OWTF 2012-2014.

1. Battle of

2. 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

3. 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)

4. • In August 1990. the block revolution happened
• Paramilitary serbian troops blocked roads with
barricades
• The JNA started giving active support to Serbian
rebels

5. 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

6. First victim
• The first victim occured, it was Josip Jović, a
Croatian police officer
• He died during a conflict in Pakrac

7. 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

9. 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

11. 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

12. 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

14. 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

16. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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