▁People ' s ▁Army ▁( J NA ) ▁subjects ▁the ▁formerly - rep ublic ▁and ▁- ter rit orial ▁defense ▁system ▁to ▁a ▁central ▁command , ▁effectively ▁dis arm ing ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁Sloven ia . ▁The ▁first ▁dem ocr atic ▁elections ▁in ▁ 4 5 ▁years ▁are ▁held ▁in ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁Y ug oslav ▁social ist ▁model ▁into ▁the ▁new , ▁post – C old ▁War ▁world . ▁National ist ▁options ▁win ▁major ities ▁in ▁almost ▁all ▁republic s . ▁The ▁Cro at ian ▁winning ▁party , ▁HD Z ▁offers ▁a ▁vice - pres ident ial ▁position ▁to ▁the ▁Ser b ▁Rad ical ▁Party , ▁which ▁ref uses . ▁Cro at ian ▁Ser bs ▁start ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁the ▁newly ▁elected ▁government , ▁an ▁event ▁frequently ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" Bal van ▁revolution " ▁( tree - log ▁revolution ). ▁Constitution al ▁changes ▁in ▁Cro atia ▁den y ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁nation ▁to ▁Ser bs ▁in ▁Cro atia , ▁equ ating ▁them ▁with ▁all ▁other ▁non - n ational ▁minor ities . ▁Sloven ia ▁holds ▁a ▁refer endum ▁on ▁independence ▁from ▁Y ug oslav ia . ▁which ▁passes ▁with ▁ 8 8 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁elect or ate ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁independence . ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁Ev idence ▁of ▁illegal ▁ar ming ▁of ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁prepar ations ▁for ▁the ▁war ▁a ired ▁on ▁TV . ▁Despite ▁the ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁t apes