Victory Day in Croatia

Victory Day

Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders (Croatian: Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti i dan hrvatskih branitelja) is a public holiday in Croatia which is held as a memorial to War of Independence, celebrated on August 5.

Celebration of the Victory Day

On 5 August 1995 , the Croatian Army took the city of Knin during Operation Storm, which brought an end to the Republic of Serbian Krajina, a self-proclaimed Serb entity in Croatia.

An article in Croatian newspaper “Knin is free”

War of Independence

In 1991, Croatia declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ).

Serbs who lived in Croatia refused to recognize newly created state and they managed, by the terrorist actions with the help of the JNA, to abstract a part of Croatian territory and declare illegal Republic of Serbian Krajina.

Map of Republic of Serbian Krajina.

Scenes of the War

After four years of war and terrorist activities in the internationally recognized Republic of Croatia, and after countless attempts reintegration into Croatia, the Croatian army, with support of international community, on the 5th August in a brilliant military action managed to return the occupied territory under the auspices of the Republic of Croatia.

It was the final punch to Greater Serbian aggression against the Republic of Croatia.

The end of War

On August 5th, 1995 Croatian forces entered Knin, the capital of the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina, and that meant the final victory of the Croatian army in the struggle for independence.

Raising of the flag in the presence of President of the Republic dr Franjo Tuđman and the Croatian generals, was a symbol of victory.

A long time after that the Serbs were trying to show the international community that military action as an act of ethnic cleansing against the Serbian population.

The fortress in Knin and the rosen Croatian flag

Croatian generals

Final acquittal of Croatian generals 16 November 2012 on the international court at the Hague for war crimes,is the final confirmation of justice for action which we celebrate today as a Homeland Thanksgiving day.

The arrival of Croatian general Ante Gotovina

Croatian generals and the Croatian president