The Croatian Disabled Homeland War Veterans' Association (Croatian : Udruga hrvatskih vojnih invalida iz domovinskog rata, HVIDRA) is an association of disabled Croatian war veterans who fought in the Croatian Homeland War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2004 [update] , the association had about 33,000 members in Croatia. [1]
The association, established on 25 February 1992, [2] is organized locally throughout Croatia, where it comprises mostly former members of the Croatian Army, and through many parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina where it comprises former members of the Croatian Defence Council. There are also two national umbrella organizations. The Croatian Ministry of Family Affairs, War Veterans and Intergenerational Solidarity grants former soldiers the official status of disabled veterans if they suffered over 20% disability in the war. HVIDRA is one of the most vocal veteran associations in Croatia, frequently weighing in on the nation's politics. [3] [4]
HVIDRA's president in Croatia is Josip Đakić [5] and in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is Anđelko Barun. [6]
The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the official military force of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BiH armed forces were officially unified in 2005 and are composed of two founding armies: the Bosniak-Croat Army of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (VFBiH) and the Bosnian Serbs' Army of Republika Srpska (VRS).
Janko Bobetko was a Croatian general who had participated in World War II and later in the Croatian War of Independence. He was one of the founding members of 1st Sisak Partisan Detachment, the first anti-fascist military unit during World War II in Yugoslavia. He later had a military career in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA).
The Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina is an extra-parliamentary party in Bosnia and Herzegovina that represents the ideology of Dr. Ante Starčević. The main goals of the HSP BiH are changes to the Treaty of Dayton, abolition of entities and subdivision of Bosnia and Herzegovina into territorial units.
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat operations in Croatia by 1992. In Croatia, the war is primarily referred to as the "Homeland War" and also as the "Greater-Serbian Aggression". In Serbian sources, "War in Croatia" and (rarely) "War in Krajina" are used.
The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a state in Southeastern Europe, existing from 1992 to 1995. It is the direct legal predecessor to the modern-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia was an unrecognised geopolitical entity and proto-state in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was proclaimed on 18 November 1991 under the name Croatian Community of Herzeg-Bosnia as a "political, cultural, economic and territorial whole" in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Milivoj Petković is a Bosnian Croat army officer who is among six defendants convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in relation to the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia during the Bosnian War. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail but only served four.
The Homeland War Memorial is a Croatian state medal awarded to both Croatian and foreign citizens who participated in the nation's Croatian War of Independence as a volunteer, part of the Croatian Army and Croatian Council of Defence or in some other role.
Krešimir Zubak is a Bosnian Croat politician. At the beginning of the Bosnian War in 1992, he joined the Croatian Democratic Union.
The relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia were established on 7 July 1992, following both countries' independence from Yugoslavia, in the context of the Yugoslav wars. The two countries have a comparable population and area. Croatia's GDP (PPP) per capita is around the double than Bosnia and Herzegovina's.
Tomislav Merčep was a Croatian politician and paramilitary leader during the Croatian War of Independence who was later convicted of war crimes.
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Association of Croatian Orthodox Believers, often called Croatian Orthodox Union was civic association in Croatia, existed for reestablishment of Croatian Orthodox Church, that existed from 1942 to 1945, created by the Ustaše in the Independent State of Croatia.
Croat People's Union was a Bosnian Croat political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Party was founded by Ivo Pilar in 1910 with goal to represent interests of Croats in the Condominium of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With creation of Kingdom of Yugoslavia, HNZ become inactive and was refounded in 1992 by Milenko Brkić and in 2010 it was incorporated into the Croatian Party of Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Martin Raguž is a Bosnian Croat politician who served as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 18 October 2000 until 21 February 2001. He was a member of both the national parliamentary House of Representatives and House of Peoples.
Andrija Andabak was a Croatian soldier who distinguished himself in the Croatian War of Independence.
The Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995) is said to have attracted "mercenaries, adventurers and idealists", most joining the Croatian side.
Bosnian Muslim paramilitary units, that is, militias or paramilitary units made up of Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) in war.
Davor Jović was a prominent Croatian soldier, kickboxer and kickboxing trainer.
Salko Bukvarević was a Bosnian politician and soldier who served as the Federal Minister for Veterans and Disabled Veterans.