Republika Srpska (1992–1995) in the context of "Bosnian War"

Republika Srpska (Serbian Cyrillic: Република Српска [repǔblika sr̩̂pskaː] ), also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or the Serb Republic, is one of the three political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the others being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District. Situated in the northern and eastern regions of the country, it recorded a population of 1,228,423 in the 2013 census. Its largest city and administrative hub is Banja Luka, located on the banks of the Vrbas River.

Republika Srpska was established in 1992 at the onset of the Bosnian War with the stated purpose of safeguarding the interests of the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the conflict, the expulsion of the majority of Croats and Bosniaks from territories controlled by Republika Srpska occurred, while the majority of Serbs were displaced or expelled from the present-day Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Republika Srpska. The 1995 Dayton Agreement created Republika Srpska as one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's two constituent entities. Today, it is inhabited by the Serb population of the country.

Alija Izetbegović (8 August 1925 – 19 October 2003) was a Bosnian politician and political theorist who served as the president of the presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1990 to 1996. He later served as the first chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1996 to 1998, and then briefly in 2000. He was also the founder and first president of the Party of Democratic Action.

Shortly after his term began, the country's Serb community revolted and created the Republika Srpska, attempting to prevent the secession of Bosnia and Herzegovina from Yugoslavia, which would lead to the outbreak of the Bosnian War. Izetbegović led the Bosniak forces initially alongside the Croat forces, until a separate war erupted between them. Relations between the two sides were resolved in the Washington Agreement, which he signed with Croatian president Franjo Tuđman.

The Army of Republika Srpska (Serbian: Војска Републике Српске, ВРС, romanized: Vojska Republike Srpske, VRS), commonly referred to in English as the Bosnian Serb Army, was the military of Republika Srpska, the self-proclaimed secessionist republic, a territory within the newly independent Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly part of Yugoslavia), which it defied and fought against. Active during the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, the Bosnian Serb Army under General Ratko Mladić became the most proficient military force in the Balkans, as well as one of the most reviled armies in the world. After the war it continued to exist as the armed forces of Republika Srpska, one of two entities making up Bosnia and Herzegovina, until 2006 when it was integrated into the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the conflict, the Bosnian Serb Army conducted several major operations, including Operation Corridor 92, Operation Vrbas '92, Operation Lukavac, Operation Shield '94, and Operation Spider; The army also took part in the Siege of Sarajevo, the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, as well as in the Srebrenica massacre.

The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina (Serbian: Република Српска Крајина / Republika Srpska Krajina, pronounced [rɛpǔblika sr̩̂pskaː krâjina]; abbr. РСК / RSK), known as the Serbian Krajina (Српска Крајина / Srpska Krajina) or simply Krajina (Крајина), was an unrecognized geopolitical entity and a self-proclaimed Serb quasi-state, a territory within the newly independent Republic of Croatia (formerly part of Socialist Yugoslavia), which it defied, and which was active during the Croatian War of Independence (1991–95). It was not recognized internationally. The name Krajina ("Frontier") was adopted from the historical Military Frontier of the Habsburg monarchy (Austria-Hungary), which had a substantial Serb population and existed up to the late 19th century. The RSK government waged a war for ethnic Serb independence from Croatia and unification with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska (in Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The government of Krajina had de facto control over central parts of the territory while control of the outskirts changed with the successes and failures of its military activities. The territory was legally protected by the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Its main portion was overrun by Croatian forces in 1995 and the Republic of Serbian Krajina was ultimately disbanded as a result. A rump remained in eastern Slavonia under UNTAES administration until its peaceful reintegration into Croatia in 1998 under the Erdut Agreement.