Herzeg-Bosnia

Herzeg-Bosnia. The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was a self-proclaimed political entity established by Bosnian Croat leadership during the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It existed from 1991 until 1994, primarily in areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a significant Croat population, with its proclaimed capital in Mostar. Its creation and actions were central to the Croat–Bosniak War, a sub-conflict within the broader Bosnian War.

Background and establishment

The establishment of Herzeg-Bosnia was directly linked to the rising Croatian nationalism and the Breakup of Yugoslavia. Following the first multi-party elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1990, political power was shared among the three constituent peoples through a coalition led by the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), and the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH). As the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia moved towards independence, tensions escalated. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leadership, including its president Franjo Tuđman, held discussions about the possible partition of Bosnia. On 18 November 1991, the Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia was proclaimed in Grude by Mate Boban and other Bosnian Croat leaders, later declaring itself a republic in August 1993. This move was a response to the earlier proclamation of the Serb Autonomous Regions by the Bosnian Serb leadership and the impending independence referendum.

Political structure and governance

Herzeg-Bosnia was governed as a parliamentary republic with its own executive, legislature, and judiciary. Its political structure was dominated by the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which operated in close coordination with the government in Zagreb. The entity's president was Mate Boban, with Krešimir Zubak succeeding him later. The Croatian Defence Council (HVO) served as both its official army and a parallel government structure, controlling civil administration in its territories. Key institutions included the Assembly and ministries based in Mostar, which issued its own currency, the Croatian dinar, and implemented the Croatian language and state symbols. Its authority was enforced in regions like West Herzegovina Canton, Canton 10, and parts of Central Bosnia Canton.

Armed forces and the Croat–Bosniak War

The military arm of Herzeg-Bosnia was the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), which initially cooperated with the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) against the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS). However, following the Karadordevo and Graz agreements between Franjo Tuđman and Slobodan Milošević, tensions over territory and political control erupted into open conflict in early 1993. The Croat–Bosniak War was marked by significant battles such as the Battle of Mostar, the Siege of Stari Most, the Lašva Valley campaign, and the Ahmići massacre. The HVO received substantial logistical and financial support from the Croatian Army (HV), and the conflict featured the establishment of detention camps like Heliodrom and Dretelj. The war caused massive ethnic cleansing of Bosniaks from Croat-claimed areas and severely weakened the joint defense against Republika Srpska.

International response and legal status

The international community, including the United Nations and the European Community, did not recognize Herzeg-Bosnia as a sovereign state. The Badinter Arbitration Committee affirmed the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Key mediators like Lord David Owen and Thorvald Stoltenberg within the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia sought to end the conflict. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) later prosecuted Herzeg-Bosnia's leaders for war crimes. In the Kupreškić case, the Tribunal ruled that Herzeg-Bosnia was part of a Joint Criminal Enterprise aimed at creating a Croat-dominated entity. The United States, under the Clinton administration, eventually pressured the warring parties to negotiate, leading to the Washington Agreement.

Dissolution and legacy

Herzeg-Bosnia was formally dissolved by the Washington Agreement of March 1994, which ended the Croat–Bosniak War and created the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a joint Bosniak-Croat entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its institutions were gradually integrated into the new Federation's government, though the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina retained significant political power. The legacy of Herzeg-Bosnia remains deeply controversial; it is viewed by many Croats as a necessary defense project and by many Bosniaks as a secessionist endeavor that led to war crimes. Its existence and the subsequent Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina solidified the ethnic federalism that defines modern Bosnian politics. Figures like Jadranko Prlić, Bruno Stojić, and Slobodan Praljak were convicted by the ICTY for their roles, with the Prlić et al. case confirming the entity's part in a broader criminal enterprise to partition Bosnia.

Category:History of Bosnia and Herzegovina Category:Yugoslav Wars Category:Unrecognized or largely unrecognized states