Bosnian War[edit]

Main article: Bosnian War

Main article: CroatBosniak War
The Serb-dominated Yugoslav People's Army attacked Croatia from Bosnia and
Herzegovina.[7] First target was Croatian village Ravno that was attacked on 2 November
1991 and completely destroyed.[7] Yugoslavia made economic blockade on Bosnia and
Herzegovina thus trying to keep it as part of Yugoslavia.[8] Later, Yugoslavia claimed
territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Serb majority and capital Sarajevo. [8] Serb
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was declared on 27 March 1992 with goal to include
parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Yugoslavia. Plan of Serbian politics in Bosnia and
Herzegovina was to unite illegal Serbian autonomous provinces into the single unit that
would join Yugoslavia and with total blockade of Sarajevo break Bosnia and Herzegovina
into the smaller, unconnected and hardly defensible enclaves. Because of superiority in
armament, support from Belgrade and embargo on import of arms in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Serbs achieved their goals already in June 1992.
Bosniak leadership was still in indecision for major conflict, so Croats were first to
participate in the war. They organized military units, Croatian Defence Forces(HOS) in
November 1991 and Croatian Defence Council in April 1992. Those units were partly
composed of Bosniaks. The Territorial Defence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, later Army of
the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina effectively organized in autumn of 1992. On Serbcontrolled areas, Serbs executed mass murders, ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs, primarily
Bosniaks and Croats, established concentration camps and destroyed Bosniak and Croat
cultural inheritance. Until November 1992 Serbs conquered 70% of territory of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and held Sarajevo in hoop by terrorizing the population of Sarajevo by
shelling and constant sniper fire. Relationship between Bosnians and Croats during the
war. The existing diversity was increased because of chaotic and war situation but also
because of conflicting views and moves by individual leaders of both sides and United
Nations. The creation of Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was in dispute for Bosniaks.
Croats accused Bosniaks for islamization of the country and attempts for Bosniak
domination in all areas, so they withdrew Croat representatives from Parliament,
Government and Presidency.
The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina had catastrophic consequences, primarily because of
disrupted relation between nationalities and religious communities. By Serbian expulsion
of Bosniaks, Bosniaks moved to other areas and thus disrupted living area of Croats and
their pre-war ratio. Political disputes and minor incidents in central and
northern Bosnia and in northern and central Herzegovina led to Croat-Bosniak War in
November 1992.
The Vance-Owen plan was presented in January 1993. It was planned to create 10 cantons
on territory of all Bosnia and Herzegovina. This plan increased conflict between Croats and
Bosniaks. The Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) launched four
offensives and conquered large area which was under control of HVO; almost whole
Central Bosnia (except Novi Travnik, Vitez, Busovaa, Kiseljak, Kreevo and epe and
wider area around those towns and Usora, part of Municipality of Travnik, Zavidovii and
part of Municipality of Vare) and part of Herzegovina, Konjic, Jablanica and eastern and

northern parts of Mostar. Number of crimes against civilians were committed on both
sides. Hostility between Croats and Bosniaks ended with mediation of the United States
and sign ofWashington Agreement on 18 March 1994. The cooperation between Croats and
Bosniaks was renewed, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Bosniak and
Croat-controlled area was established. There was also proposal to create
a confederation of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republic of Croatia.
The joint command of ARBiH, HVO and Croatian Army (HV) was established in March 1995.
The closer cooperation between Croats and Bosniaks was made through the Split
Agreement where Bosnia and Herzegovina's Muslim leaders allowed Croatian Army to free
western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina with cooperation with ARBiH. After the Operation
Storm, the Serbian hoop around Biha was broken and Croatian and Bosnian armies
continued to liberate western Bosnia. The UN unsuccessfully tried to establish peace in
Bosnia and Herzegovina by trying to make a successful structure of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. UN showed a total inability when Serbs conquered UN-protected
towns, Srebrenica and epa. Serbs also launched on UN-protected town of Biha, but they
were stopped by Croatian army during the Operation Storm. Joint Croatian-Bosnian military
successes made peace negotiations possible.

Washington Agreement[edit]
Main article: Washington Agreement
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was formed by the Washington Agreement of
March 1994. Under the agreement, the combined territory held by theArmy of the Republic
of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council forces was divided into ten
autonomous cantons. The cantonal system was selected to prevent dominance by one
ethnic group over another.
In 1995, Bosnian government forces and Bosnian Croat forces of the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina defeated forces of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, and this
territory was added to the federation. By the Dayton Agreement of 1995, the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina was defined as one of the two entities of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and comprised 51% of the federation area. The Republika Srpska comprised
the other 49%.
On 8 March 2000, the Brko District was formed as an autonomous entity within Bosnia
and Herzegovina and it was created from part of the territory of both Bosnian entities.
Brko District is now a shared territory that belongs to both entities.