storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
The signifi cance of the liberation military-police operation Storm for the destiny
of Croatia is extraordinary. With its victorious Storm in August 1995 Croatia
successfully brought to a close a very dramatic period in its history which
started with the armed rebellion of the Serbs in Croatia and the terrorist activity of
Serbian extremists aft er August 1990. Th at was the introduction to the open aggression
against the Republic of Croatia carried out, aft er July 1991, by the armed forces of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (JNA and the territorial defence units of Serbia,
Montenegro and Bosnia&Herzegovina), that is, of Serbia and Montenegro, and Serbian
paramilitary, largely pro-chetnik units. It can freely be claimed that the survival of Croatia
within its internationally recognized borders depended on the outcome of Storm, and
that the failure of the operation would have had fateful and lasting consequences for
the territorial integrity of the Republic of Croatia. Today, twelve years aft er victory, it is
diffi cult even to imagine the drama behind the decision to launch Storm, because Croatia
would never again, probably, have had another chance to reincorporate the occupied
territory into its constitutional and legal system.
Although a cool scientifi c analysis might show that Operation Storm, because of a
number of problems in its preparation and execution, was not so irreproachable as some
people claim - which is understandable considering the circumstances in which it was
carried out and the great number of mobilized troops - for most Croats and citizens
of other ethnic backgrounds who live in Croatia and consider it their homeland it is
a magnifi cent event. First of all because of its result - the liberation of the occupied
territory of the Republic of Croatia and the rescue of thousands of people from certain
death in Bihać. Th is is why not even comments of military analysts and historians related
to the shortcomings in the implementation of the operation can challenge its success.
Th is is particularly true if we take into account - in the fi nal assessment of the success
of Storm - the fact that such a complex operation was carried out by an army created
in a very short time and organized in wartime conditions aft er Croatia managed to
defend itself, in 1991, from the aggression of the superior Serbian forces and from total
occupation focused on the creation of so-called Greater Serbia. Storm is actually the
crown of Croatia’s Homeland War and the confi rmation of the military skill of Croatian
offi cers, non-commissioned offi cers and soldiers, of their courage and determination,
organization and ability to apply scientifi c achievements, but also of their skill in
improvisation. Regardless of the higher or lower performance of his unit, every Croatian
soldier or policeman who took honourable part in Storm deserves the appreciation and
gratitude of other Croatian citizens who had waited for years for the liberation of their
homeland and for the end of the war.
* We express our deep gratitude to Mr. Ante Kostelić for making this translation possible.
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