Croatian War of Independence in Eastern Slavonia

Domovinski rat bio je obrambeni rat za neovisnost i cjelovitost Hrvatske protiv agresije udruženih velikosrpskih snaga – pobunjenih Srba u Hrvatskoj, Srbije, Crne Gore i JNA. Domovinskom ratu prethodila je pobuna dijela srpskoga pučanstva u Hrvatskoj koja je izbila u kolovozu 1990. Ubrzo nakon toga izvršena je vojna agresija na Hrvatsku koja je bila prisiljena na obranu. Hrvatska je bila izložena izravnoj agresiji iz Srbije, uz sudjelovanje JNA. Prvi oružani sukob u istočnoj Slavoniji dogodio se 2. svibnja 1991. u Borovu Selu kada je masakrirano i ubijeno 12 hrvatskih policajaca. Nakon toga se situacija u istočnoj Slavoniji, ali i cijeloj Hrvatskoj samo pogoršavala, što je dovelo do krvavog rata u kojemu je stradao veliki broj civila i branitelja. Istočna Slavonija bila je veliko bojište, počinjeni su mnogi zločini nad civilima, paljena su sela, uništavane crkve i mnogi drugi objekti. Veliki broj stanovnika je prognan, a njihove kuće su pokradene i uništene. Vukovar je bio uništen do neprepoznatljivosti. Bilo je to najveće uništenje nekog grada na europskom tlu nakon Drugog svjetskog rata. Potpisivanjem Sarajevskog primirja i Međunarodnim priznanjem Republike Hrvatske agresija na istočnu Slavoniju nije stala, međutim, sve je bilo drugačije obzirom da Hrvatsku više nitko ne može oteti onima koji su ginuli i dali živote za nju. Hrvatski narod je u ratu, koji je trajao od 1991. do 1995. godine, podnio veliku žrtvu braneći svoju domovinu od velikosrpske agresije, te se naposljetku uspio izboriti za toliko željenu samostalnost. Mirnom reintegracijom koja je započela 15. siječnja 1996., a završila 15. siječnja 1998. godine istočna Slavonija, Baranja i zapadni Srijem konačno su postale dio jedinstvene i cjelovite Republike Hrvatske.The Croatian War of Independence was a defensive war for independence and integrity of Croatia against the aggression of the united Serbian forces - extremists in Croatia, JNA, as well as Serbia and Montenegro. The war was preceded by a rebellion from a part of the Serbian population in Croatia, which broke out in August 1990. Shortly after, a military aggression was committed on Croatia, which was forced to defend. Croatia was exposed to direct aggression by Serbia and JNA. The first armed conflict took place on May 2, 1991 in Borovo Selo in East Slavonia, when 12 Croatian police officers were massacred and killed. After that, the situation in East Slavonia, and in Croatia overall, was only deteriorating, which brought to a war in which a lot of civilians and defenders were killed. East Slavonia was a battlefield; a lot of crimes were committed over civilians, villages were burned, churches and many other buildings were destroyed. A large number of residents were banished, and their houses were robbed and destroyed. Vukovar was destroyed to the point of being unrecognizable. It was the biggest destruction of a city in Europe since World War II. With signing The Implementation Agreement and the International recognition of the Republic of Croatia, the aggression in East Slavonia did not stop, however it was different because of the cognition that no one could take Croatia from the people that had died for their country. The people of Croatia took a great sacrifice in the war that lasted from 1991 to 1995 while defending its fatherland from the Serbian aggression, and ultimately managed to gain the long-desired independence. With a peaceful reintegration which started on 15th of January 1996 and ended on 15th of January 1998, East Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia where ultimately returned to Republic of Croatia