CROATIA DECLARES IT INDEPENDENCE
The drama of former Yugoslavia culminated in the Spring of
1991. In 1990 Croatia and Slovenia proclaimed their sovereignty and held their first free
parliamentary elections. However, it was a time when sovereignty was not equated with
independence.
Zagreb and Ljubljana sought for a peaceful secession from Yugoslavia and, therefore, the
political scene remained open offering the possibility for a confederation of sovereign
states. They were the rules given by the world powers. However, Serbia and Montenegro were
interested only in a hegemony, one disguised as a new, modern federative Yugoslavia and
negotiations were halted. At the same time a Chetnik Serb uprising was raging in one part
of Croatia. The former Yugoslav federal authorities were completely paralysed. Under such
circumstances on 19th May Croatia held a referendum on Croatian sovereignty. 83.5 per cent
of the electoral body went to the polls and 93.2 per cent voted for Croatia's sovereignty.
What ensued was one of the most significant events in Croatian
history. On 25th June 1991 the Croatian Sabor met and unanimously voted for the
declaration of Croatia's independence. The Republic of Croatia officially became an
independent sovereign state and, thus, legally brought to an end the rule of the
six-member federal Yugoslav union. Sabor chairman Žarko Domljan declared Croatia's
independence by saying: "The state of Croatia has been born!"
Several hours later the same declaration was brought by the Slovene assembly. Not long
afterwards the JNA attacked Slovenia and on 3rd July JNA tanks entered Baranja. This
marked the beginning of the brutal aggression on Croatia, which would cost it thousands of
victims and tens of thousands of people their homes. However, Croatia was prepared to
sacrifice everything for its freedom. Europe and the world were not delighted with the
decision of the Croatian Sabor and the Slovene assembly. They continued to propose a new
Yugoslavia, one to which there was no returning.
This was confirmed by the blood bath which ensued " the siege of Vukovar and then
Dubrovnik; the genocidal aggression of the occupying forces and the heroic response of the
Croatian people. In December 1991 Germany was the first to acknowledge Croatia. The new
political reality was acknowledged by the rest of Europe and the world in January 1992.