Wars in former Yugoslavia

The former Yugoslavia is a region where you more or less have to be involved in some way to even know enough to attempt an analysis. It's not as though there are many scholars born and raised in, say, London, with no Slavic ancestry, who know all the intricate differences between modern Croats and Bosniaks and the emotions associated with them.

Also, it irritates me when people say wars. It was a war, not wars. What happened to Kosovo was the same war that spread to Slovenia was the same war that spread to Croatia, was the same war that spread to Bosnia-Herzegovina, was the same war that almost erupted in Vojvodina, was the same war that almost erupted in the Sandzak, was the same war that finished back in Kosovo.

Sorry, I misunderstood. I've read a few military analysis but they all said the same thing yours said. They said we made such significant gains towards the end of the war because, whether they liked it or not, what the Serbs were doing was rotting their brains - we were pushed into a corner and people fighting for survival can always defeat those fighting to exterminate - we were more mobilized - old women, young women, etc... where as Serbs used mainly young men from Bosnia, Serbia, and Montenegro. All kinds of stupid stuff.

I think we won by fluke. Look at Sarajevo, the day after the defense forces launched a surprise attack against the Serbs in West Sarajevo was literally the day before, we later learned, they planned their major attack to split the city in half and exterminate both halves. That chance decision to fight that day saved Sarajevo.

Jajce, same thing. When the Serbs evicted tens of thousands of people once the city was conquered, they went to Travnik - they went EAST to Travnik. The Serbs had ambushes already waiting for them to head southwest towards the Croatian territory (the crowd was 1/2 Bosniak, 1/2 Croat). So little things.

But if I find anything I'll let you know. :)

I think this kind of information  will be available at least 10 years later ...

OK, how many times am I gonna have to say that this is not about politics?! This is a WARFARE subforum, not a subforum for political debate. I'm not putting you on report, but stick to the topic forom now on.

Lenon:

It's 2006 now, and the war ended in 1995 so it has been 10 years, and still nothing.

Originally posted by Maljkovic OK, how many times am I gonna have to say that this is not about politics?! This is a WARFARE subforum, not a subforum for political debate. I'm not putting you on report, but stick to the topic forom now on.

Well I said generally, since you said: ''this is somewhat true''...

I know that the Yugoslav National Army was the fifth largest military (in terms of weaponery) in Europe.

Originally posted by Maharbbal Broadly here is how the war went: 1) Slovania then Croatia declare their independance. 2) The Yougoslavian army attacks these two region/countries already recognized by Germany. 3) Victory of the Sloven but the Croat lose half of their country including Dubrovnik and the Serbian minority in Croatia becomes de facto independant. 4) In Bosnia the Bosnain Serbs take over most of the country and besiedge Sarajevo. 5) The international community forces the "Yugoslavian" army to roll back in Serbia. 6) The operation Storm allows the Croat to destroy the Serbian minority in Croatia and to get half of Bosnia back. 7) After endless fight and peace talk the Dayton agreement settle peace. 8) In a second time the Kosovo and Macedonian crisis lead to the bombing of Serbia by NATO's forces.

2.)I don't think what happened in Slovenia was war. The yugoslavian army (JNA) was mainly controled by serbian generals who allready acted acording to the plan of creating the great serbia, and the slovenia was never included in that plans . That explains the lack of full military involvment in Slovenia. Slovenian "War" lasted for week or so The JNA never used the full potential of the equipment and personel stationed in that state, and soon retreted to thair bases in Bosnia,Croatia and Serbia.

3.) City of Dubrovnik was never lost. The joint forces of JNA, and serbian radical party militia (cetnici) took the near hills and had placed the blockade. The city itself was under fire from sea and land, but the defenders managed to hold ground and later push back the somewhat dissorganised serbian forces.

Serbian minority forms the "republika srpska krajina", this creation was not independant, the idea was to connect it to the soon to be declared "republika srpska" in Bosnia and so to the Serbia itself. The leadership whas instaled by Milosevic.

5.) JNA was never forced to roll back- no army to force back,no international community to force them. The JNA units in croatia and bosnia soon formed army of republika srpska in Bosnia and amry of republika srbska krajina in Croatia. Some of this forces ware bombed (few tanks) in Bosnia by Nato, no retreat to Serbia ever made.

6.)The operation Strom was not aimed against the serbian minority, it was aimed against the terorist forces who took the part of the croatian teritory, extermineted all non-serbian population and proclamed independance. The operatin Storm was unlike the serbian military operations(Srebrenica?) aimed solo against military targets and the civilian losses ware minimal. After the operatione  some  warcrimes ware commited.

2.)That's what i'm trying to say-no tanks firing in the street, no army on fronts. Slovnia unlike Bosnia and Croatia managed to save the weapons from the warehouses of Teritorial defence, in mid 80 this weapons ware put under the JNA control by act of federal government-but not in Slovnia. After the declaration of independance slovenia had enough weapons to blockade the JNA facilities, and capture border outposts. JNA never realy tried to brake the blockade and attack slovenian TO in a open battle. The goal was to extract as much heavy equipment as posibile for later use.

3.)Republika srpska and republika srpska krajina ware no independant states,only  ocupied teritory contoled by serb minority trying to conect itself to serbin mainland. The RS has a border whit Serbia, but the problem was conecting the RSK (battle of Bihac). Talking about the independance of  states is apsurde. Controled by Milosevic, fighting for the same great Serbia.

5.) What time in history are you talking about? No serbian controled military forces left Croatia or Bosnia from 1991 till 1998 by force of the international communty. The only retreats made ware in 1995 after the operation Storm and later after the peace threaty when serbis in east Slavonia lay thair arms.The Nato forced the serbian army from Kosovo much later. After the 1991 and the first operations in Croatia JNA in that sector changed into the army of RSK, same thing in Bosnia, in Serbia the the JNA changed name and became "Vojska Jugoslavije"- so after at latest 1993  we can no more  talk  about  JNA  in any  sense.
 P.S. I like the  nanny theory, but knowing  the JNA,  the lack of alcohol would hurth them more...

6.) Not the mass murders organised by generals in Zagreb, but a single casses of warcrimes comitted as acts of revange by uncontroled forces. In Penal Court the charges ware made against gen. Gotovina for overuse of artilery and not acting in time to stop looting of some units after the operation. Let's just wait and see will the court find him guilty or not.