 In July 1991, Špegelj and Đodan's demands were backed up by a number of Croatian Parliament members during a parliamentary debate.This led Tuđman to dismiss Đodan the same month he was appointed Defence Minister, and Špegelj resigned his post on 3 August.The deteriorating situation in eastern Croatia including JNA forces' removal of the ZNG from Baranja, intermittent fighting around Osijek, Vukovar and Vinkovci increasing losses and the growing conviction that the JNA actively supported the Croatian Serb revoltforced Tuđman to act.