ABOUT THIS BOOK

Formed in the aftermath of WWI, Yugoslavia was founded as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes ("three tribes of the same people"). But in the early 1990s, following a series of violent conflicts on Slovenian and Croatian soil, the two republics successfully succeeded from Yugoslavia, which would later be followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia. Mesic was member, later head of the Presidency of the Yugoslav Federation from August 1990. His memoir details an intricately woven storyline, which analyzes events, personalities and motivations inside Yugoslavia and its former nations, as well as in the international arena. The narrative is rich with excerpts from Mesic's personal diaries during times of heated conflict and bloodshed. Extensive notes and a short chronology assist the interested reader and scholar in disentangling the complicated plot. After years of relative political passivity, Mesic was elected independent Croatia's second president in 2000, following the death of former President Franjo Tudman.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Stipe Mesic was the President of the Republic of Croatia. He has been a leading politician since the 1980s. He was the last president of Croatia as one of the Yugoslav republics, and in this capacity served as member, later chairman of the federal Presidium of Yugoslavia in 1990–1991. After years of relative political passivity, Mesic was elected independent Croatia’s second president in 2000, following the death of former President Franjo Tudman.

REVIEWS

"Mesic's memoirs provide a valuable insider's story of the collapse of the SFRY. The amount of detail, the first-hand account of events and the portrayal of the key personalities involved in the political struggles of the time make this an essential contribution to understanding how and why the SFRY disintegrated in 1991."
-- International Affairs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue Stipe Mesic The Headless State May 15–June 27, 1991 Sovereign, Independent Croatia May 28–June 30, 1991 Belated Election of the Constitutional President July 1–4, 1991 The Joint Brijuni Declaration July 5–12, 1991 Futile Cries for Peace July 13–August 6, 1991 Serbia Angry at the World August 7–22, 1991 EC Declaration: Serbia and YPA as Aggressors August 23–September 2, 1991 Peace Conference at The Hauge September 3–7, 1991 Army out of Control September 8–22, 1991 A Criminal Army Loses Its State September 23–October 10, 1991 Dubrovnik: An Estuary of Conscience October 11–November 3, 1991 Ravaged Yugoslavia Formally Disappears November 4–December 5, 1991 Chronology of Events