Operation Storm’s 30th Anniversary in Croatia: Narratives and Counter-Narratives
Operation Storm’s 30th Anniversary in Croatia: Narratives and Counter-Narratives

Summary/Abstract: State elites have often used wars as a source to advance selective narratives promoting national unity and state legitimacy. In Croatia, the dominant narrative about the August 1995 Operation Storm, which led to Croatia’s victory in the War of Independence against Serbia-supported Croatian Serb secessionists, is a case in point. This narrative, however, has been challenged by counter-narratives that draw attention to crimes against Serb civilians and the exodus of Serbs in the context of the operation. This article analyzes these conflicting narratives on the occasion of Storm’s 30th anniversary in 2025, focusing on commemorations carried out by the Croatian government and Croatia’s Serb National Council. It argues that the 2025 events show the enduring strength of the dominant narrative and the continuation of the aforementioned divergences, amplifying the challenges to Croatian Serbs’ social position in the face of issues like the mainstreaming of nationalist elements in Croatia’s public sphere.

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