Battle of

Content:• How it all started• First incidents• First victim• SAO Krajina• Resistance of Vukovar• Commanders• First destroyed buildings• Fall of Vukovar• Mass graves• Concentration camps• Siniša Glavašević• Statistics after the attack

How it all started• In 1990 Yugoslavia was breaking down• Citizens of all republics on the multiparty

elections chose their political leaders• In Croatia, which was largely populated by Serbs,

they declared the Serbian autonomous region Krajina (SAO Krajina)

• In August 1990. the block revolution happened• Paramilitary serbian troops blocked roads with

barricades• The JNA started giving active support to Serbian

rebels

First incidents• During 1991. armed incidents were becoming

increasingly frequent, as the Croatian police could no longer passively observe the situation

• In March 1991. there was a conflict between Croatian and Serbian police forces in Pakrac and several days later Serbian insurgents attacked the Croatian police at the Plitvica Lakes

First victim• The first victim occured, it was Josip Jović, a

Croatian police officer• He died during a conflict in Pakrac

SAO Krajina• The SAO Krajina territory had already been

beyond the control of Croatian authority, and now the Serbian rebels, with generous help from the JNA and the volunteers from Serbia, were able to take over large parts of Slavonia, Lika, Banija, Kordun and Dalmatia

Resistance of Vukovar• While the number of defenders of Vukovar was

about 1 800, the number of JNA soldiers and rebel Serbs was around 80 000, and they were much better armed

• In the area around Vukovar there were over 1 600 tanks and Serbian aircrafts

• With such power the Serbs could, in theory, take over Vukovar in just a few days

• But, Vukovar managed to resist the overwhelming military force for almost three months

Commanders• Commanders of the Croatian Defence were: Mile

Dedaković Jastreb, Branko Borković, Mladi Jastreb and Blago Zadro, who was killed in action on the 16th November 1991. they all had significant roles in the defense of the city

• Vukovars defense would not have been possible without other, known and unknown heroes

First destroyed buildings

• The first buildings to be destoryed in Vukovar were the hospital, the Catholic church and the water tower

• At that time there were 300 wounded people in the hospital

Fall of Vukovar• From 15th October 1991. Vukovar was fully

surrounded by Serbs• After several months on the 18th November

1991. the city fell into enemy's hands• With the occupation of Vukovar the Serbian army

began the second part of the Vukovar tragedy

Mass graves• Mass graves were discovered several months

later• The world was shaken by the images of Ovčara

where the mass executions were carried out• It is assumed that some graves have not yet been

discovered

Concentration camps• More than 5000 people were taken to camps in

Serbia where they suffered severe abuse and many have never returned

• A large number of camps haven't been discovered yet so we still don't know how many people from Vukovar disappeared forever

Siniša Glavašević• One known person from the battle of Vukovar was

Siniša Glavašević editor of the Croatian radio station at Vukovar

• He was a war reporter from occupied Vukovar• He was killed and buried at the mass grave at

Ovčara. After his death, his poem collection was published.

Statistics after the attack

• Between 2 900 and 3 600 people lost their lives in the Battle of Vukovar and 86 of them were children. Around 22 000 persons were banished

• Nearly 8 000 soldiers and civilians went trough Serbian concentration camps; around 4 000 people were killed, died or disappeared, 306 are considered missing

• A mass grave was found in Vukovar with body remains of more than 1 200 people

• They took down Vukovar war hospital and many civilian objects, and no one has taken the blame fot it so far