The Battle of Vukovar: Croatia's Stalingrad Begins – August 25, 1991

On August 25, 1991, the Croatian city of Vukovar became the epicenter of one of the most brutal urban battles in post–World War II Europe. What followed was an 87-day siege by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), backed by Serbian paramilitary forces, that would leave the city in ruins and mark a turning point in the Croatian War of Independence.

A City on the Brink

Before the war, Vukovar was a prosperous, multiethnic town nestled along the Danube River in eastern Croatia. Croats, Serbs, Hungarians, and other groups lived side by side in a community shaped by centuries of cultural exchange. But as Yugoslavia began to fracture in the early 1990s, nationalist tensions escalated. Serbia's President Slobodan Milošević and Croatia's President Franjo Tuđman pursued divergent visions of sovereignty, and the region descended into conflict.

The Siege Begins

• Date: August 25 – November 18, 1991

• Belligerents:

• Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitaries

• Croatian National Guard (ZNG) and civilian volunteers

• Forces:

• ~36,000 JNA and paramilitary troops

• ~1,800 Croatian defenders

• Weapons Used: Tanks, artillery, aircraft, and daily shelling-up to 12,000 shells per day

Despite being vastly outnumbered and outgunned, Croatian defenders held the city for nearly three months. The resistance became a symbol of national resilience, with Vukovar dubbed "Croatia's Stalingrad."

Human Cost and Aftermath

• Casualties:

• ~1,100 Croatian fighters killed

• ~2,500 wounded

• ~1,131 civilians killed

• ~31,000 civilians forcibly expelled

When Vukovar fell on November 18, 1991, Serbian forces carried out mass executions, including the infamous massacre at the Vukovar hospital. The city was ethnically cleansed and incorporated into the self-declared Republic of Serbian Krajina.

⚖️ Legacy and Justice

The battle exhausted the JNA and galvanized international attention. Several Serbian commanders, including Mile Mrkšić and Veselin Šljivančanin, were later convicted of war crimes. Slobodan Milošević himself was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

🕊️ Rebuilding and Reconciliation

Vukovar remained under Serb control until 1998, when it was peacefully reintegrated into Croatia. Though the city has been rebuilt, its population remains divided, and many buildings still bear the scars of war. The Vukovar water tower, left in its damaged state, stands as a haunting memorial to the siege.