Republic of Croatia (1990–1991)

The Republic of Croatia was a republic within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1990 and 1991. The creation of a republic based on democracy occurred in 1990 when elections were held. Franjo Tuđman was elected President of Croatia that year. He promised independence if reforms were not introduced. While generally heading towards independence, the government attempted negotiations with the Serbian government  one last time: the idea was to create a confederal Yugoslavia where Croatia and other republics would be autonomous and powers would be decentralized. This was not accepted.
Crisis
From 1990 to 1991, Croatia faced political crisis within Yugoslavia as Serb-populated areas attempted to form an enclave called Serbian Krajina which intended to separate from Croatia if Croatia itself attempted to separate. The Serb leadership in Krajina refused to recognize the government of the Republic of Croatia as having sovereignty over them. The crisis began with the Log Revolution as Croatian Serbs cut down trees which they used to block roads. This hampered Croatian tourism and caused alarm in the province of Dalmatia as Croatia was hosting the 1990 European Athletics Championships in Split.
Disestablishment
Croatia's status as a constituent republic ended  in 1991. In a referendum on independence, a majority of Croatians wanted independence from Yugoslavia (93% of the total number of votes). Serb-controlled areas of Croatia became part of the unrecognized Republic of Serbian Krajina, which would not be under Croatian control until 1995. Its main part was liberated by Croatian forces in 1995 (Operation Storm); a part remained in eastern Slavonia under United Nations (UN) administration until its peaceful reincorporation into Croatia in 1998.

Related pages 
 History of Croatia
 Croatian War of Independence

Category:Former countries in Europe
Category:1990 establishments in Europe
Category:1991 disestablishments in Europe
Category:1990s in Croatia