SAO Krajina
Encyclopedia
Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina or SAO Krajina (САО Крајина) was a self proclaimed Serbian autonomous region (oblast
) within modern-day Croatia
(then Yugoslavia
). It existed between 1990 and 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina
. SAO Krajina was the main section of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, also known as Krajina proper.
encompassed the Community of Municipalities of Northern Dalmatia
and Lika
. It became the Association of Autonomous Serb Municipalities and soon started making its own government institutions including the Serbian National Council
, a parliament for the region.
Originally it was expected that Franjo Tuđman wanted Croatia to be a nation state within Yugoslavia after democratic and decentralizing reforms. When this turned out to be unlikely, they wanted it to be independent of Croatia but remain within the mini-Yugoslavia proposed under the Belgrade Initiative.
On February 28, 1991 the SAO Krajina was officially declared. It announced that it planned to separate from Croatia if it moved for independence from Yugoslavia.
The Serb National Council on March 16, 1991 declared Krajina to be independent of Croatia but within the SFR Yugoslavia. Some leaders in Krajina declared Krajina to be part of Serbia
. On May 12, 1991 a referendum was held regarding devolution from Croatia. Krajina was voted independent of Croatia but within SFR Yugoslavia.
Conflict soon began between the Krajina Serbs and Croat authorities. After Slovenia
and Croatia declared independence, violence escalated as the Serbs expanded the territory they held with the help of the Yugoslav People's Army
(JNA), eventually to include SAO of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem and SAO Western Slavonia
. The Serb-controlled territory included a third of Croatia.
On 19 December 1991 the two SAOs through the initiative of Milan Babić
(president of SAO Krajina) and Goran Hadžić
(president of SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem) were declared as one Serbian state with the name Republic of Serbian Krajina
. In February 1992, the authorities declared independence.
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
) within modern-day Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(then Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
). It existed between 1990 and 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
. SAO Krajina was the main section of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, also known as Krajina proper.
History
In October 1990 the SAO Kninska KrajinaSAO Kninska Krajina
Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Kninska Krajina was a Serb self-proclaimed autonomous region in SR Croatia. It was formed in 1990 and was subsequently transformed into SAO Krajina and later included into the Republic of Serbian Krajina. The center of the SAO was the city of Knin.-History:After...
encompassed the Community of Municipalities of Northern Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
and Lika
Lika
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
. It became the Association of Autonomous Serb Municipalities and soon started making its own government institutions including the Serbian National Council
Serbian National Council
The Serb National Council is elected political, consulting and coordinating body acting as a form of self government of Serbs in the Republic of Croatia.The organisation was founded in July 1997 after the Erdut Agreement, and its founding members were:...
, a parliament for the region.
Originally it was expected that Franjo Tuđman wanted Croatia to be a nation state within Yugoslavia after democratic and decentralizing reforms. When this turned out to be unlikely, they wanted it to be independent of Croatia but remain within the mini-Yugoslavia proposed under the Belgrade Initiative.
On February 28, 1991 the SAO Krajina was officially declared. It announced that it planned to separate from Croatia if it moved for independence from Yugoslavia.
The Serb National Council on March 16, 1991 declared Krajina to be independent of Croatia but within the SFR Yugoslavia. Some leaders in Krajina declared Krajina to be part of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. On May 12, 1991 a referendum was held regarding devolution from Croatia. Krajina was voted independent of Croatia but within SFR Yugoslavia.
Conflict soon began between the Krajina Serbs and Croat authorities. After Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Croatia declared independence, violence escalated as the Serbs expanded the territory they held with the help of the Yugoslav People's Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
(JNA), eventually to include SAO of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem and SAO Western Slavonia
SAO Western Slavonia
SAO Western Slavonia or Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Western Slavonia was a Serbian self-proclaimed autonomous region within Croatia. It was formed on 12 August 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina...
. The Serb-controlled territory included a third of Croatia.
On 19 December 1991 the two SAOs through the initiative of Milan Babić
Milan Babic
Milan Babić was from 1991 to 1995 the first President of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a Croatian region at the time of the war largely populated by a Serbs of Croatia that wished to break away from Croatia.He was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former...
(president of SAO Krajina) and Goran Hadžić
Goran Hadžic
Goran Hadžić is a former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina who was in office during the Croatian War of Independence. He is accused of crimes against humanity and of violation of the laws and customs of war by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.The court...
(president of SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem) were declared as one Serbian state with the name Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
. In February 1992, the authorities declared independence.
