General Information
56,542 km2- slightly smaller than West
Virginia
2003 population: 4,422,248
89.6% Croat
4.5% Serb
Seceded from Yugoslavia on June
25, 1991
Wants to be part of NATO/EU
Not granted membership because of
human rights atrocities against Serbs
General Information Cont’d…
Mediterranean and continental
climates
Hot summers and cold winters inland
Mild winters and dry summers on coast
Economy-
based on agriculture and livestock
until after WWII (more than half the popn. were
peasants)
Different Ethnic Groups
Different ethnic
groups in the area
Serbs have changed it
the most
In 1991 12% of popn.
was Serb
2001 census: 4.54% is
Serb
Large ethnic Serb
minorities in Krajina and
Eastern Slavonia
Ethnic Distribution
0.5% 8.1%
0.5%
0.9%
Croat
Serb
Muslim
12.0%
Hungarian
Slovenian
Others
78.0%
History of Serbs in Croatia
Serbs migrated to Croatia and to
Hungary in 18th century
Welcomed by Austrian rulers
Serbs helped protect borders from
invading Turks
Some stayed for generations
Especially in the Austrian military
frontier, Krajina region
Atrocities against Serbs in
WWII
Croatian Nazis commit atrocities against
Serbs during WWII
Known as Ustashi
Both Croat and Muslim fascists were
responsible
Genocide of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies, and other minority
groups
Ustashi wanted “racial purification”
During this time Serbs were expelled,
forced to convert religion, tortured, and
killed
Krajina Region
http://members.tripod.com/~kutla/razno/vodic.html
Eastern Slavonia
Nationalism Started
Reappearing
Tensions increased between Croats and Serbs
Both Croat and Serb nationalists liked the
irredentism view
Croatians had been suppressed by Josip Tito
After Tito died in 1980 Croatia and Slovenia
elected non-communist political parties
Era of Communist Party monopoly ended
Violence After 1991 Secession
http://www.un.org/av/photo/ untaes.html
Violent break-outs
between Croats and Serbs
in northern Croatia
Serbian President
Milośević supported the
fighting
Tremendous destruction
Entire cities destroyed
Extensive damage to
roadways, bridges,
personal property
Serb-Croat War
http://www.ex.ac.uk/cis/ photos.htm
Croatia was poorly armed
and Caught off guard
7 months of fighting
10,000 deaths
30,000 wounded
More than 14,000
missing
Europe Steps In
European Community intervenes
January 3, 1992 UN peace-keeping
force called for in Croatia
Serbs agree to hand over heavy
weaponry
Allow refugees to return home
Croatia Wins
August 1995 100,000 Croatian troops
retake control of Krajina (area along
Bosnian border)
Rid the area of Serbian rebels
Ethnically cleansed Serbs who had lived there
for centuries
Temporary peace in 1996 between former
Yugoslav republic
January 15, 1998 eastern Slavonia
transferred to Croatia
Was under UN administration for two years
Transition Underway
Croatian nationalist leader Tudjman
died in 1999
Replaced by democratic government
Will this create a new relationship
between Croats and Serbs?
Tudjman’s nationalist party made a
comeback in 2003
Most of the conflicts are
geographical
Stem from historical
misunderstandings of who
“owns” the land
Serbs want control of land in
Croatia that historically
belonged to their ancestors
Disagreement about national
composition of regional
popn.’s
Popn. is mixed
Historically was the area
majority Serb or Croat?
Could not agree on a time in
history to look at
Key reason for present fighting
Two periods of ethnic cleansing during
post-Yugoslav war time
1991-Croats were expelled
1995-Serbs were ejected
Lots of Krajina Serbs settled in Kosovo
Worsened ethnic tensions with Albania
Erupted into war in 1998-99
Why ethnic cleansing?
Possibly because of economic problems
Who should have control over which regions?
Croatia in the
st
21
Century
In 2000 president-elect
Stipe Mesic had reform
ideas
All ethnic Serb refugees
should be allowed to return
home
Nationality and citizenship
issues are irrelevant
All refugees are victims of
war
Milošević was ousted in
Serbia at this same time
Far reaching
consequences for the
region
Especially Bosnia, Serbia,
Croatia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/euro
pe/638104.stm
NATO/EU Membership
Croatia wants to join NATO
Cannot commit atrocities against minority
groups
Do not want to cater to Serbs because of
historic dispute
Wants to join EU
Needed to reform judicial system, protect its
minorities, allow Serb refugees to return home
EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter
Verheugen on Croatian economy:
“Croatia is better placed today than most of the
countries that will be joining on May 1st.”
Croatia has the backing of the EU Commission
and will most likely become a member as early
as 2007, and most definitely before the end of
the decade
Obstacles Remaining
Hostility towards
Serbs has settled
Majority of returning
refugees are elderly
Return of large number
could cause a backlash
20% unemployment
rate
Returning Serbs face
joblessness
Homes still destroyed
Both Croats and Serbs
Bosnian Croats took
refuge in Serb homes
that had been
abandoned
Serb refugees (1995)
http://www.human-net.org/warissue/ en/reag/5myths.htm
References
“Croatia Inches Closer to EU Membership.” 21 April, 2004. 25 April, 2004.
<http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1430_A_1176063_1_A,00.html>.
“Croatia: Population Profile and Figures.” 2001. 27 April, 2004.
<http://www.db.idpproject.org/Sites/idpSurvey.nsf/wViewCountries/CFFFA6FDFECDC1256C090028CD15>.
Jansen, Stef. “The Violence of Memories.” Rethinking History: 2002 vol. 6.
77-94.
Partos, Gabriel. “Analysis: Problems Hinder Return to Croatia.” 10 February,
2000. 25 April, 2004. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/638104.stm>.
“Serbs.” 29 April, 2004.
<http://www.geohistory.com/GeoHistory/GHMaps/GeoWorld/serb.html.
“The World Factbook: Croatia.” 18 December, 2003. 25 April, 2004.
<http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/hr.html>.
Worldmark Yearbook 2000 vol. A-H. Detroit: The Gale Group, 2000. 707-12.