Dubrovnik Republic (1991)

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Dubrovnik Republic
Dubrovačka Republika
Дубровачка Република
1991–1992
Flag of Dubrovnik
Flag
Coat of arms of Dubrovnik
Coat of arms
Occupied parts of Croatia, held by the Yugoslav People's Army (dark green) and claimed territory (light green)
Occupied parts of Croatia, held by the Yugoslav People's Army (dark green) and claimed territory (light green)
StatusHistorical proto-state proclaimed in occupied parts of Croatia, held by the Yugoslav People's Army
CapitalCavtat (de facto)
GovernmentRepublic
President 
Historical eraYugoslav Wars
• Capture of Cavtat by JNA forces
15 October 1991
• JNA withdrawal and dissolution
4 May 1992
Preceded by
Succeeded by
SR Croatia
Croatia
Today part ofCroatia

The Dubrovnik Republic (Serbian: Dubrovačka Republika; Дубровачка република) was a Serb proto-state during the Siege of Dubrovnik in the Croatian War of Independence. It was self proclaimed by the Yugoslav People's Army on 15 October 1991, in occupied areas of Croatia, after being captured by members of 2nd Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA).[1] Its provisional president was Aleksandar Aco Apolonio.[1]

Background[change | change source]

The territory did not correspond to the pre-1808 Republic of Ragusa borders, stretching from Neum (Bosnia and Herzegovina's only coastal town) to Prevlaka (on Croatia's maritime border with Montenegro).[2] They only existed in the occupied villages Cavtat and Konavle.[3] The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) during the trial of Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, identified the Dubrovnik Republic as being part of several regions in Croatia that Milošević sought to be incorporated into a "Serb-dominated state".[4] The ICTY said that the JNA's campaign in the Dubrovnik region was aimed at securing territory for this entity.[5]

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Nigel Thomas, Krunoslav Mikulan, Darko Pavlović. The Yugoslav Wars (1): Slovenia & Croatia 1991-95, Volume 1. p. 54.
  2. Anton Zabkar. The Drama in Former Yugoslavia: The Beginning of the End Or the End of the Beginning? DIANE Publishing, 1995 p. 75.
  3. Kako je prije 25 godina propao pokušaj uspostavljanja Dubrovačke Republike Aca Apolonija, dubrovniknet.hr
  4. http://www.icty.org/x/cases/slobodan_milosevic/ind/en/040727.pdf (pages 2 to 3 of the original fax print)
  5. "Full Contents of the Dubrovnik Indictment made Public. | International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia".