1992
48-544: 1993 1994 1995 Operation Maslenica was a Croatian Army offensive launched in January 1993 to retake territory in northern Dalmatia and Lika from Krajina Serb forces, with the stated military objective of pushing the Serbs back from approaches to Zadar , Maslenica and Karlobag , allowing a secure land route between Dalmatia and northern Croatia to be opened. While an undoubted net Croatian tactical success,
96-573: A heavy blow on Krajina and retook a relatively large section of Croatian territory, it didn't remove the threat towards the Dalmatian cities completely. Even the stated aim of securely connecting Dalmatia to the rest of Croatia was not achieved. This became apparent with the opening of a pontoon bridge at Maslenica later in the year. The bridge was in range of RSK artillery, thus allowing RSK leader Milan Martić to publicly brag about his ability to sink it or close it to traffic at his leisure. Traffic over
144-797: A military balance of power in the region, and the opposing side had to directly recognize Croatian military power, and this balance of power forced the opposing side to peacefully resolve the reintegration of the Croatian Danube region. Numerous Croatian army units arose from the Croatian National Guard, including: With the end of the Homeland War, the ground forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia begin their transformation, reduction and transition to
192-591: A narrow lake that stretched for 12 miles. The collapse would have unleashed the water down the Cetina River valley, affecting 50,000 people. In the meantime, the RSK forces reorganised, stormed arms depots held by UNPROFOR and began to resist advancing Croatian forces more effectively. The government in Belgrade failed to honour its promise of military intervention in the case of a major Croatian offensive against
240-557: A peacetime organization with the territorial principle of defense. At the end of 2002, the formation of the Croatian Land Army as one of the branches of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia began. The head of the formation is Lieutenant General Marijan Mareković, who is also its first commander and held this position until March 19, 2007. Shortly after the organization of the HKov unit, in addition to their basic tasks in
288-470: A single major operation. As a result, Maslenica and areas around Zadar were liberated, and the Croatian Army continued to push into the hinterland of Northern Dalmatia. Janko Bobetko , the Croatian Army general in charge of the operation, was hailed as a national hero and the city of Zadar saw public celebrations. Six days later, seeing RSK forces being overwhelmed, the 126th Home Guard Regiment of
336-522: Is a formation of a 3rd (reserve) mechanized brigade which will need to be fully equipped and ready to be deployed at moment's notice. Bosanska Posavina Posavina ( Serbian Cyrillic : Посавина ) is a geographical region that stretches along the Sava river, encompassing only the inner areas of the Sava river basin , that are adjacent or near to the Sava river itself, namely catch region spanning from
384-632: Is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces . It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threats, and in addition to the task of defending the Republic of Croatia , the HKoV also has the task of participating in peace support operations and humanitarian operations as part of international forces, as well as
432-475: Is to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. The Croatian Army is responsible for implementing war operations independently and with the support of other branches, leading the fight on land, on the coast and on the islands. In an assumed war or crisis situation, the land forces will act as the backbone and main force for the successful implementation of the defense of their own territory and for participation in operations outside
480-682: The Byzantine Empire . By the end the 6th and during the 7th century, the entire region was settled by South Slavs . In 819-823, western parts of the region were center of the Ljudevit's Rebellion against the Frankish Empire . During the 11th and 12th century, almost all parts of Posavina were gradually conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary . In the first half of the 18th century, Sava - Danube (Posavina- Podunavlje ) section of
528-697: The Dinaric Mountains and the Pannonian Plain . The geographical borders of the Posavina region are defined, to the south, by northern zones of the Dinaric mountain system , while Posavina′s northern borders are defined by the Pannonian island mountains . In terms of political geography , the Posavina region is divided into Croatian Posavina, Bosnian Posavina, and Serbian Posavina. During
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#1732776349944576-670: The Habsburg Military Frontier existed in the area. Posavina segment of the Frontier comprised parts of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia – the southern parts of Slavonia and Syrmia , stretching from Nova Gradiška to the confluence of the Drina river into the Sava. Between 1929 and 1939, one of the provinces of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was known as the Croatian region Sava Banovina . The capital city of
624-545: The Homeland War were the backbone and main bearers of all operations carried out by the Croatian Army. Members of the guard brigades fought on the battlefields throughout the Republic of Croatia during the most difficult battles and decisive moments in the Homeland War, and together with the members of the reserve infantry brigades, which were also founded in 1991, they participated in the battles for Vukovar , Dubrovnik , Zadar , Karlovac, Gospić , Novska and Okučane, in
672-520: The Julian Alps in the northwest to the confluence with the Danube in the southeast. It passes through several countries of former Yugoslavia , namely Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia . In Slovene , the term Posavina is not used to describe the parts of Slovenia that lie by the Sava river. Instead, the terms Posavje , Zasavje and Zgornjesavska dolina are used (however,
720-543: The Roman era, the region belonged to the province of Pannonia , marking its most southern zone. During the reign of emperor Augustus , it was the epicenter of the Pannonian Uprising . During the 5th century, the region was invaded by several migrating peoples, including Huns and Goths . In post-Roman era, during the 6th century, the region was contested between Ostrogoths , Gepids , Langobards , Avars , and
768-568: The Bosnian Muslim government. The Croatian Army and Special Police units started the offensive in the Maslenica and Zadar area on January 22. RSK forces were completely taken by surprise and initially failed to offer any meaningful resistance. One of the reasons for the initial Croatian success was the unprecedented use of Croatian naval and air forces - which was the only instance of Croatian ground, naval and air forces acting together in
816-626: The Chief of Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Robert Hranj, spoke about plans to establish a certain operational reserve in the coming period whose units will be smaller, but will be characterized by a higher degree of readiness and develop the ability to perform all types of tasks, from supporting civilian institutions in the entire territory of the Republic of Croatia to combat tasks. Due to Russo-Ukrainian War and intense regional security it has become apparent current Army organization requires significant re-organization. What this re-organization entails
864-929: The Croatian Army are the Guards Armoured Mechanized Brigade which in turn is divided into one tank battalion equipped with M-84A4 Sniper main battle tanks, one armoured battalion supplemented by M-84A4 Sniper main battle tanks as well as M80A1 infantry fighting vehicles and two mechanized battalions armed with M80A1 IFVs. Second major combat units of the Army are Guards Mechanized Brigade divided by three mechanized battalions equipped with Patria CRO armoured personnel carriers and one motorized battalion equipped with Oshkosh M-ATV vehicles. Both Brigades come equipped with one Artillery Battalion, Air Defence Battalion, Engineer Battalion, one Reconnaissance Company, Signals Company, as well as one Logistics Company. Such unique organizational structure of
912-481: The Croatian Army near Sinj conducted its own offensive operation against the Peruča dam . The dam was taken, but not before RSK forces detonated explosives that left it damaged. The dam held long enough to prevent massive flooding, but not long enough to prevent a major loss of hydroelectric power that would plague Dalmatia for much of the next year. The 200-foot-high dam held back an estimated 17 billion cubic feet of water in
960-502: The Croatian government's control in Northwestern Dalmatia. Despite vigorous resistance, nascent, inexperienced and poorly armed units of the Croatian Army, police and local militias succumbed to superior force and had to abandon their positions, including the strategically important Maslenica area, the site of a key bridge connecting Dalmatia with the rest of Croatia . Fighting continued in subsequent months, during which
1008-720: The JNA and Krajina Serbs managed to gradually expand territories under their control and even threaten the major urban centre of Zadar . The Maslenica bridge was blown up in November by the Serb forces. In January, 1992, the Sarajevo armistice and the arrival of UNPROFOR solidified battle lines into the boundary between Croatian government control and the self-proclaimed RSK (Republic of Serb Krajina). Although this provided months of relative peace to citizens of Croatian-controlled Dalmatia,
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#17327763499441056-464: The Krajina, but the arrival of volunteers from Serbia proper, including units commanded by Arkan , improved RSK-morale to a certain extent. Those forces mounted a ferocious counter-attack which, although ultimately repulsed, resulted in many Croatian casualties and the Croatian advance lost its momentum. Partly due to international pressure, partly because of the potential for huge casualties to affect
1104-614: The RSK elite Knindža unit suffered heavy casualties in 1992. Despite Croatian forces conducting a minor offensive in the area of the Miljevci Plateau in June 1992, RSK leaders didn't believe Croatian military action to be imminent. The UNPROFOR presence and Croatia being involved in the Bosnian War, where the dispute with Bosnian Serbs had begun to lose importance compared with the emerging conflict between Bosnian Croats and
1152-492: The battles for the preservation of state borders in Posavina, Banovina, Lika, in the east in Slavonia and in the south in the hinterland of Zadar, Sibenik and Dubrovnik. Professional and reserve members of the ground forces of the Croatian Army participated and were the main force and support in the preparation and implementation of operations such as the "Spaljena Zemlja" operation in 1992, the " Maslenica " operation in 1993, and
1200-550: The bridge normalised only after UN-sponsored negotiations. The Croatian Army's failure to properly exploit the initial success of the offensive is usually attributed to tactical mistakes in the latter stages of the operation and its lack of superior artillery - an issue that would be addressed in 1994 and 1995. By exposing these weaknesses, Operation Maslenica allowed Croatian military staff to remedy them and plan more ambitious and ultimately more successful offensives like Operation Flash and Operation Storm . A new Maslenica Bridge
1248-547: The civilians to flee. The Croatian officials initially publicly claimed that the number of Croatian fatalities in the Operation Maslenica was 50. It was soon revealed that the correct numbers, found and verified by independent and unbiased sources, were much higher, which sparked a controversy in Croatia. Operation Maslenica is hailed as a major success by Croatian sources. These claim that the main objectives of
1296-538: The country in the collective defense system of the NATO alliance. In war situations, the Croatian Army is responsible for the implementation of joint defensive and offensive operations in the defense of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia and participation in the defense of the state and allies in accordance with Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty. The Croatian Army has contributed to
1344-735: The defense of the sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia, they also receive the tasks of participating in NATO-led international operations and UN missions. In 2007, the Croatian Army abandoned the corps structure and the territorial principle of defense through a reorganization, and from four brigades two were established with their commands in Vinkovci and Knin. The Croatian Army is an all-volunteer force numbering 7,000 active-duty personnel and 150 civil servants and employees as of 2020. The Army can also call on 6,000 reserve personnel who serve up to 30 days every year. Two major combat formations of
1392-680: The first units of the ZNG followed the "Bloody Easter" in 1991, when it became obvious that the Republic of Croatia would have to defend itself with organized military forces. The first units of the National Guard Corps are considered to be the first units of the ground forces of the Croatian Army, and from their active cores came the guard brigades: 1st Guards Brigade "Tigrovi" , 2nd Guards Brigade "Gromovi" , 3rd Guards Brigade "Kune" and 4th Guards Brigade "Pauci" , units which during
1440-700: The following NATO missions since 2015: Source: The Croatian Army was involved in the following UN missions since 2017: In the past, the Croatian Army has also contributed to: The Croatian Army celebrates its day on May 28 in commemoration of the day when members of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th brigades of the Croatian National Guard were lined up and sworn in at the NK Zagreb stadium in Kranjčevićeva Street in Zagreb. The organization of
1488-492: The government of Franjo Tuđman was constantly criticised for using apparently ineffective diplomacy instead of direct military action to liberate the rest of the country. The Elections for the Croatian Chamber of Counties and various local and regional assemblies were scheduled for February 7, and many expected far-right opposition parties to use the issue to make gains against Tuđman's centre-right HDZ party. In
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1536-452: The liberation operations in 1995 which finally led to the liberation of the occupied territory and the establishment of the integrity of the Republic of Croatia. With their strength and the art of warfare, they made the main effort and celebrated as winners in operations " Flash ", "Summer '95" and "Storm" . After the brilliant victory in "Storm", operations " Mistral " and " Southern Move " followed. The final operations in 1995 established
1584-551: The lines that would be unchanged until Operation Storm in August, 1995. According to Croatian sources, the only published military data so far, the Croatians had 114 fatalities and the Serbs suffered 490 dead. Serbian sources mostly agree, citing a figure of 491. Allegedly 326 of them were militiamen and 160 were civilians and the villages Smoković , Kašić and Islam Grčki were burnt down by Croatian forces, and forced many of
1632-682: The major combat formations, to be organized as a small, highly capable force with an emphasis on mobility, versatility and quality, has as a clear aim of being able to be deployed rapidly and operate with high degree of flexibility as part of a larger multinational combat force. For such an organizational structure to work, it must be deployed with high level of training and equipped with modern weapons systems that put emphasis on precision, quick mobility and interoperability with other NATO partners. To that end, Croatian Army has also been extensively training with its NATO partners in number of yearly exercises such as "SHIELD", “Immediate response”, “SAVA STAR” among
1680-537: The offensive were achieved on the first days. The Croatian army took over Maslenica, Islam Grčki, Zemunik airport and Zadar´s hinterland. They also secured Velika and Mala Bobija, Tulove Grede and Mali Alan in Velebit , a strategic area that allowed them to check Serbian forces in Benkovac, Obrovac and Gračac. Further advances were halted on 25 January under international pressure. While the Croatian military inflicted
1728-669: The operation was only a moderate strategic success, and was condemned by the UN Security Council . In early September, 1991, during the opening stages of the Croatian War of Independence , Serb-dominated units of the Knin Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), under the command of Colonel Ratko Mladić and supported by the ethnic Serb Krajina militia, conducted offensive operations against areas under
1776-459: The others, as well as being part of NATO Enhanced Forward Presence . Reserve units were one of the foundations on which the Croatian Army was built in the Homeland War. The Home Guard was restored and became a separate part of the Croatian Army as a reserve unit and was subjected to a unique command system. After the war, the Home Guard was disbanded and demobilized, and in 2003, with
1824-461: The outcome of elections and partly because of the impression that the most immediate aims were met, the Croatian government decided to halt the offensive. The fighting continued in a series of local attacks and counterattacks, with minor pieces of territory changing hands and the Dalmatian coastal cities of Zadar, Biograd and Šibenik being occasionally shelled by Serb artillery. By the autumn of 1993, all those incidents petered out and both sides held
1872-541: The parts of Slovenia between Litija and Bled , as well as Bohinj , are generally not defined by their proximity to the Sava river in Slovenian geographical nomenclature). The gography of the Posavina region is defined by geological features of the central (inner) zones of the Sava river basin , near or adjacent to the Sava river itself. The region extends along the Sava river, which flows from west to east, connecting valleys and plains in transitional regions between
1920-610: The province was Zagreb in Croatia . In 1939, Sava Banovina was merged with Littoral Banovina to form new Banovina of Croatia . Today, one of the counties in Croatia is named Brod-Posavina County and one of the cantons in Bosnia and Herzegovina is named Posavina Canton . The Bosnian Posavina region was gravely hit by the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–95) to the point that parts of it had become uninhabited , as almost all
1968-445: The reorganization of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Home Guard was abolished. After Croatia had only active units of a total of about 16,000 people for several years after joining NATO, in 2014 it was decided to start re-organizing the reserve component. In 2018 six reserve units were first formed: 2 artillery and missile regiments, 1 air defence regiment, 1 logistics regiment, and 1 battalion engineering and communications each. In 2020,
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2016-522: The situation proved to be untenable in the long term, because the region was severed from the rest of the country, despite nominally having a land link. The usual land routes through Bosnia, Lika and Dalmatia were controlled by the Serbs both in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina . This forced traffic and commerce to use ferryboat services and the Pag Bridge connecting Pag island and mainland Dalmatia, which were often affected by bad weather. The Pag Bridge
2064-475: The subsequent battle. The Republic of Serbian Krajina was, on the other hand, much weakened by the retreat of the JNA following the Croatian diplomatic recognition and the eruption of war in neighbouring Bosnia, which gobbled up much of the military, economic and other resources of Serbia proper and left the RSK forces more or less on their own. Their forces were additionally weakened by having to support Serb forces in Bosnia, especially Bosanska Posavina where
2112-502: The task of preventing and eliminating the consequences of emergency situations in the country caused by natural and technical accidents and disasters. The HKoV has units of combat branches (Mechanized and Armoured Mechanized infantry), combat support branches (artillery, air defense, engineering, communications, nuclear-biological-chemical defense, military police and military intelligence units) and services support (supply, transport, maintenance and sanitation). The basic mission of HKoV
2160-526: The use of Croatian military operations for party politics and claimed that Operation Maslenica had been executed solely as a Tuđman pre-election stunt, and had resulted in the needless waste of Croatian lives. This statement was almost immediately attacked by Croatian war veterans' organizations. 44°14′12″N 15°31′22″E / 44.23667°N 15.52278°E / 44.23667; 15.52278 Croatian Army Bosnian War : The Croatian Army ( Croatian : Hrvatska kopnena vojska or HKoV )
2208-502: The year since the Sarajevo armistice, the Croatian military not only gained valuable experience and boosted their morale through successful offensive operations in neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina , but also used the lack of major military operations on Croatian soil to improve its equipment, organisation, personnel and tactics. The core of the Croatian military were professional Guards brigades - three of which would ultimately see action in
2256-519: Was also damaged by the JNA air force in 1991, causing doubts about its long-term use. Furthermore, the Serb army also controlled the Peruća hydroelectric dam near Sinj and threatened its destruction, which could have flooded the Cetina valley, leaving Dalmatia without power. The fact that Dalmatia was severed from the rest of Croatia had an effect on Croatian internal politics. Since the Sarajevo armistice,
2304-520: Was built in 1997-1998, on a slightly different location from the old bridge that had been destroyed. The renovation of the latter was completed in early 2006. Twelve years after the operation, during the 2005 campaign for local elections in Croatia, these events sparked another controversy. On May 1, 2005, the 10th anniversary of Operation Flash, the Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader used the celebrations to campaign for his HDZ party. The Croatian president, Stipe Mesić , reacted by expressing outrage over
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