SAO Krajina

Not to be confused with SAO Bosanska Krajina.

Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina Српска аутономна област Крајина Srpska autonomna oblast Krajina
Self-proclaimed entity
←   ← 1990-1991 →
Flag
Capital	Knin
Government	Provisional government
Historical era	Breakup of Yugoslavia
- Established	1990
- Disestablished	1991

Serbian Autonomous Oblast of Krajina (Serbian: Српска аутономна област Крајина, Srpska autonomna oblast Krajina) or SAO Krajina (САО Крајина) was a self proclaimed Serbian autonomous region (oblast) within modern-day Croatia (then Yugoslavia). It existed between 1990 and 1991 and was subsequently included into Republic of Serbian Krajina. SAO Krajina was the main section of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, also known as Krajina proper.

History

In October 1990 the SAO Kninska Krajina encompassed the Community of Municipalities of Northern Dalmatia and Lika. It became the Association of Autonomous Serb Municipalities and soon started making its own government institutions including the Serbian National Council, a parliament for the region.

Originally it was expected that Franjo Tuđman wanted Croatia to be a nation state within Yugoslavia after democratic and decentralizing reforms. When this turned out to be unlikely, they wanted it to be independent of Croatia but remain within the mini-Yugoslavia proposed under the Belgrade Initiative.

On February 28, 1991 the SAO Krajina was officially declared. It announced that it planned to separate from Croatia if it moved for independence from Yugoslavia.

The Serb National Council on March 16, 1991 declared Krajina to be independent of Croatia but within the SFR Yugoslavia. Some leaders in Krajina declared Krajina to be part of Serbia. On May 12, 1991 a referendum was held regarding devolution from Croatia. Krajina was voted independent of Croatia but within SFR Yugoslavia.

Conflict soon began between the Krajina Serbs and Croat authorities. After Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, violence escalated as the Serbs expanded the territory they held with the help of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), eventually to include SAO of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem and SAO Western Slavonia. The Serb-controlled territory included a third of Croatia.

On 19 December 1991 the two SAOs through the initiative of Milan Babić (president of SAO Krajina) and Goran Hadžić (president of SAO Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem) were declared as one Serbian state with the name Republic of Serbian Krajina. In February 1992, the authorities declared independence.

See also

• SAO Kninska Krajina
• Republic of Serbian Krajina
• SAO Bosanska Krajina

External links

• Map