Operation Storm

Overview

Operation Storm was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a major factor in the outcome of the Bosnian War. It was a decisive victory for the Croatian Army (HV), which attacked across a 630-kilometre (390 mi) front against the self-declared proto-state Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK), and a strategic victory for the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH). The HV was supported by the Croatian special police advancing from the Velebit Mountain, and the ARBiH located in the Bihać pocket, in the Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina's (ARSK) rear. The battle, launched to restore Croatian control of 10,400 square kilometres of territory – representing 18.4% of the territory it claimed – and Bosniak control of Western Bosnia, was the largest land battle that took place in Europe between the end of World War II and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Operation Storm commenced at dawn on 4 August 1995 and was declared complete on the evening of 7 August, despite significant mopping-up operations against pockets of resistance lasting until 14 August.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Storm was the last major battle of the Croatian War of Independence and a decisive factor in ending the conflict. Launched against the self-declared Republic of Serbian Krajina across a 630-kilometre front, the operation restored Croatian control over roughly 10,400 square kilometres of territory representing 18.4% of the country's claimed land. The Croatian Army, supported by the Croatian special police and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina operating from the Bihać pocket in the Krajina forces' rear, achieved a decisive victory against a defending force roughly one-quarter its size. The operation concluded in four days of major fighting, with mopping-up operations continuing until 14 August. By eliminating the RSK as a functioning entity, it also constituted a strategic victory for Bosniak forces in western Bosnia, directly influencing the trajectory of the Bosnian War. Measured by scale, Operation Storm stands as the largest land battle in Europe between the end of World War II and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (15)