Brotherhood and Unity after action report

 

It is 1992 and, while other regions in the area are already in turmoil, the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina erupts.

Bosnians of Serbian ethnicity (Serbs) inherit most of the assets of the Yugoslavian army and quickly take the initiative. They promptly capture Srebrenica and the whole region of Semberija. In a few years, we will start to understand what happened to the civilian population after the city fell. Simultaneously, Serbs start to mass troops in the outskirts of Sarajevo for an upcoming move into the city. They also drive into Bosanski Samac, easily dislodging the Bosniak defenders and setting the stage for a future assault on the disputed Posavina region. Meanwhile, after some tough Bosniak resistance, Serbs capture Bosanska Krupa in the Bosniak enclave of Cazinska Krajina. The assault on Bihac starts soon afterwards. Up to nine Serb brigades, including about 4,000 freshly arrived Yugoslavian soldiers, assault the city. Some 6,000 Bosniak defenders bravely hold the town and are just barely able to replace some of the troops lost in the defense.

Bosnians of Croatian ethnicity (Croats) have their eyes set on East Mostar and start massing troops around it. In the North, they see how the Serbs take positions in the Posavina region and they decide to entrench in Bosanski Brod. Professional troops from the Croatian army cross the border and station in the city. Worryingly for the Croats though, the displacement of Bosniak population causes a refugee crisis that results in Croats losing control of a key region in the Srednja Bosna region. Croats respond to this setback by massing troops in the surrounding regions to push back against the Bosniaks.

The war has taken the Bosniaks completely unprepared. They are overwhelmed by the Serbs and threatened by the Croats. They focus on sending levees to key areas in peril and in setting up fortifications wherever they can. There is not much else they can do.

As the year ends, the International Community looks from a distance and decides to impose some mild economic sanctions to the Serbs. No big deal, lesson learned for 1993.

 

1993: The war rages on.

The year begins with a renewed Serb assault on Bihac with close to 12,000 soldiers. The defenders are finally overwhelmed, the city falls, and with it, the whole region. Simultaneoulsy, the assault on Croat-held Bosanski Brod starts with bitter fighting, gun concentrations, and set defenses. The town barely resists the first Serb onslaught but succumbs to the second assault. NATO decides to strike for the first time during this war. The Serb war effort is not overly affected by NATO’s actions, but some caution would be advisable from now on. 

Major actions in the Sredjna Bosna region take place with large attacks and counterattacks from Bosniaks and Croats across the region. No major changes in land ownership occur, but casualties mount on both sides. Meanwhile, the Serbs start moving troops from the Cazinska Krajina successful campaign down to Juzna Krajina. Croats watch in disarray.

The year ends with Bosniaks and Croats licking their wounds and the Serbs in excellent shape but waiting for the International Community to focus attention on some other world conflict.

 

1994: The war evolves. 

The Bosniaks start the third year of war better prepared and launch their first offensive. As a result, Serbs start to feel some pressure in Sarajevo and Croats lose a town in the Sredjna Bosna region and yield control of the whole region to the Bosniaks. Is the tide changing? Further combats between Bosniaks and Croats occur in central Bosnia with minor territorial changes. The Croats feel trapped between the Serbian might and the upcoming Bosniaks. In the meantime, Serbs exploit the dissents between EU countries and manage to defuse NATO’s operative against them. They aptly realize that the time to rearm, regroup, and wait for the right opportunity has come. The year ends with intense but futile combats in Sarajevo as Bosniaks try to break the siege from the inside.

 

1995: Vicious last year.

The year starts with the Bosniaks deploying two brigades of veteran Muslim jihadists, a move that unsettles the public opinion, as they prepare a major operation to relief Sarajevo. Serbs respond with heavy bombardments in their staging areas causing losses and destruction of material. Croats take time to reinforce and withstand the last year of war. They maintain the pressure on Mostar, and several costly but unsuccessful assaults are made. Futile combats continue inside Sarajevo while the Bosniaks start the operations to break Sarajevo’s siege from the outside. With freshly recruited troops, Croats launch a long-awaited operation to claim control of the Juzna Krajina region and are successful in driving off the Serbs, despite the heavy losses inflicted on them by the Serb unopposed air forces. However, an immediate counterattack by four Serb brigades retakes the city and obliterates three Croat brigades, including two armored units from the army of the Republic of Croatia. A major and unexpected set-back for the Croats. After months of bitter combats, Serbs manage to take the Novi Grad sector of Sarajevo. An immediate but weak Bosniak counterattack fails to retake any lost ground. Serbs are exultant. The year ends with an unexpected final Croat offensive on Juzna Krajina that defeats the exhausted local Serbians troops. They gain control of the whole region in a late but lonely success for the Croats.

Final situation in the city of Sarajevo after four years of war and much futile destruction.

 

After four years of killings, international pressure brings the war to an end. Serbs claim an overwhelming victory. Bitter enemies in many ethnic hotspots remain on the war-torn map of Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country just a few hours away by plane (or by train!) from most European capitals. Major international effort and local goodwill will be needed to reach an equilibrium that is acceptable to all parties.     

Final situation in the central region of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Much goodwill and appeasement will be needed to avoid future ethnic conflicts.