Siege of Dubrovnik

Overview

The siege of Dubrovnik was a military campaign fought between the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Croatian forces defending the city of Dubrovnik and its surroundings during the Croatian War of Independence. The JNA started its advance on 1 October 1991, and by late October, it had captured virtually all the land between the Pelješac and Prevlaka peninsulas on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, with the exception of Dubrovnik itself. The siege was accompanied by a Yugoslav Navy blockade. The JNA's bombardment of Dubrovnik, including that of the Old Town—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—culminated on 6 December 1991. The bombardment provoked international condemnation, and became a public relations disaster for Serbia and Montenegro, contributing to their diplomatic and economic isolation, as well as the international recognition of Croatia's independence. In May 1992, the JNA retreated to Bosnia and Herzegovina, less than 1 kilometre from the coast in some places, and handed over its equipment to the newly formed Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). During this time, the Croatian Army (HV) attacked from the west and pushed back the JNA/VRS from the areas east of Dubrovnik, both in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by the end of May linked up with the HV unit defending the city. Fighting between the HV and Yugoslav troops east of Dubrovnik gradually died down.

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

Significance

The Siege of Dubrovnik was a major operational episode of the Croatian War of Independence in which the Yugoslav People's Army advanced along the Adriatic coast, capturing territory between the Pelješac and Prevlaka peninsulas while blockading the city by sea. The JNA's bombardment of Dubrovnik's Old Town—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—provoked widespread international condemnation and became a significant public relations liability for Serbia and Montenegro, accelerating their diplomatic and economic isolation and contributing to international recognition of Croatian independence. By May 1992, the JNA withdrew toward Bosnia and Herzegovina, transferring its equipment to the newly formed Army of Republika Srpska. Croatian Army forces then advanced from the west, retaking territory east of Dubrovnik on both the Croatian and Bosnian sides of the border and linking up with the garrison that had defended the city throughout the siege.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (10)