In 1995, the American president made it clear that the liberation operations of the Croatian Army and the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina created the conditions for a peace settlement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the second half of 1995, U.S. President Bill Clinton repeatedly emphasized the crucial role of Croatian military forces in creating the conditions for the peace agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His statements in Prague and New York testify to how battlefield successes directly shaped the diplomatic process that led to the Dayton Agreement.
In the summer of 1994, the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) controlled as much as 70 percent of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This territorial dominance was the key reason why the Serb side did not agree to the then peace plan, which allocated 49 percent of the territory to Republika Srpska.
However, by mid-September 1995, the situation had changed dramatically. The joint forces of the Croatian Army and the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina liberated 43 percent of the territory of the Federation of BiH. This shift on the ground created an entirely new strategic reality.
The American president also recognized this reality. "The Croatian advances eased the problem on the ground because they resulted in the warring parties each holding about half of the territory of Bosnia," Clinton told Czech President Václav Havel on October 21, 1995, in Prague.
With these words, Clinton confirmed that it was precisely the military balancing of forces, achieved through Croatian advances, that opened the door for serious negotiations and compromise.
Just three days later, on October 24, 1995, Clinton was even more direct at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, speaking before Croatian President Franjo Tuđman and the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović.
The significant strengthening of the Croatian and Bosnian armies helped make a dignified peace possible. Without it, I am not sure that NATO bombing or Dick Holbrooke's diplomacy would have achieved results. The differences would likely have remained too great. Therefore, I have nothing but admiration.
This statement represents an extraordinary recognition of the military component in resolving the conflict, placing the Croatian and Bosniak military successes at the very foundation of the peace process.
At the same meeting, the American president did not fail to warn the two leaders about the necessity of overcoming internal tensions within the Federation of BiH. He stressed that it must function fully on the ground and that there were many tensions to be resolved.
"The Serbs or any other opponents exploit your differences," Clinton told Tuđman and Izetbegović, emphasizing that only they, as leaders, could prevent internal disagreements from jeopardizing what had been achieved on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.
