If Milošević intended to send the army, he gave up when Knin fell

The article delves into the question of why Serbia, through the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), did not intervene militarily in August 1995 to aid the rebel Croatian Serbs following the fall of Knin. This inaction occurred despite Serbia having played a crucial role in establishing the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina (RSK) and having a vested interest in its survival.

A 1995 war plan, codenamed 'Gvozd,' had outlined a JNA counter-offensive into eastern Croatia after halting a Croatian attack, with the aim of capturing the Spačva forests. The plan also envisioned the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) assisting the Krajina Serb Army (SVK) in reaching the Adriatic Sea between Šibenik and Biograd.

The piece traces the historical roots of the conflict, beginning with the "anti-bureaucratic revolution" led by Slobodan Milošević in 1989, which altered the structure of the Yugoslav federation. This movement influenced events in Knin in 1989, accelerating national divisions within socialist Croatia. By the summer of 1990, with support from Serbia and alleged JNA protection, a Serb rebellion began, culminating in the declaration of the Serbian Autonomous Region of Krajina in western Croatia in December 1990. The ultimate goal of the SAO Krajina was not an independent state but annexation by Serbia, aiming to unite most Serbs under one banner.