Republic of Serbian Krajina Government in Exile

This is a self-proclaimed government in exile for the Republic of Serbian Krajina. This government existed for a short time period after Operation Storm, but was reconstituted in 2005. This self-proclaimed government has changed the official name of the Republic of Serbian Krajina to Republic of Serb-Krajina. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

See also

• Heads of State of Krajina
• Heads of Government of Krajina
• Republika Srpska

List of Heads of State of Republic of Serbian Krajina ... List of Heads of Government of Republic of Serbian Krajina ... Official language Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian Note: The Constitution of Republika Srpska avoids naming the languages, and lists the languages of Serbs, Bosniaks, and Croats. ...

Sources

• "The Army of Serbian Krajina", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 October 1993
• Final Report of the United Nations Commission of Experts, 28 December 1994: The military structure, strategy and tactics of the warring factions
• "Operation Storm - Attack on the Krajina", Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 November 1995
• Initial Indictment of Slobodan Milošević - Croatia, ICTY, 8 October 2001
• Initial Indictment of Milan Babić, 17 November 2003

• Serb Order 1995 - document, [[]], 04 August 1995