Siege of Dubrovnik

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siege of Dubrovnik

Part of the Croatian War of Independence

Date	October 1991-May 1992
Location	Dubrovnik area, Croatia
Result	Siege lifted

Belligerents

Yugoslav Army (JNA)

Montenegro Territorial Defence Forces

Croatian Army (HV)

Croatian Defence Forces (HOS)

Commanders

Veljko Kadijević (Chief of Staff of Yugoslav People's Army)

Major General Nojko Marinović (commander of Dubrovnik defence)

Anton Tus (Chief of Staff of Croatian Army 1991-1992)
Janko Bobetko (posted to area in 1992)

Strength

Between 7,500 and 20,000 men^[1]
or 30,000^[2]

1,230 armed men at the maximum and 60 at the minimal strength, depending on the phase^[2]

Casualties and losses

About 150 soldiers^[3]

Almost 100 soldiers and 82-88 civilians killed^[4]^[1]

Croatian War of Independence

Plitvice Lakes – Borovo Selo – Dalmatia – Vukovar (Battle, Massacre) – The Barracks – Dubrovnik – Lovas – Široka Kula – Gospić – Saborsko – Baćin – Otkos 10 – Škabrnja – Orkan 91 – Voćin – Miljevci – Maslenica – Medak Pocket – Flash – Zagreb – Summer '95 – Storm

Siege of Dubrovnik (Croatian: Opsada Dubrovnika) is a term marking the battle and siege of the city of Dubrovnik and the surrounding area in Croatia as part of the Croatian War of Independence. The siege was marked by severe bombardment of civilian targets, drawing much international attention.

It was besieged and attacked by JNA forces in late 1991, with the major fighting ending in early 1992 and the Croatian counterattack finally lifting the siege and liberating the area in mid-1992.

1 Preface
2 The siege
3 Aftermath
4 Accused for war crimes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Preface

Dubrovnik is an old city located in the southernmost part of Dalmatia. It is a well-known tourist destination (a UNESCO World Heritage site), and was therefore demilitarized during the Communist Yugoslavia because it was considered that military presence does not go hand to hand with tourism. Because of this, when Croatia voted for independence in 1991, it was one of the few major cities in Croatia not to have major JNA military forces in the area, which spared it during the Battle of the Barracks of September.

The geographical position of the city was somewhat problematic. With the land borders between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro (in 1991, both still part of Yugoslavia), Dubrovnik and the surrounding area found itself isolated. The southernmost part of Croatia is separated by the BiH's sea corridor at Neum. Furthermore, the geographical area around the city is very mountainous and unsuitable for military operations; creating a significant supply problem which was to limit the amount of forces involved. This meant that, in the case of JNA attack from the neighbouring republics, Croatia's assistance would be limited to what can be transported to the area by sea.

[edit] The siege

[edit] Opposing forces

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Croatian military forces in the area at September were virtually non-existent ^[5] and were severely outgunned as the heaviest weapons available to them were two Soviet 76 millimeter artillery guns from 1942. ^[6]

The defenders included just one locally conscripted unit - the 163rd Infantry Brigade, which - along with local police forces and volunteers - numbered less than 1,500 men and had no tanks or heavy guns. Towards the end of the year, the defenders were reinforced with the IX (9th) HOS Infantry Battalion of less than 300 men.

These were pitted against several brigades of the JNA and Montenegro Territorial Defence Force of between 7,500 and 20,000 men, with tanks and artillery elements of the Naval District Corps and assorted other Corps formations of south Bosnia and Montenegro. The attack at the time was portrayed as an entirely Montenegrin affair (despite mixed nationality of JNA troops and Serb guidance, Montenegrins made the majority of troops) and was therefore presented in Montenegro as "War for Peace". JNA officers made a concerted effort at misrepresenting the military situation on the ground and exaggerated the “threat” of an attack on Montenegro by “30,000 armed Ustashas and 7000 terrorists, including Kurdish mercenaries. There were said to be no mercenaries on the Croat side, except for one foreigner, a Dutchman, who was married to a lady from Dubrovnik and who was there during the war. He volunteered to join the Croatian army^[1].

According to the ICTY, the purpose of the attack on Dubrovnik was to annex the area to Serbia and Montenegro, which was to be achieved by proclaiming a new Republic of Dubrovnik. ^[7]

[edit] Initial attacks

By October 1991, War had already started throughout Croatia. On 1 October 1991, JNA forces from Montenegro (swelled by mobilization called on 16 September in Montenegro) and south BiH advanced to attack the surrounding area and occupied Prevlaka, Konavle, Cavtat and the entire area around Dubrovnik, including the important international airport. The airport was looted of valuable equipment which was taken to Montenegro - after independence in 2006, Montenegro has agreed to pay reparations for this, as well as return stolen art works, also taken from areas around Dubrovnik.

On the way to attack Dubrovnik, JNA forces from Bosnia levelled the Croatian village of Ravno (in Bosnia) to the ground, making it the first casualty of the Bosnian War which officially started only six months later.

A combination of stiff resistance, rugged terrain and international attention blocked JNA's total attack and occupation of the city. The JNA occupied high terrain around the city instead, placing artillery there to shell the city - thus the siege was started. At the same time, the Yugoslav Navy was actively invovled in the bombardment, maintaining sea blockade and shelling the city from the Adriatic Sea. Food, water and electricity supply to the city was cut at the very beginning of the siege. The city was also crowded with 55,000 refugees from other war-torn areas in Croatia who thought they found a safe heaven in Dubrovnik. ^[6]

[edit] Siege

Old city of Dubrovnik in 1989.

City map with marked damage from the shelling.

The siege had immediately raised attention, as western reporters took pictures of the shelling (especially the Old City of Dubrovnik - a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - which drew international criticism of the JNA forces. The siege was heavily present in the international media, which pushed the pivotal and much more brutal Battle of Vukovar into second plan. Even before the siege, international Community attempted several treaties to limit JNA advances into overwhelmingly Croat areas, but these were broken by JNA without regard. ^[1]

International reactions did nothing to quell the brutal bombardment, however, and the shelling continued to the end of the year. Croatian Navy and coastal artillery had successfully repelled JNA Navy forces along Dalmatia, and the Navy withdrew to Montenegro naval base of Boka Kotorska, but the situation on the ground was still unfavorable. Towards the end of the year, Croatian defenders managed a small counterattack that was aimed at displacing the JNA from the surrounding mountains, but this did not end the shelling entirely.

Noted poet Milan Milišić became the first casualty of the shelling on October 5. On 6 December 1991, the heaviest shelling was reported on what came to be known as the St. Nicholas day bombardment, during which 13 civilians were killed and 60 wounded ^[5].

The last ceasefire went into effect at the end of the year and the shelling ended by 1992.

[edit] Counterattack: Operations Čagalj and Tigar

As part of the ceasefire agreement, the JNA left Croatia and moved to Bosnia and Herzegovina where the Bosnian War was to start in April. Since many of the units involved in attacks on Dubrovnik were originally from Corps formations in Bosnia, these were now returned to their home commands as JNA forces in planned a general offensive on the nearby BiH city of Mostar and many troops were withdrawn from the area around Dubrovnik.

The units left behind had now been weakened and limited to reserve troops and Croatia took advantage of the situation by redeploying elements of elite guard brigades (1st, 2nd and 4th) to the area, forming a command HQ under Janko Bobetko in April and starting a successful offensive which broke the blockade on 26 May 1992. After that, Operations Čagalj and Tigar were launched to push the remaining forces away from the city and liberate the entire surrounding area, which was achieved by the end of July. The important Prevlaka area was also taken - which effectively meant a blockade of the JNA Navy in Boka - but was recaptured by Montenegro forces. Following this, both sides agreed for a United Nations supervision of the area and the war for Dubrovnik ended.

[edit] Aftermath

An analysis conducted by the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, in conjunction with UNESCO, found that, of the 824 buildings in the Old Town, 563 (or 68.33 %) had been hit by projectiles in 1991 and 1992. Nine buildings were completely destroyed by fire. In 1993, the Institute for the Rehabilitation of Dubrovnik, in conjunction with UNESCO, estimated the total cost for restoring public and private buildings; religious buildings; streets, squares, and fountains; and ramparts, gates, and bridges at $9,657,578 US dollars. By the end of 1999, over $7,000,000 US dollars had been spent on restoration. ^[7]

The city and the area recovered remarkably from the war, and the city is now again a favorite tourist destination. Prevlaka has been returned from UN supervision to Croatian control and the newly independent Montenegro has expressed wish for improving relations with Croatia and has promised making war reparations and solving open border questions a priority.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Accused for war crimes

The ICTY has charged four JNA commanders with command responsibility: Veljko Kadijević, Blagoje Adžić, Borisav Jović and Aleksandar Vasiljević for war crimes done during the siege. Slobodan Milošević was also charged.^[8]

General Pavle Strugar was sentenced to 8 years for his role in the shelling of the city.^[9]

Miodrag Jokić (commander of JNA Naval District) was sentenced to 7 years.^[10]

Vladimir Kovačević (commander of third battalion 472nd Motorized JNA Brigade) was accused together with Strugar for war crimes , but his case was transferred to Courts of Serbia.^[11]