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Croatian Defence Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Croatian Defence Council Croatian Hrvatsko vijeće obrane, HVO |
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|---|---|
 Amblem of Croatian Defence Council |
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| Branches of service | |
| Leadership | |
| Headquarters: | Mostar, Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia |
| Commander-in-Chief: | Milivoj Petković |
| Minister of Defense: | Jadranko Prlić |
| Personnel | |
| Industry | |
| Major domestic suppliers: |  Croatia |
| Major international suppliers: | Croatia |
| History | |
| Founded: | April 8, 1992 |
| Organized as current: | November 21, 1995 |
| Disbanded: | 2005 joined forces of the Army of Republika Srpska to become the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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Operation Storm Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia |
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| Ranks and insignia | |
The Croatian Council of Defence (Croatian Hrvatsko vijeće obrane, HVO) was the main military formation of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War and it was first organized military force to with the aim to control the croat populated areas. It is not to be confused with the Croatian Defence Forces (HOS) which was a separate Croatian military unit
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Beginning of war caught government of Republic Bosnia and Herzegovina unready, despite the fact that part of its territory (mainly Croat) village Ravno was already under attack and burned to the ground on 2. October 1991. and despite the bloody war that already ravaged neighboring Croatia causing 15000 dead, 35000 wounded on Croatian side and more than 200000 displaced Serbs and unknown number of Serbian casualties from territories under Serbian control.
Large scale war in BiH begun on 1. April 1992. by Serb attacks in Bijeljina, Sarajevo, Čitluk, Kupres and other cities. The HVO was established on April 8, 1992 in Grude by the political leadership of BiH Croats, mainly members of Croatian Democratic Union (Hrvatska Demokratska Zajednica) party.
During that first few months of the Bosnian War the HVO was engaged in defending this artifical state of Herzeg-Bosna against Serb forces and along side Croats a number of its soldiers were Bosniaks. After miss fortunate string of events, begun short but bloody conflict between Bosniaks and Croats (from April 1993 until March 1994). However, US pressured both sides to put an end on mutual fighting.
After US-mediated Washington treaty (1994), Armija_RBiH and Croat forces became allies once again. That treaty was further strengthened by Split agreement between Bosniak leader Alija Izetbegović (at that time also a President of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Croatian President Franjo Tuđman. That agreement allowed Croatian army to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina to fight Serb forces alongside Bosna and Herzegovina's Bosniak and Croat forces. Well trained and equipped Croatian Army shifted balance against Serb forces. That intervention was essential part and prelude to operation "Storm", Croatian offensive that led to demise of Serb self proclaimed "Republic of Srpska Krajina" at the cost of hundreds dead and 200000 displaced serbs. Demise of RSK broke the siege of [Bihac] safe-haven where 5th Corp of Bosniak army, completely encircled, heroically resisted Serbs attacks for 3 years. End of the war has been reached by few more offensive operations by combined forces of Bosniak army, HVO and Croatian army. NATO aerial bombardment of Serb positions was another contributing factor in peacemaking in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Peace agreement was brokered November 21, 1995. in US airbase in Dayton, Ohio, and it was subsequently named "Dayton agreement". After Dayton peace agreement, Republic of Bosnia was established as state of two entities: Republic of Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosniak Army and HVO became two components of newly established Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2005. both Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Army of Republika Srpska are integrated into Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
HVO was divided into four operational zones: South-Eastern and North-Western Herzegovina, Central Bosnia and Posavina. While first three zones were grouped more or less together, Posavina was completely isolated in northern Bosnia on right bank of Sava river around Orašje and was entirely depended on support from Croatia.
Some of the top military and political leadership of the HVO where indicted for war crimes in April 2004 and went on trial during the summer of 2006;Jadranko Prlić, Bruno Stojić, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petković, Valentin Ćorić and Berislav Pušić are presently on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia on charges including Crimes Against Humanity, Grave Breaches of the Geneva Conventions and Violations of the Laws or Customs of War.
Other HVO figures have already been tried for war crimes. Tihomir Blaškić (Convicted, partially dismissed in appeal), Mladen Naletilić (Convicted), Vinko Martinović (Convicted), Vlatko Kuprešić (Acquitted), Zoran Kuprešić (Acquitted), Mirjan Kuprešić (Acquitted), Drago Josipović (Convicted), Dragan Papić (Acquitted), Vladimir Santić (Convicted), Zlatko Aleskovski (Sentenced to 7 years, granted early release), Miroslav Bralo Cicko (Convicted), Anto Furundžija (Sentenced to 10 years, granted early release), Dario Kordić (Convicted), Mario Čerkez (Convicted, 6 years) and Zoran Marinić (indictment withdrawn), all had their cases finalized before the ICTY.